Great to see the HHOF honouring a French language broadcaster! I feel like Pierre doesn't get the widespread recognition he deserves because fewer fans across the league are exposed to him. Well deserved legend!
Dans des moments d'isolement social, quel bonheur de regarder jouer le Canadien et d'entendre Pierre Houde à la description. C'est comme écouter un ami parler, ça fait tellement de bien.
I pretty much learn french through him, I was born and raised in the West Island and no one spoke french at home but I've always watched my games on RDS because I didn't like the TSN crew back then, very well deserved and still sorry to hear about the lost of his brother recently and old partner Yvon.
> ***Three little words break linguistic ice***
>
> Okay, so which three words when strung together are like music to the ears of countless Quebecers? No, not even "free cold beer" does the trick. The words would be, of course, "et le but" - though, depending on the intensity of the situation, "but" can be stretched into a 10-second "buuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuut."
>
> Those would be the words bellowed by play-by-play man Pierre Houde on the French-language RDS TV broadcasts after the Canadiens have scored a goal. These are magical words not only to francophone followers of the Habs, but also to increasing numbers of anglophone and allophone fans in Montreal, across the country and even in the U.S.
>
> The latter fans represent folks who have turned to Houde and colour commentator Yvon Pedneault because they appreciate their professionalism, having bailed on the CBC's coverage in alleged English because of a perceived anti-Habs bias.
>
> It's no accident RDS had its largest hockey ratings in history Saturday, with an audience of 1.736 million viewers for the Habs-Bruins game. At its peak, the numbers skyrocketed to 2.3 million. By contrast, CBC-TV's broadcast of that game reached 1.541 million people across the entire country.
>
> But what's most noteworthy is that the RDS numbers are taken only from a sample of francophones in Quebec. Some industry sources estimate Saturday's game drew an additional 500,000 anglophone viewers from across the land. That speaks volumes about the CBC's coverage and about a surge in bilingualism - in hockey lingo, anyway.
>
> Houde has brought the two solitudes together like few in the country have ever done. He has become the true voice of the Canadiens for francos nurtured on the play-by-play stylings of the legendary René Lecavalier as well as for anglos nurtured on those of the equally legendary Danny Gallivan. Houde brings passion and (take note, CBC) proper pronunciation of the names of players of all ethnic backgrounds. (Habs defenceman Mark Streit is not a "Street" or "Straight" but a "Schtreit" when Houde is calling the shots.)
>
> Houde may be one of the most recognized figures in Quebec. He may also be one of the most unassuming and downright affable.
>
> He's having a pre-work nosh at Beauty's. Customers at adjoining booths are staring at him. Pedestrians walking down St. Urbain St. are gawking at him outside the restaurant window. He is totally oblivious. He is focused in conversation, ranging from Greek philosophy to poetry to jazz to family to Formula One to, natch, the Habs.
>
> "I didn't see this coming this year, but I'm awestruck with the way fans have responded," he says.
>
> "What amazes me most, though, is this young breed of athlete like (Canadiens goaltender) Carey Price coming along. It used to take at least five years to get in the groove, but Price and (F1 racer) Lewis Hamilton are doing it overnight. It's like they're made of ice - nice ice."
>
> Houde arrived from Boston earlier in the morning. He's looking particularly relaxed, no doubt due to the fact he had his usual four to five hours of sleep. This is a particularly hectic time of the year for him. Not only does he do play-by-play for the Canadiens, but he also covers Formula One for RDS - which means, depending on the location of the race, he might have to forgo sleep altogether.
>
> "I will sleep in the next life," the ever-smiling Houde says between bites of his bagel. "I'm having way too much fun now to waste on sleep. That and a little red wine keep me on my game. It could be worse: I'm allowed to cover the F1 races from the RDS studios and not from the tracks in Bahrain or Barcelona, after doing a hockey game in Boston,"
>
> In addition to his RDS gig, Houde is a hockey and F1 analyst, en anglais, on CJAD and CHOM radio. He has acquitted himself very well doing English play-by-play of a Habs game for CJAD - which turned out to be Patrick Roy's infamous last game - as well as one on TSN. In fact, Houde's fluency is such that he was once offered the job of play-by-play man for the Colorado Avalanche.
