Foster Hewitt - Definition and Overview

Foster Hewitt (November 21, 1902-April 21, 1985) was a Canadian radio pioneer.

Born in Toronto, Ontario, he started as a sportswriter for a Toronto newspaper but soon turned to radio. In March 1923, using a telephone, he made the second ice hockey broadcast ever in the world (he was preceded by Pete Parker), from Toronto's Mutual Street Arena. For the next sixty years, he would be Canada's premier hockey play-by-play broadcaster. He coined the phrase "He Shoots-He Scores!" and was also well known for his sign-on at the beginning of each broadcast, "Hello, hockey fans." He had offers to go over to television to continue the broadcasts that he initiated, but he decided to stay with radio, handing over the television broadcasts to his son, Bill Hewitt. Hewitt retired in 1963, but came out of retirement to broadcast the 1972 Summit Series. Hewitt was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame as a founder in 1965. He attended Upper Canada College as a youth.

Foster Hewitt is buried in Mount Pleasant Cemetery, Toronto.