Brendan Burke will be back in front of the microphone for the upcoming Islanders season.
The Isles’ television station has come to an agreement with MSG Network to return this season, with the deal expected to be finalized in the coming days. Newsday reported.
The 40-year-old Burke, who replaced Howie Rose in the 2016-17 season, has emerged as one of the hottest young announcers in the industry, landing national roles covering NHL broadcasts, first on NBC and then on TNT.
Burke is the son of Don Burke, the Washington Post sports editor, and also calls baseball and college football games for NBC.
The Islanders play-by-play announcer has pinch-hit for Yankees games on WFAN, but his name has been floated as a possible replacement for John Sterling, who retired from the mic earlier this year.
Burke describes himself as a hockey announcer. However, he spoke to Barrett Media in 2022. He said calling Yankees games that season was “a great experience.”
“Sentimentally, the Yankees radio job has a special meaning to me,” he told the media. “Actually sitting in a chair and doing play-by-play for Yankees games and doing baseball play-by-play is something that I’m passionate about and something that I’ve done for a long time, but I haven’t done it in a long time, so it was nice to be able to fill a few down months in hockey with some baseball.”
As for the vacant WFAN booth at Yankees games, a permanent replacement for Sterling has yet to be named.
Justin Shakir, Emmanuel Berbari and Ricky Ricciardo have commentated on the majority of games this season.
Licciardo provided some impressive play-by-play commentary on Jazz Chisholm’s three-run homer in the bottom of the seventh inning of an extra-inning win over the Phillies on Tuesday night.
“Smooth Jazz did it again, his fourth home run of the series,” Ricardo said in a phone interview. “Jazz Chisholm Jr. is a Bronx Bomber from the Bahamas!”
Prior to calling Isles games, Burke served as the play-by-play announcer for the AHL’s Peoria Rivermen and Utica Comets.