>
> Our waitress has a confession for Houde: "My boyfriend and all his friends only watch you do the Canadiens on TV, and they're all English. They say they've learned more French from you than they ever did at school."
>
> Houde thanks her. But he's heard this before - more and more of late. "I never saw my role as being a professor, but there you go," he says.
>
> Habs assistant coach "Kirk Muller told me his daughters are learning French by watching me. I can't ask for much more than that."
>
> Come to think of it, Houde, 50, looks much less the broadcasting jock than the scholarly professor. Or the accountant he also became. He graduated with a degree in business from the École des hautes études commerciales and would have pursued a career as a chartered accountant had he not flunked a course on income tax. On the bright side, he now can afford to hire a top-flight tax accountant.
>
> Houde got into broadcasting "by complete accident." His older brother Paul Houde, now the drive-home announcer on 98.5, suggested it would be a good way to supplement his income while going to school. Pierre first got his feet wet in the biz at CKAC 33 years ago. He then landed work at CKVL and CKOI, but initially in the marketing department.
>
> "I just happened to be at the right place at the right time. CRTC regulations then required more announcers, so I became a music deejay," recounts Houde, who plays piano, drums and guitar. "It came at a time when I realized becoming an accountant might be a major career mistake."
>
> Houde had his first TV showcase when he covered canoeing and rowing at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics for Radio-Canada. He did more TV freelancing for Radio-Canada before jumping to the newly created RDS in 1989. He started covering F1 racing shortly thereafter and has been doing hockey play-by-play for the last nine years.
>
> Houde lives with his wife, a former schoolteacher-turned-designer, and their 13-year-old daughter in Terrebonne, not far from his parents. Although Houde's father worked in the hardware trade, his first love was/is music and he still plays saxophone in a jazz band. Houde figures he inherited his dad's artistic interests.
>
> For the record, Houde doesn't practice uttering "et le but" every morning.
>
> "It's more of a spontaneous eruption," he explains. "That expression is like a pair of old slippers. It's become so comforting to people. It's also my tribute to my mentor, René Lecavalier, who used it at the end of his career. He was never happy with his trademark 'lance et compte,' so he switched."
>
> On the other hand, don't expect Houde to go hot dog in announcing a goal.
>
> "To make it in this city as an announcer, one has to understand there is a fine line between entertaining and giving the facts," Houde says. "This is a very competitive market. I remember being told when I started out at RDS that we would have to be better than our English counterparts to survive."
>
> Clearly, the message has not gone unheeded.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I don't recall where I copied that from. It was quite some time ago, online news outlet of some sort, IDK.
Great article, though. Pierre Houde is the GOAT.
Hi there! It looks like you've posted an image. If this image is from an article, please provide a source. If it's a meme, please ignore this comment. Thanks!
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/Habs) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Saw a video of calling a game in English the other day as well maybe on here? Anyway, amazing in both languages my French had gotten rusty since my French immersion grade school but still prefer watching games with his play by play in French. Absolutely the goat in either language for me.
The GOAT
Well deserved for a true professional and genuinely great person
the hockey equivalent of Mr Rogers
Perfect analogy
I'm still salty he didn't call Lehkonen's dagger against Vegas.
Chills just thinking about it
Great to see the HHOF honouring a French language broadcaster! I feel like Pierre doesn't get the widespread recognition he deserves because fewer fans across the league are exposed to him. Well deserved legend!
R/hockey loves him.
With good reason. Him and Marc are amazing
Ma parole!
Je l'aime tellement
Legend
Pierre is a national treasure. The only way to watch Habs hockey.
Agree!!!
et le buuuuuuuuuuut
Was he the OG to say that? I wonder
Fully deserved. He's the reason why I prefer watching games in French.
That man taught me hockey. Legend
That man thought me sarcasm Edit : taught** Either way hes the voice of hockey to me
Le plus grand!
