Everett Fitzhugh

Everett "Fitz" Fitzhugh (born 1989) is an American sportscaster who is the radio play-by-play announcer for the Seattle Kraken of the National Hockey League. Fitzhugh, upon his hiring by the Kraken, became the first full-time African American broadcaster in NHL history and is the only Black play-by-play announcer at any professional level of North American ice hockey.[1][2] He is a native of Detroit.[3] Fitzhugh has been married since 2020.

Everett Fitzhugh
Born1989 (age 32–33)
Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
Alma materBowling Green State University
OccupationRadio sportscaster
Years active2000s–present
Known forFirst African American broadcaster in the NHL
Spouse(s)
Shelly Pinto
​
(m. 2020)​
Sports commentary career
Genre(s)Play-by-play
SportsIce hockey

In addition to his duties as a Kraken broadcaster, Fitzhugh is also appearing at public speaking engagements and in promotional videos for the Kraken. Tod Leiweke, the Kraken's CEO, personally reached out to Fitzhugh after Fitzhugh was the subject of a February 2020 profile story in The Athletic.[1][4] Leiweke received "a glowing recommendation" for Fitzhugh from retired NBC NHL announcer Mike Emrick.[5]

On February 17, 2022, Fitzhugh and J. T. Brown called the Kraken's game against the Winnipeg Jets on Root Sports Northwest. The pairing was the first all-Black TV broadcast in NHL history.[6]

Fitzhugh attended Pioneer High School in Ann Arbor, Michigan and Bowling Green State University. He has been the play-by-play announcer for the ECHL's Cincinnati Cyclones and for the Youngstown Phantoms of the United States Hockey League, and the play-by-play announcer and color commentator for the Bowling Green Falcons.[3][7] Fitzhugh has also served as the Cyclones’ Director of Media Relations, and received the ECHL Award of Excellence for Media Relations in 2017, following the completion of his second year in the League. He was also on the crew for the 2018 ECHL All-Star Game on NHL Network. In 2018, he announced play-by-play for a Washington Capitals preseason game against the Boston Bruins.[2][7]

References
  1. Clark, Ryan S. (7 August 2020). "How the Kraken's Everett Fitzhugh became the NHL's first Black team broadcaster". The Athletic. Retrieved 10 February 2021.
  2. "Seattle Kraken hire NHL's first Black team broadcaster Everett Fitzhugh". Root Sports Northwest. 7 August 2020. Retrieved 23 December 2020.
  3. Falkner, Mark (10 August 2020). "'Dream come true:' Detroit's Everett Fitzhugh first Black NHL team broadcaster". The Detroit News. Retrieved 23 December 2020.
  4. Clark, Ryan S. (11 February 2020). "'They firmly see me as one of the best 26 broadcasters in the league': ECHL play-by-play voice only wants to be heard". The Athletic. Retrieved 10 February 2021.
  5. Baker, Geoff (7 August 2020). "'You never set out to be the trailblazer': Kraken's Everett Fitzhugh embraces opportunity as NHL's first Black team broadcaster". The Seattle Times. Retrieved 23 December 2020.
  6. Stone, Larry (February 15, 2022). "Kraken's Everett Fitzhugh, JT Brown embracing history as NHL's first Black broadcast team". The Seattle Times. Retrieved February 17, 2022.
  7. Reyes, Lorenzo (19 August 2020). "'If he could do it, I can do it': How the NHL's first Black team announcer inspires the next generation". USA Today. Retrieved 23 December 2020.
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