Bruce Martyn is a former American

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 sportscaster

Sportscaster

In sports broadcasting, a commentator gives a running commentary of a game or event in real time, usually during a live broadcast. The comments are normally a voiceover, with the sounds of the action and spectators also heard in the background. In the case of television commentary, the commentator...

, logging over 45 years behind the mike. Mr. Martyn was the radio voice of the Detroit Red Wings

Detroit Red Wings

The Detroit Red Wings are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League , and are one of the Original Six teams of the NHL, along with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, New York...

 from 1964–1995.

After earning his degree from Lake Superior State University

Lake Superior State University

Lake Superior State University is a small public university in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan. It is Michigan's smallest public university with an enrollment around 3,000 students. Due to its proximity to the border, notably the twin city of Sault Ste...

 in his hometown of Sault Ste. Marie

Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan

Sault Ste. Marie is a city in and the county seat of Chippewa County in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is in the north-eastern end of Michigan's Upper Peninsula, on the Canadian border, separated from its twin city of Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, by the St. Marys River...

, Michigan

Michigan

Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....

, Bruce Martyn started in broadcasting

Broadcasting

Broadcasting is the distribution of audio and video content to a dispersed audience via any audio visual medium. Receiving parties may include the general public or a relatively large subset of thereof...

 doing play-by-play for the Soo Indians

Soo Indians

The Soo Eagles are a Junior "A" ice hockey team from Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan. They are a part of the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League.-Eagles era:...

 of the Northern Ontario Hockey Association

Northern Ontario Hockey Association

The Northern Ontario Hockey Association is minor and junior level ice hockey governing body. The NOHA is sanctioned by the Ontario Hockey Federation and Hockey Canada. The major league run by the NOHA is the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League of the Canadian Junior A Hockey League...

 on WSOO

WSOO

WSOO is a radio station in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan. The station airs a gold-based Soft Adult Contemporary format during daytime hours, featuring music from the 1960s through the 2000s, and features sports talk programming from ESPN Radio at night....

-AM in 1950. It was there he met wife Donna, a rabid hockey fan in her own right.

Bruce moved his career south to the Detroit market at WCAR

WCAR

WCAR, 1090 AM, in the Detroit market, is a 24-hour talk radio station based out of Livonia, Michigan. The station airs a variety of talk show programs, including the nationally syndicated Imus in the Morning.- History :...

-AM in 1953. He could be heard on radio assignments throughout Michigan on the weekly syndicated talk show This Week in Michigan, as well as coverage of Michigan State Spartans football

Michigan State Spartans football

The Michigan State Spartans football program represents Michigan State University in college football as members of the Big Ten Conference at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level...

, the Detroit Pistons

Detroit Pistons

The Detroit Pistons are a franchise of the National Basketball Association based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. The team's home arena is The Palace of Auburn Hills. It was originally founded in Fort Wayne, Indiana as the Fort Wayne Pistons as a member of the National Basketball League in 1941, where...

 and Detroit Lions

Detroit Lions

The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...

. After 10 years, he moved to TV and the UHF station WKBD

WKBD

WKBD-TV, virtual channel 50 , is an owned and operated station of the CW Television Network, based in Detroit, Michigan. The station is owned and operated by the CBS Corporation, and is one-half of a duopoly with sister station WWJ-TV . Its studios and transmitters are located at 11 mile and...

-TV, then a station devoted to sports.

It did not take long for Martyn to be discovered by the Red Wings, who offered him a job broadcasting home and away games in 1964. Martyn served the team for 31 seasons, most partnered with NHL icon Sid Abel

Sid Abel

Sidney Gerald Abel was a Canadian professional hockey player and later coach in the National Hockey League...

. He became best known for the phrase, "He shoots, he scores!"

Martyn retired after the 1994–95 Red Wing season, but returned in 1997 to call the second period of the team's Stanley Cup clincher

1997 Stanley Cup Finals

The 1997 Stanley Cup Final NHL championship series was contested by the Detroit Red Wings and the Philadelphia Flyers. Detroit was in the Final for the second time in three years while the Flyers were making their first appearance since the 1987 Final...

. He was presented with the Foster Hewitt Memorial Award

Foster Hewitt Memorial Award

The Foster Hewitt Memorial Award is an award named after Foster Hewitt and presented by the Hockey Hall of Fame to members of the radio and television industry who make outstanding contributions to their profession and the game of ice hockey during their broadcasting career...

 for broadcasting by the Hockey Hall of Fame

Hockey Hall of Fame

The Hockey Hall of Fame is located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Dedicated to the history of ice hockey, it is both a museum and a hall of fame. It holds exhibits about players, teams, National Hockey League records, memorabilia and NHL trophies, including the Stanley Cup...

 in Toronto

Toronto

Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...

 in 1991 and inducted into the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame

Michigan Sports Hall of Fame

The Michigan Sports Hall of Fame is a Hall of Fame to honor Michigan sports people. It was organized in 1954 by Michigan Lieutenant Governor Philip Hart, Michigan State University athletic director Biggie Munn, president of the Greater Michigan Foundation Donald Weeks, general manager of the...

in 1996. He is an Honorary Lifetime Member and a Past President of the Detroit Sports Broadcasters Association.

Sources -
Detroit Sports Broadcasters Association
Michigan Sports Hall of Fame