Bill Misa, beloved hockey coach and color commentator for Seawolves Hockey Live, which broadcasts home Stony Brook hockey games, passed away last week of a heart attack in his sleep. He was 51.
The games Bill covered are broadcast live at StonyBrookHockey.com. For two games this fall, I was Bill’s play-by-play partner while he did the color commentary. Though I knew and worked with him for only about a month, it felt like much longer. A nicer man could not be found.
Bill got hooked on hockey on his 8th birthday, when his parents took him to a Long Island Ducks game at the old Long Island Arena in Commack. He has been involved in hockey since then, organizing and coaching youth, junior and high school hockey and spending a year as the Stony Brook assistant coach. The deep understanding of the game that he brought to the booth as a color man was incredibly valuable to the broadcasts and to my experiences on the air.
On the day I met Bill, I was supposed to have my picture taken to be posted online with the rest of the Seawolves Hockey Live staff. I was unprepared and hadn’t brought my shirt and tie. Without hesitation, Bill took the shirt off his own back and lent it to me for the picture. I was standing in a room full of people in shirts and ties, and Bill was the only one who volunteered. The moment was characteristic of Bill and his interactions with everyone he met.
My friends and family who had watched the broadcasts online would tell me that they had been watching to support me. But invariably, the first words out of their mouths were about Bill, and how funny and all-around awesome he seemed.
And he was. His knowledge and love of hockey was readily apparent on the air. And his jokes-he had the funniest brand of subtle humor-never failed to keep me choking back laughter in an effort to remain professional on the air.
I remember joking with Bill on-air during a game about how he could still lace it up and skate with the college kids. Well I don’t care what they say Bill, I still think you could. And I know that somewhere right now, you’re taking the ice with the greats. You will be missed.
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