MSG Networks Announce Don La Greca as New Jersey Devils Play-By-Play Announcer: Bill Spaulding Departs

In a shock to fans, Bill Spaulding will not remain with the MSG crew moving forward. However, esteemed radio personality Don La Greca will be taking his place.

This was not the news New Jersey Devils fans were expecting this week.

After three seasons as the play-by-play announcer for the Devils on MSG Networks, Bill Spaulding has parted ways with the network. In his place, Don La Greca, host of “Don, Han & Rosenberg” on ESPN, will take his place. The reasons for this split between Spaulding and MSG have not been divulged, but Spaulding posted this goodbye on Twitter today, shortly after MSG Networks announced La Greca’s hiring.

What I dislike so far about the news today is how MSG Networks went about announcing it. Without even acknowledging Bill Spaulding’s work — or even mentioning him — they announced his replacement. Bill was not a big hockey guy (though he did have some experience with college hockey) prior to being hired as the Devils’ play-by-play announcer. But he worked hard, absorbing a lot of the details of the game that he might not have had in September 2022, growing into a broadcaster that many Devils fans are unhappy to see leave the team.

Devils fans may recall the abrupt break between the network and Erika Wachter, which took many by surprise given Wachter’s well-received performance as the host of the broadcast. Wachter, who now hosts on NHL Network and MLB Network, is still missed by many in the fanbase. When the Spaulding-Daneyko-Salvador-Wachter team was split, the broadcast suffered as a result. I hope this move proves less disruptive to the broadcast’s chemistry, and I hope MSG does not disrupt the crew further by pulling Rachel Herzog after one year as their host. It’s important to let people grow into their roles.

In honor of Spaulding’s time with the Devils, I would like to point out a few of my favorite moments. There was Ryan Graves’s ridiculous game-tying goal against Edmonton in November 2022, which was followed by a game-winner by Jesper Bratt. He called Jack Hughes’s hat trick later that month. There was Damon Severson’s overtime goal against the New York Rangers on January 7, 2023. He called the wild back-and-forth game between the Devils and Blue Jackets, featuring a Luke Hughes coast-to-coast goal and culminating in a Timo Meier game-winner on December 27, 2023. Spaulding got to call both of Nico Hischier’s hat tricks against the Nashville Predators and Minnesota Wild. And of course, there was Simon Nemec’s overtime winner against the Carolina Hurricanes. There are some goals I have not been able to find on YouTube, but Spaulding certainly had his moments.

What’s Next

Moving forward, fans of the New Jersey Devils will hear the voice of Don La Greca call the plays. If you live in the area and have ever listened to sports radio, you have probably heard La Greca on ESPN radio. For many years, he was Michael Kay’s co-host on the Michael Kay Show. This led into the Don, Han & Rosenberg show when Kay’s program was shortened to a two-hour timeslot to give Kay more time with his family. Now, I wonder to what extent La Greca will continue with his talk show duties, as their 3:00-7:00 hours will strongly conflict with NHL travel. The Devils’ release notes that La Greca will be on all MSG broadcasts.

You can see MSG Networks’ announcement of La Greca’s hiring below.

For those wondering about La Greca’s hockey acumen, Devils Insiders found a clip of La Greca calling a Devils goal on the New York Rangers radio broadcast. I think you can hear La Greca pull back his excitement at the play given the role he was serving in at the time, but he does have a good voice for hockey. La Greca even supposedly has a tattoo of the Stanley Cup with at least two of the Devils’ winning years on it. Passion is incredibly important for a hockey announcer, perhaps more so than most other sports, and La Greca will bring it for Devils fans. I am not at all worried about that in this case.

Aside from his Devils fandom, La Greca will bring a level of gravitas to the broadcast booth that many fans will appreciate. He has been on the radio for many years, building connections around ESPN and New York sports media along the way. One of my hopes for his tenure as the play-by-play announcer for the Devils is that his name recognition and prior visibility gives the Devils more attention in the media. The Devils have been largely overlooked by national media for years, with noticeable derision when the team has been good. Maybe this changes that a bit.

In Bill Spaulding’s case, I hope he does not give up hockey. More than ever, national broadcasts are desperate for voices that are actually passionate about hockey, and I think ESPN or TNT should consider him for that role in the upcoming season. I have no idea if Spaulding has been in contact with possible employers about his future, but I think that would be a good one for him. With Kenny Albert already presumably leaving (or at least stepping back a bit from) TNT’s hockey team for MSG Networks in his new role with the Rangers, maybe something can happen there.

Your Thoughts

I am sure that many of you have thoughts on this news. So, please, share away. I am still a bit in shock, even though I have been a fan of La Greca ever since I started listening to the Michael Kay Show when I was in middle school. I have no doubt we will feel his passion, but I am sorry to see Bill go. That said, please leave your thoughts in the comments.