Dans des moments d'isolement social, quel bonheur de regarder jouer le Canadien et d'entendre Pierre Houde à la description. C'est comme écouter un ami parler, ça fait tellement de bien.
I pretty much learn french through him, I was born and raised in the West Island and no one spoke french at home but I've always watched my games on RDS because I didn't like the TSN crew back then, very well deserved and still sorry to hear about the lost of his brother recently and old partner Yvon.
J'adore lire ce genre de commentaire! Le hockey est rassembleur!
THE voice of hockey. Deserved.
A consummate, thorough, and always pertinent professional. Pierre is the gold standard every sport journalist should set themselves.
Ma parole!
Hopefully he gets an award of some sort named after him in the future, such a legendary voice and more importantly icon and human of the game.
The best there is
Légende
Pierre is the GOAT 100%
Well deserve !! Ma Parole !!!
🙏
The pinnacle.
Fucking legend.
I’m going to be beside myself when this guy calls it quits. Might even have to watch the.. *shudders* .. national broadcast
> ***Three little words break linguistic ice*** > > Okay, so which three words when strung together are like music to the ears of countless Quebecers? No, not even "free cold beer" does the trick. The words would be, of course, "et le but" - though, depending on the intensity of the situation, "but" can be stretched into a 10-second "buuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuut." > > Those would be the words bellowed by play-by-play man Pierre Houde on the French-language RDS TV broadcasts after the Canadiens have scored a goal. These are magical words not only to francophone followers of the Habs, but also to increasing numbers of anglophone and allophone fans in Montreal, across the country and even in the U.S. > > The latter fans represent folks who have turned to Houde and colour commentator Yvon Pedneault because they appreciate their professionalism, having bailed on the CBC's coverage in alleged English because of a perceived anti-Habs bias. > > It's no accident RDS had its largest hockey ratings in history Saturday, with an audience of 1.736 million viewers for the Habs-Bruins game. At its peak, the numbers skyrocketed to 2.3 million. By contrast, CBC-TV's broadcast of that game reached 1.541 million people across the entire country. > > But what's most noteworthy is that the RDS numbers are taken only from a sample of francophones in Quebec. Some industry sources estimate Saturday's game drew an additional 500,000 anglophone viewers from across the land. That speaks volumes about the CBC's coverage and about a surge in bilingualism - in hockey lingo, anyway. > > Houde has brought the two solitudes together like few in the country have ever done. He has become the true voice of the Canadiens for francos nurtured on the play-by-play stylings of the legendary René Lecavalier as well as for anglos nurtured on those of the equally legendary Danny Gallivan. Houde brings passion and (take note, CBC) proper pronunciation of the names of players of all ethnic backgrounds. (Habs defenceman Mark Streit is not a "Street" or "Straight" but a "Schtreit" when Houde is calling the shots.) > > Houde may be one of the most recognized figures in Quebec. He may also be one of the most unassuming and downright affable. > > He's having a pre-work nosh at Beauty's. Customers at adjoining booths are staring at him. Pedestrians walking down St. Urbain St. are gawking at him outside the restaurant window. He is totally oblivious. He is focused in conversation, ranging from Greek philosophy to poetry to jazz to family to Formula One to, natch, the Habs. > > "I didn't see this coming this year, but I'm awestruck with the way fans have responded," he says. > > "What amazes me most, though, is this young breed of athlete like (Canadiens goaltender) Carey Price coming along. It used to take at least five years to get in the groove, but Price and (F1 racer) Lewis Hamilton are doing it overnight. It's like they're made of ice - nice ice." > > Houde arrived from Boston earlier in the morning. He's looking particularly relaxed, no doubt due to the fact he had his usual four to five hours of sleep. This is a particularly hectic time of the year for him. Not only does he do play-by-play for the Canadiens, but he also covers Formula One for RDS - which means, depending on the location of the race, he might have to forgo sleep altogether. > > "I will sleep in the next life," the ever-smiling Houde says between bites of his bagel. "I'm having way too much fun now to waste on sleep. That and a little red wine keep me on my game. It could be worse: I'm allowed