BOB RIDLEY “Golden Microphone” HONOURARIUM

The Western Canada Professional Hockey Scouts Foundation will be presenting its Bob Ridley “Golden Microphone” Honourarium for the first time at its 2025 Wall of Honour induction dinner.

The award is a salute to Bob Ridley, the retired longtime radio voice — and bus driver — with the WHL’s Medicine Hat Tigers. Ridley announced his retirement in August 2022 after calling more than 4,000 games over 52 seasons. He also drove the team bus for 45 of those seasons.
The Tigers entered the WHL for the 1970-71 season; Ridley was their only play-by-play voice until his retirement.

This award fits in perfectly with the Foundation’s long-range vision of wanting “to give back to charities, communities and individuals who could benefit from our support and financial assistance.” explained WCPHSF president, Erin Ginnell. So far, the Foundation has provided financial assistance to a scout who needed help due to medical difficulties, and the Bear Clan Bow River, which does such great work where it is needed in Calgary. The Foundation also worked with the Make-A-Wish Foundation to help a youngster from Vancouver get to his first NHL game.

The Ridley tribute will recognize a member of the media or broadcasting profession for their dedicated years of service at the Major Junior level. A donation will be made on their behalf to an individual or charity of their choosing, thus providing the recipient assistance with educational or medical support. This accolade underscores Ridley’s enduring legacy and commitment to the sport of hockey and contributions towards the scouting process at the NHL level. “I’m very honoured and humbled to have this honourarium put in my name,” Ridley said, “and proud to be a part of this foundation moving forward. I’ve always had respect for the NHL scouts and the travel and hard work that goes into their job”

This award joins two others in the Foundation’s library, along with the Ace Award and the Two Glens’ Honourarium. The Ace Award honours the memory of Garnet (Ace) Bailey, a longtime scout who was aboard the second plane that was flown into the World Trade Center in New York City on 9/11. The Two Glens’ Honourarium, which was announced earlier this month, is in memory of Glen Cochrane and Glen Dirk, a pair of veteran scouts both of whom were taken from us by cancer earlier this year.

“From the beginning this foundation wanted to honour the scouting fraternity, but ‘giving back’ was also very important to everyone,” said Dennis Beyak, a former WHL executive and NHL play-by-play voice who is an associate director with the Foundation. “And there isn’t a better way to connect the two than with charitable donations. There are many that need help, and this foundation WANTS to help. Ace Bailey, Glen Dirk and Glen Cochrane were always willing to lend a hand. Same for Bob Ridley.”

As Beyak explained, he and Ridley started their WHL broadcasting careers at the same time, with Beyak beginning his career by doing games involving the Flin Flon Bombers.
“From 1970 to 2022, when the Medicine Hat Tigers bus pulled up, the first person you saw was Bob,” Beyak said. “Park the bus, up to the broadcast booth, call the game, and get back down to help load the bus. A lot of great players wore the Tigers jersey, but to many the face of the franchise is Bob Ridley.”

All three of the Foundation’s awards will be presented during its annual Wall of Honour induction dinner. At present, the Foundation is working on selecting a date for the 2025 dinner.
As well, the Foundation’s selection committee is putting together its list of 2025 Wall of Honour inductees. Those names are expected to be announced in January.