Every Kings fan knows Jim Fox; he has been the color commentator for the Kings since 1990. He suffered a bad knee injury that ended his playing career. He played Right Wing for the Kings in the eighties and even got to wear classic purple and gold colors. Seeing the nice smooth-voiced man in the booth who started out next to Bob Miller, both of them were a wonderful duo to listen to games with.
When healing from the knee injury, Jim worked in the community relations department for the Kings organization. Wanting to get back on the ice, he did his rehab and even rejoined the team for the 89-90 season. His playing days were taking a toll on his body, and he knew it was time to pack up his equipment. The community relations office was in full force because a player from the Oilers was coming to the team a young upstart (Wayne Gretzky). Then the team added another broadcaster to the booth with Bob Miller. Before the TV broadcast took off, the team was a simulcast(between radio and TV). Nick Nickson was the radio guy.
Jim admits his first three seasons of the broadcast were not great. Trying to remember the stats, following along with the game, and even telling who was not easy. “All the technical aspects, like people talking in your ear, I was struggling with that.” Jim worked with a media consultant and felt better about his performance afterward.
The LA Kings first big Stanley Cup playoff was in 2012, they had made it to the first round, but as of this moment, they made it to the big show. Due to broadcasting rights at the time, Jim and Bob did not get to call the games past the first round. The team has the recordings, so we can hear Jim call the last play someday. Even after the team won on home ice, the team went looking for both Jim and Bob to share the moment with them.
Jim has done some great things behind the scenes as well. Working with community relations, he helped start the Kings Care Foundation. The organization helps with funds for the community. He also started the Sunset Sip, a wine-tasting event that helps raise money for the foundation. In 2015 he was made commissioner of the LA Kings High School Hockey League. This increases hockey around local area high schools, growing the love of the game in the Los Angeles area. The Kings organization is very involved in youth hockey. Getting kids invested in the games is a great way to hook new future players.
Off the ice and out of the broadcasting booth, you can find Jim and his wife Susie taking on the wine-making business. Jim got into the wine business by going to a local restaurant and learning the ins and outs from the staff there. He and Susie took some classes, found some partners, and started a Pinot Noir style wine. Being a French Canadian (Coniston Greater Sudbury), he calls his Pinot Patine-Cellars-(Patine meaning to have skated). The bottles are cool with a rubber puck-like strap on them and lines that look like skate marks.
Being in the booth or in Northern California working on wines, Jim has no plans to slow down anytime soon. The love of the game is still with him, and even in the offseason, he is still working and improving his broadcast career or improving his wine-making abilities. Jim Fox sure is more than just a hockey player turned broadcaster.
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