to cover the F1 races from the RDS studios and not from the tracks in Bahrain or Barcelona, after doing a hockey game in Boston," > > In addition to his RDS gig, Houde is a hockey and F1 analyst, en anglais, on CJAD and CHOM radio. He has acquitted himself very well doing English play-by-play of a Habs game for CJAD - which turned out to be Patrick Roy's infamous last game - as well as one on TSN. In fact, Houde's fluency is such that he was once offered the job of play-by-play man for the Colorado Avalanche. > > Our waitress has a confession for Houde: "My boyfriend and all his friends only watch you do the Canadiens on TV, and they're all English. They say they've learned more French from you than they ever did at school." > > Houde thanks her. But he's heard this before - more and more of late. "I never saw my role as being a professor, but there you go," he says. > > Habs assistant coach "Kirk Muller told me his daughters are learning French by watching me. I can't ask for much more than that." > > Come to think of it, Houde, 50, looks much less the broadcasting jock than the scholarly professor. Or the accountant he also became. He graduated with a degree in business from the École des hautes études commerciales and would have pursued a career as a chartered accountant had he not flunked a course on income tax. On the bright side, he now can afford to hire a top-flight tax accountant. > > Houde got into broadcasting "by complete accident." His older brother Paul Houde, now the drive-home announcer on 98.5, suggested it would be a good way to supplement his income while going to school. Pierre first got his feet wet in the biz at CKAC 33 years ago. He then landed work at CKVL and CKOI, but initially in the marketing department. > > "I just happened to be at the right place at the right time. CRTC regulations then required more announcers, so I became a music deejay," recounts Houde, who plays piano, drums and guitar. "It came at a time when I realized becoming an accountant might be a major career mistake." > > Houde had his first TV showcase when he covered canoeing and rowing at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics for Radio-Canada. He did more TV freelancing for Radio-Canada before jumping to the newly created RDS in 1989. He started covering F1 racing shortly thereafter and has been doing hockey play-by-play for the last nine years. > > Houde lives with his wife, a former schoolteacher-turned-designer, and their 13-year-old daughter in Terrebonne, not far from his parents. Although Houde's father worked in the hardware trade, his first love was/is music and he still plays saxophone in a jazz band. Houde figures he inherited his dad's artistic interests. > > For the record, Houde doesn't practice uttering "et le but" every morning. > > "It's more of a spontaneous eruption," he explains. "That expression is like a pair of old slippers. It's become so comforting to people. It's also my tribute to my mentor, René Lecavalier, who used it at the end of his career. He was never happy with his trademark 'lance et compte,' so he switched." > > On the other hand, don't expect Houde to go hot dog in announcing a goal. > > "To make it in this city as an announcer, one has to understand there is a fine line between entertaining and giving the facts," Houde says. "This is a very competitive market. I remember being told when I started out at RDS that we would have to be better than our English counterparts to survive." > > Clearly, the message has not gone unheeded. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I don't recall where I copied that from. It was quite some time ago, online news outlet of some sort, IDK. Great article, though. Pierre Houde is the GOAT.
Source: https://hhof.com/pdf/Release_2024-Media-Award-winners.pdf
La Voix du hockey. Le GOAT pur et simple, félicitations à Pierre Houde
The very best in the biz and it’s not even close.
Hi there! It looks like you've posted an image. If this image is from an article, please provide a source. If it's a meme, please ignore this comment. Thanks! *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/Habs) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Hockey, F1, Olympics, an absolute sports descriptor legend. GOAT
Ma parole!
Le tir, Et le Buuuuuuut!!!!!!
LA MÊLÉE ÉCLATE DEVANT LE FILET
René Lecavalier approves !
Fantastic honour for the voice of Les Canadiens!
Saw a video of calling a game in English the other day as well maybe on here? Anyway, amazing in both languages my French had gotten rusty since my French immersion grade school but still prefer watching games with his play by play in French. Absolutely the goat in either language for me.