In 48 years he broadcast everything from baseball to football to curling to golf. But for listeners in Minnesota, Al Shaver was the “Voice of Hockey”. The legendary Al Shaver has passed away at the age of 96 following a brief illness.
Shaver has resided on Vancouver Island since he retired and was married to his wife Shirley for 67 years. There were five Shaver kids including another hockey play-by-play voice in son Wally. Shirley died in 2019.
Shaver called 26 years of North Stars hockey along with three years with the Gopher hockey team. Shaver also worked on the Minnesota State High School Hockey Tournament, which at the time included Howard Cosell. The Wild later honored Shaver by naming their press box after him.
Longtime North Star player, coach and executive Lou Nanne told WCCO's Chad Hartman that Shaver bled the green and gold and had little patience for players who weren't performing to their full potential.
"If you weren't playing well he wasn't going to talk about it through rose-colored glasses," said Nanne. "He was a fan at heart and his emotions came through on the broadcast. He made you feel part of the broadcast. You knew what was going on the whole way. He was amazing."
Born in London, Ontario, Shaver came to Minnesota in the North Stars' inaugural NHL season in 1967.
"I've worked with many great broadcasters, but I enjoyed my time with him so much," said Nanne.
The North Stars left for Dallas in 1993, and Shaver did not follow them, opting to stay in the Twin Cities. He called University of Minnesota men's hockey for several seasons, then retired in 1996.
Shaver came out of retirement for one season in 2000, when the NHL returned to Minnesota with the debut of the Minnesota Wild, calling their games during their inaugural season in 2000-01.
Shaver graduated from the Lorne Greene Academy of Radio and Television Arts in Toronto in 1948, and worked briefly as a morning show host and baseball play-by-play announcer at CJOY Guelph, Ontario, before moving to CJCJ Calgary, and later to CHAT Medicine Hat, Alberta.
In 1952 he joined CFRN Edmonton, where he did play-by-play for the Edmonton Eskimos of the Canadian Football League, and called five Grey Cup championship games broadcast nationally on the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. In the 1960s he worked in Montreal at CKGM Radio and CFCF TV and then at CKEY Toronto.
Shaver came to the Twin Cities as the Voice of Minnesota North Stars Hockey when the team began play, broadcasting on WCCO until 1978 then later on KSTP until the team moved.
A ten-time Minnesota Sportscaster of the Year, he is also a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto. Shaver is also a member of the Pavek Museum Minnesota Broadcaster's Hall of Fame.