Frank Joseph James "Budd" Lynch (August 7, 1917 – October 9, 2012) was the

Detroit Red Wings The Detroit Red Wings (colloquially referred to as the Wings) are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit. The Red Wings compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NHL), Atlantic Division in the East ...

public address announcer An announcer is a voice artist who relays information to the audience of a broadcast media programme or live event. Television and other media Some announcers work in television production, radio or filmmaking, usually providing narrations, ...

Joe Louis Arena Joe Louis Arena was an arena in Downtown Detroit. Completed in 1979 at a cost of US$57 million as a replacement for Olympia Stadium, it sat adjacent to TCF Center, Cobo Center on the bank of the Detroit River and was accessible by the Joe Lou ...

, a position he held from 1985 to 2012. He began his career in 1949 as the team's radio play-by-play announcer. Lynch had been with the

Windsor Spitfires The Windsor Spitfires are a Canadian junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL). The team is based in Windsor, Ontario, Canada. Founded in 1971, the franchise was promoted to the Ontario Major Junior Hockey League for the 1975� ...

when Red Wings' general manager

Jack Adams John James Adams (June 14, 1894 – May 1, 1968) was a Canadian professional ice hockey player, coach and general manager in the National Hockey League and Pacific Coast Hockey Association. He played for the Toronto Arenas, Vancouver Millionaire ...

asked him to call the games for his organization. A native of

Windsor, Ontario Windsor is a city in southwestern Ontario, Canada, on the south bank of the Detroit River directly across from Detroit, Michigan, United States. Geographically located within but administratively independent of Essex County, it is the souther ...

, Lynch joined the

Essex Scottish Regiment The Essex Scottish was an infantry regiment of the Canadian Army until 1954. History Founded in 1885 as the 21st Essex Battalion of Infantry, it went through several name changes including: 1887 - 21st Battalion, Essex Fusiliers; 1900 - 21st R ...

of the

Canadian Army The Canadian Army (french: Armée canadienne) is the command responsible for the operational readiness of the conventional ground forces of the Canadian Armed Forces. It maintains regular forces units at bases across Canada, and is also respo ...

during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

; he lost his right arm during combat. Returning home from the war, he joined the Red Wings, with the team winning the

Stanley Cup The Stanley Cup (french: La Coupe Stanley) is the championship trophy awarded annually to the National Hockey League (NHL) playoff champion. It is the oldest existing trophy to be awarded to a professional sports franchise in North America, an ...

during his first season. Detroit won the Stanley Cup four times during his first five years with the club. He attempted a retirement in 1975, but was brought back to the team by

Alex Delvecchio Alexander Peter "Fats" Delvecchio (born December 4, 1931) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player, coach, and general manager who spent his entire National Hockey League (NHL) career with the Detroit Red Wings. In a playing career t ...

as the Director of Publicity. A second retirement attempt in 1985 failed when Marian Ilitch asked Lynch to stay on as public address announcer. His style as public address announcer was "simply relaying information to the crowd, not to act as a cheerleader." He often regarded

Gordie Howe Gordon Howe (March 31, 1928 – June 10, 2016) was a Canadian professional ice hockey player. From 1946 to 1980, he played 26 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) and six seasons in the World Hockey Association (WHA); his first 25 seaso ...

as the greatest player he has ever seen. In 1985, he was the recipient of the

Foster Hewitt Memorial Award The Foster Hewitt Memorial Award is an annual accolade honoring a member of the ice hockey broadcasting world. It was named for the Canadian hockey radio broadcaster and newspaper journalist Foster Hewitt, and it has been presented every year at a ...

, presented in recognition of members of the radio and television industry who made outstanding contributions to their profession and the game during their career in hockey broadcasting as selected by the NHL Broadcasters' Association. In 1994, Lynch was inducted into the

Michigan Sports Hall of Fame The Michigan Sports Hall of Fame is a Hall of Fame to honor Michigan sports athletes, coaches and contributors. It was organized in 1954 by Michigan Lieutenant Governor Philip Hart, Michigan State University athletic director Biggie Munn, presid ...

. In 2005, Lynch was the recipient of the

Ty Tyson Edwin Lloyd "Ty" Tyson (May 11, 1888 – December 12, 1968) was an American sports broadcaster and radio play-by-play announcer. Early life Tyson was born in Phillipsburg, Pennsylvania and he attended Penn State University. As a young man, he ...

Excellence in Sports Broadcasting Award awarded by the Detroit Sports Media Association. Lynch is a two-time Past DSMA President and named a lifetime member. Starting in the fall of 2008, he was joined on the PA booth at

by a second PA announcer: first with John Fossen, and later with Erich Freiny, the latter of whom has succeeded Lynch at the PA announcer job permanently. On November 5, 2009, Lynch was honored at Joe Louis Arena for the 60th anniversary of his first play-by-play television broadcast of a Red Wings game. After the ceremony, the Red Wings prevailed 2–1 over the San Jose Sharks in a shootout, and fans received Budd Lynch

bobblehead A bobblehead, also known by common silly nicknames such as nodder, wobbler, or wacky wobbler, is a type of small collectible action figure. Its head is often oversized compared to its body. Instead of a solid connection, its head is connected to ...

s to celebrate the occasion. At the time of his death, Lynch was the longest-tenured employee in Red Wings history. He lived in

Wyandotte, Michigan Wyandotte ( ) is a city in Wayne County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 25,058 at the 2020 census. Wyandotte is located in southeastern Michigan, approximately south of Detroit on the Detroit River, and it is part of the coll ...

, until his death on October 9, 2012. He was 95 years old. His was a voice so honored by fans, players and ownership alike, that a recording of Lynch's voice continued to announce, "Last minute of play in this period" for each home game until Joe Louis Arena closed in 2017.

References

External links

Budd Lynch in the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lynch, Budd 1917 births 2012 deaths Canadian Army personnel of World War II Canadian military personnel from Ontario Essex Scottish Regiment soldiers Canadian sports announcers Detroit Red Wings personnel Detroit Red Wings announcers Foster Hewitt Memorial Award winners Michigan Wolverines football announcers National Hockey League broadcasters National Hockey League public address announcers People from Windsor, Ontario