The legendary Al Shaver, the beloved radio voice of the North Stars during the franchise’s 26 years in Minnesota, died Monday after a brief illness on Vancouver Island, B.C., at the age of 96, his son Wally, the longtime play-by-play radio voice of the Gophers, told The Athletic on Wednesday.
Born in London, Ont., Shaver was a play-by-play announcer for radio and television stations in Guelph, Ont., Calgary and Medicine Hat, Alta. It was in Medicine Hat where he met his wife, Shirley. They were married for 67 years until Shirley died in 2019.
Shaver’s broadcasting career continued in Edmonton, where his five children were born. The family moved frequently throughout Shaver’s broadcasting career across Canada from Edmonton to Montreal, to Tecumseh, Ont., then Windsor, Ont. and finally, Toronto.
“After moving four years in a row, I finally told Mom just to keep the boxes packed because we’d probably be moving again,” Wally Shaver said. “Dad said the move to Minnesota would be our last for a long time and we were very grateful for that.”
In 1967, Shaver was offered the position as the radio broadcaster for the NHL expansion North Stars calling games on WCCO Radio and later KSTP-AM and WAYL-AM.
Sad news, Al was a gentleman though and through. Kind considerate and…
