Cap'n Kirk calls it quits

And then there were four.
A fourth opening for a play-by-play position has been created in the Western Hockey League after Kirk Fraser of the Kamloops Blazers officially announced that he is stepping aside after 11 years of calling games.
Jobs calling play-by-play are now available in Kamloops, Vancouver, Edmonton and Regina.
Prepared and passionate.
That may best describe what I witnessed from Kirk Fraser during his time in the Kamloops Blazers broadcast booth.
Let me point out that while the Blazers and Rockets were fierce rivals, the same couldn't be said for the relationship between the teams broadcasters.
Sure we waved our teams respective flags with pride, but once the game was over so were the battle lines.
I will always remember a game in Kamloops between the two teams with fight after fight, causing numerous stoppages. I looked over at Fraser after the sixth fight had concluded only to see him looking back at me jokingly with his fists clenched. It was like he was saying we were next in-line to get into a scrap.
Fraser will be missed.
He was responsible - or took the responsibility - for providing all 21 other broadcasters across the WHL with a player pronunciation guide at the start of each season. I, like many others, often twisted the names of some players and didn't follow the script, but Fraser was like a choir director wanting all of us (broadcasters) to sing from the same song sheet. Some of us, me included, just sang off key sometimes.
Fraser never called a winner. During his time in the Blazers broadcast booth, first round exits were par for the course. But despite the struggles, Fraser was ever the optimist before the puck was dropped.
Isn't that what you want from your radio broadcaster? The belief that the home team can win every night?
Fraser was that type of broadcaster, a radio voice the Kamloops Blazers organization can be proud of.