Los Angeles Kings find new play-by-play announcer

Just like Vin Scully the year prior, LA had to say goodbye to a legend. Now, the Los Angeles Kings have found their replacement.

Thursday afternoon the Los Angeles Kings announced they have hired a new play-by-play announcer to replace the legendary Bob Miller.  The Kings announced they hired Alex Faust a 28-year-old announcer who will be Kings fourth television play-by-play announcer in franchise history.  It will be the first time since 1973 that Bob Miller doesn’t call at least one game for the Kings

Faust a native of Brooklyn, New York started calling hockey games for Northeastern University as a student since leaving school Faust has done play-by-play of college football, basketball, and lacrosse for ESPNU and also has worked for NESN.  Recently Faust has freelanced for hockey coverage nationally on NBCSN.

Faust acknowledged Miller’s presence and legacy when discussing his hire:

"“The expectation isn’t that I’m going to replace Bob Miller, because that’s just impossible to do. When you’re there for 44 years, you build up a rapport with the audience and you build a relationship with the audience, and I know he developed a relationship even beyond the TV sphere of going out and meeting people at events or meeting fans at games. That’s part of the job responsibility for me, for me to get to know fans, for fans to get to know me, and hopefully it all works out over the long haul.”"

Faust’s hiring continues a youth movement in local sports announcing, the Los Angeles Dodgers recently hired Joe Davis who also happen to be 28 to replace the legendary Vin Scully.  Faust and Davis are acquainted with one another when covering NCAA hockey for ESPN.

When Davis was first hired one of the first phone calls he received congratulating him was from Scully, naturally one of the first phone calls Faust received was a congratulatory call from Miller.

"“I had a chance to chat with Bob and he’s been so gracious and his words have been so kind and flattering. From Bob to Jim to everyone at the Kings, they’ve been so, so incredibly nice and I know that this is a big change for them,” Faust said."

Kings President Luc Robitaille isn’t worried about Faust’s relative youth:

"“It’s kind of funny. If you listen to him, you don’t really know about his age,” Robitaille said. “I look at it from a standpoint where I’m glad this guy is going to come in and work with us and be with us for a long time.”"

Next: Dave Lowry joins the Kings

For Kings fans like myself who grew up with Bob Miller this year will certainly be different, the memories of his time with the Los Angeles Kings will always be with his fans.  But make no mistake, Kings fans will embrace Alex Faust as one of their own.