Kenny Albert had front-row seat to all the dramatic U.S. Olympic hockey moments in Milan
New York Knicks broadcasters Kenny Albert (R) and Walt Frazier work a game against the Dallas Mavericks at Madison Square Garden on Saturday, Dec. 3, 2022 in New York City. Credit: Jim McIsaac
It was after midnight in Milan and Kenny Albert still sounded pumped about Sunday’s Olympic gold medal men’s hockey game.
Albert, who called Sunday’s 2-1 overtime victory by the United States over Canada with Eddie Olczyk on NBC, told Newsday in a telephone interview on Sunday night that “this one takes the cake.”
It was Albert’s 10th Olympics overall and seventh Winter Games. He called 24 hockey games starting on Feb. 5, including the U.S. women’s 2-1 overtime victory over Canada in the gold-medal game and the U.S. men making it to the semifinals with a 2-1 victory over Sweden, also in overtime.
Here’s Albert’s call of Jack Hughes’ winning goal on Sunday: “United States with numbers. Back across it comes — Jack Hughes wins it! The golden goal for the United States! For the first time since the 1980 miracle, the United States takes the gold!”
Said Albert: “Just to be able to call, in the last five days, the Quinn Hughes overtime goal against Sweden in the quarterfinal, and then the women's gold-medal game, which went to overtime, and the game today that went to overtime . . . it's funny, so many people have asked me about those three calls. It seems like the calls, when they’re overtime goals, take on a life of their own. So appreciative of what people have had to say about the calls.
“The fact that it's overtime and 3-on-3 and sudden death and one team's eliminated just makes that kind of a call even more special. If the United States doesn't tie the women's game late and Canada wins, 1-0, it's still a memorable call. Even today, if the U.S. won, 4-1, it's still an unbelievable story, first gold medal in 46 years. But from the broadcast standpoint, you have that exclamation point, the overtime goal at the end.”
Albert is well-known for being one of few announcers who calls all four major professional sports. The 58-year-old set a U.S. record this time as the first play-by-play announcer to call seven Winter Games, breaking a tie with Mike (Doc) Emrick.
“It's been an unbelievable experience,” Albert said. “I've been so fortunate. This is my seventh Winter Olympics now for NBC and the first one was in 2002 when Doc Emrick pulled out about 10 days before. I was a last-minute replacement, a last-minute pinch-hitter for Doc. It's just funny how things work sometimes. If that hadn't occurred, I might never have had the opportunity to work any Olympics.”
As he spoke from his hotel room in Milan, Albert was getting ready to pack for a 7 a.m. trip to the airport to get ready for his next assignment (also with Olczyk): Los Angeles at Las Vegas on Wednesday night for TNT in Artemi Panarin’s first game with the Kings since being traded from the Rangers.
Albert was supposed to fly to New York on Monday for a day at home and then to Las Vegas on Tuesday. But because of the snowstorm, he was instead scheduled to go through Atlanta on an NBC charter and then to Vegas.
Thankfully, Albert will get a little rest after Wednesday’s game. His day job is as the Rangers’ play-by-play announcer for MSG. Their games on Thursday and Saturday are national TV appearances.
“I’ll get a chance to relax again,” Albert said, “before everything starts up again.”
Anthony Rieber covers sports media and business and professional sports (you know, games and trades and things). He has worked at Newsday since Aug. 31, 1998, and has been in his current position since Jan. 1, 2026.
