Chuck Kaiton Charles " Chuck " Kaiton is the radio play - by - play announcer for the Carolina Hurricanes of the National Hockey League . He has been with the team since 1979 – 80 season , their first in the NHL while they were still the Hartford Whalers . Career . Kaiton began his broadcasting career in 1969 at his alma mater , the University of Michigan , and then , in 1975 moved on to broadcast sports at the University of Wisconsin – Madison . In 1979 , he was named Wisconsin ' s Sportscaster of the Year . That same year , he made the jump to the NHL , joining the Hartford Whalers . He has been with the team ever since , following them to North Carolina in 1997 – 98 . In 1986 , he was elected president of the NHL Broadcasters Association , another job he has held ever since . Unlike most broadcasters , who typically work in tandem with an analyst or color commentator , Kaiton normally calls games alone . However , John Forslund , the Hurricanes television play - by - play broadcaster , will join him when he is not needed for a broadcast . This only typically happens during the postseason . Kaiton is widely considered one of the best broadcasters in the league . His trademark is the use of large words , such as triskaidekaphobia whenever any number 13 comes up , as well as his exuberant play calling in the most exciting moments of the game . He is quite unbiased in how he does this , often calling opposing teams ' goals as loudly as Hurricanes ' goals . However , his most well known trait is the proper pronunciation of player names , as opposed to using the Anglicized version most broadcasters use . He ensures accurate pronunciation of names by talking to the players themselves . For instance , while most broadcasters pronounce Sergei Samsonov ' s name SAM - so - nov , Kaiton uses the accurate sam - SO - nov . Kaiton has always wished to help fans better understand the idiosyncrasies of the game . To achieve this end , he has a segment during the second intermission of every broadcast called " Kaiton ' s Corner " , where he answers questions e - mailed by fans . These questions range from rules clarifications to game history to which stadiums are best for broadcasting and anything that anyone can think of . True to his broadcasting style , he always asks that fans give him their preferred pronunciation of their name . In 2004 , Kaiton was awarded the Foster Hewitt Memorial Award . This award , considered the equivalent of a Hall - of - Fame induction for broadcasters , is given for outstanding contributions to hockey broadcasting . On June 19 , 2006 , the Hurricanes won their first Stanley Cup . At the time , Kaiton had called every game of the Whalers / Hurricanes ' NHL existence ( they had come over from the World Hockey Association in 1979 , the same year Kaiton became their announcer ) . At the end of the seventh game , Kaiton told the story of his career and the entire franchise to that point when he made the call , " 9 , 393 days of frustration , and on the 9 , 394th day of NHL existence , the Carolina Hurricanes — the Whaler organization ' til ' 97 — have won the Stanley Cup ! " The Hurricanes usually pipe a feed of Kaiton ' s radio broadcasts through the concourse of the RBC Center so fans won ' t miss any action while away from their seats . Personal . Kaiton grew up an avid Chicago Blackhawks fan , even though he is from just outside of Detroit . He is an avid fan of cigars , and was quite pleased to be able to have one with the Stanley Cup at the Hurricanes 2006 Championship Parade . He currently lives in Raleigh , North Carolina with his wife , Mary . The couple have three sons , Nelson , Chuck and Russell .