'Greg Adams! Greg Adams!' Jim Robson breaks down his most famous calls during Canucks' 1994 cup run
'All those calls I get compliments for, I am not exactly happy with,' admits former announcer
Jim Robson has a mixtape that one day will likely wind up in a museum.
A fan from the Okanagan made it and gave it to the longtime former play-by-play announcer for the Vancouver Canucks after their run to the 1994 Stanley Cup Final.
The tape plays back the calls made by Robson for every goal the Canucks scored in that run, from Geoff Courtnall's goal 75 seconds into Game 1 of the Western Conference quarterfinal against the Calgary Flames, to Trevor Linden's third-period marker in Game 7 of the final against the New York Rangers.
Some of them can still be cited by Canucks fans today. Robson says he's not entirely pleased with any of them.
A kind man recorded all of the <a href="https://twitter.com/Canucks?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Canucks</a>’ goals during their 1994 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/StanleyCupFinal?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#StanleyCupFinal</a> run, 25 years ago. He sent the montage to the man who called them on radio, Jim Robson. He played some of it for <a href="https://twitter.com/j_mcelroy?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@j_mcelroy</a> and I. Chills.🎙📻🎚 <a href="https://t.co/NtpBicF2io">pic.twitter.com/NtpBicF2io</a>
—@DanBurritt
"You don't rehearse what you're going to say when you're doing play by play. You describe what happens, good or bad. And all those calls I get compliments for, I am not exactly happy with," he said.
Nevertheless, we asked the legendary announcer to revisit his three most famous calls from those playoffs, 25 years later.
'Pavel Bure has won it in overtime!'
Canucks vs. Flames, Western Conference quarterfinal, Game 7 (series tied 3-3), April 30
"Brown, a long pass to Pavel Bure, in the clear, right in!"
[Tom Larscheid, colour commentator:] "YEAH!"
"THEY SCORE! Pavel Bure has won it in overtime! Pavel Bure picked up a perfect pass, stickhandled in the clear, beat Vernon, gets the winner, at 2:20 of the second overtime."
"Pavel Bure scored the far side from us by tucking it inside the post. Tom Larscheid, working with me, called it a goal before I did," says Robson now.
"I waited for the red light to come on. I did not want to say in double overtime he scored when he didn't. But I couldn't be sure till the red light came on, so then I was a little behind, but I want to be accurate."
'Greg Adams! Greg Adams!'
Canucks vs. Maple Leafs, Western Conference Final, Game 5 (Canucks lead 3-1), May 24
"Back at the line to Babych, long shot! Potvin had trouble with it! ADAMS SHOOTS, SCORES! GREG ADAMS! GREG ADAMS! ADAMS GETS THE WINNER! FOURTEEN SECONDS INTO THE SECOND OVERTIME! THE VANCOUVER CANUCKS ARE GOING TO THE STANLEY CUP FINAL!
"I was excited when it happened, but I didn't really say very much, other than his name," said Robson.
"I said Adams, Greg Adams, Adams, about three or four times. Finally describing the play, which I remember clearly: a faceoff win by Linden to Babych, a shot from the left point. Potvin had trouble with it, it bounced in front of him, Adams put in the rebound."
'He'll play, you know he'll play!'
Canucks vs. Rangers, Stanley Cup Final, Game 6 (Rangers lead 3-2), June 11
"Linden has been chopped down, he's crawling toward the bench. Linden's been injured, now he's hit again by Messier going to the bench."
[Fans boo]
"Messier hit Linden when he was down on his knees, the play is running down, it could get a bit ugly here in the late stages. Linden is struggling to the bench, now he's at the bench talking to the trainer. I didn't see who hit him the first time, but Messier hit him when he was down the second time, and Sergio Momesso is really upset at the Vancouver bench."
"But there is going to be that seventh game. We'll hope they can patch Linden up, and get him in that one. He will play, you know he'll play! He'll play on crutches! He will play, and he'll play at Madison Square Garden ... on Tuesday night. The game is over!"
Again, Robson has regrets.
"At the time of that call I said 'he will play, you know he'll play,' showing how much guts this kid had. But I said, 'on crutches' — I should have said, 'if he has to.' But I didn't," he said.
"And then I said he will play Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden, and the game is over. It would have been much neater to have said, 'he will play a Game 7 at Madison Square Garden for the Stanley Cup!'"
He sighs.
"That would have sounded better."
It's safe to say few people will quibble.
WATCH: Former Canucks play-by-play announcer speaks with CBC News