Blades’ Les Lazaruk to receive the Bob Ridley Golden Microphone Honourarium
Saskatoon, SK – Winner! Winner! Chicken dinner!
The longtime voice of the Saskatoon Blades, Les Lazaruk, will be the recipient of this year’s Bob Ridley Golden Microphone Honourarium at the Western Canada Professional Hockey Scouts Foundation Wall of Honour event this summer. The award, named after longtime Medicine Hat Tigers play-by-play voice Bob Ridley, recognizes a member of the print or broadcast profession for their service at the major junior level and includes an honourarium to be donated to the individual or charity of their choosing.
The Winnipeg, MB native has been the play-by-play announcer for the Blue and Gold since the 1994-95 season. You can’t drag Lazaruk away from the rink, missing just 25 Blades games in his time with the team. He’s only missed one due to illness back in 2000 during Game 7 of the Eastern Conference quarter-final at home against Regina. A majority of those games missed was because of his passion for another Blue and Gold sports team within our community, the Saskatoon Hilltops of the Canadian Junior Football League. Lazaruk called Hilltops games between 2003 – 2013.
Lazaruk’s passion for sports in our community extends beyond the Blades and Hilltops. While many in the hockey world might use their summer to recharge and get ready for the next WHL season, Lazaruk is busy at the baseball diamond calling Saskatoon Berries games in the WCBL. Lazaruk is also the sports director for Saskatoon Media group (SMG), providing extensive coverage of not just the Blades, but all Saskatchewan WHL teams and players. His passion for the Blades is unmatched.
Lazaruk is the walking encyclopedia of everything Blades hockey. Ask him any question about the Blades and their 60+ year existence, and he can answer it in full detail. Lazaruk works tirelessly to make his broadcasts professional, informative, and exciting for not just Blades fans listening, but fans of other WHL teams that are tuned in. Lazaruk keeps in-depth stat logs for every game the Blades play, as well as his own spreadsheets tracking everything from franchise leading scorers, other club’s goal and shot differentials per period, and so much more to enhance his broadcast.
