Al Murdoch —the voice of Rogers Arena PIPES OF PERFECTION In the broadcasting industry, “pipes” is a term applied to those smooth, mellifluous voices that transcend the everyday and transport your mental imagery to another dimension.
Story by Joe Leary Photos by Jacob Couture
Locally, Al Murdoch is most identified as the in-house announcer for the Vancouver Canucks, where his sultry pipes resonate throughout Rogers Arena. There’s also a myriad of other major client contracts.
Al Murdoch possesses pipes! You know the voice by heart but may be hard-pressed to identify exactly where you know it from. It’s heard in any number of advertisements promoting everything from Ford, Nike, McDonalds, 7-Eleven and Dunkin Donuts to movie trailers for Universal Pictures; network promos for CBS, Fox and HBO; through to the Bud Light Super Bowl ads.
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Then there’s his work as the announcer for the NHL Winter Classic; NHL All-Star Weekend; NHL Stadium Series and Heritage Classic outdoor games over the past four years. He’s the voice of the syndicated “Judy Justice” series, the latest television iteration for “Judge Judy.”
His path to broadcasting was clearly ingrained early on.
RAISED ON RADIO “I remember being about six years old when my Dad brought home a new transistor radio,” he recalls, adding that riding his bike around the neighbourhood with the music blaring became a defining moment when he was a youngster. “When the DJ came on and I heard his voice, I thought he was speaking directly to me. It was an instant connection and it was at that moment that I knew I wanted to be on the radio.” That dream for Al Murdoch began in high school with an in-house radio station that would broadcast throughout the hallways. “When I wasn’t in class I was spinning records and sending shout-outs to all my friends.”