Ralph Strangis

Ralph Strangis is a play-by-play commentator who has been the commentator for the Dallas Stars ice hockey franchise of the NHL since the team's move to Dallas in 1993 until April 2015.

Strangis has also worked as a commentator for ESPN, Fox Sports, and the Westwood One Radio Network, covering a variety of sports. He also commentates for games broadcast on NHL Radio, which have included regular season, playoff, and World Cup games. On April 23, 2015 Strangis decided to leave the Stars after 25 years.

For the 2016-17 NHL season, Strangis returns as an active National Hockey League broadcaster as one of four play-by-play announcers appointed to fill in for the Los Angeles Kings' Bob Miller.

Strangis honed his play-by-play skills in Minnesota and Wisconsin, starting with his first paying radio job at the age of 16. He later worked on local Public-access television stations doing play by play for a wide variety of high school and college sports. Strangis is especially remembered for his broadcasts of Bloomington Kennedy and Bloomington Jefferson high school hockey that appeared on Bloomington Educational Cable. Strangis' earliest national exposure was as play-by-play man and ring announcer for the American Wrestling Association on ESPN, where he worked alongside Lee Marshall, and later Eric Bischoff, in the waning days of that promotion.

Although Strangis had a great deal of broadcast experience, his tryout as color commentator on the Minnesota North Stars radio network was a longshot; other better-known sportscasters received more air time during the auditioning process. The five potential candidates split up a game as guest commentators alongside Al Shaver, then voice of the Minnesota North Stars. The two better-known talents each took a period and then the three longshots split up the third, with Strangis going last. When Al Shaver was asked who he liked the best, he chose Strangis. Ralph shone in his audition, with the perfect ability to complement Shaver's play-by-play with insights from the players and his own intimate knowledge of the game. When the Stars moved to Dallas in 1993, Shaver decided to not to migrate south with the franchise and retired. After three more seasons as color commentator (teaming with Mike Fornes), Strangis migrated to the play-by-play mic, effectively cementing his status as the "Voice of the Stars."

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