NORTHFIELD, Vt. - After an illustrious 25-year career of serving as the voice of Norwich hockey, George Commo will be stepping away from the microphone at the conclusion of the 2022-23 season.

Commo has been the hockey play-by-play voice for the Norwich Cadets men's ice hockey team since the 1998-99 campaign, calling all four of the Cadets' national championships in that time-span in 2000, 2003, 2010, and 2017.  This season, Commo has been the color commentator for men's hockey, sitting alongside WDEV's Craig Durham.  Commo took the reins of broadcasting Norwich women's ice hockey games for the 2022-23 season as the team's play-by-play voice.

Hi everybody, this is George Commo... I'm here to announce something I hate to be announcing, but all in really is all done. Regretfully after 25 seasons I will be ending my time on the Norwich hockey Cadets' broadcasts at the end of this 2022-2023 season.

I imagine you have noticed Craig Durham has taken over the play by play role this season and he will continue in that role. It is easier leaving, knowing the program is going to be in his capable hands.

So, why am I leaving?

I am now in my ninth year dealing with Parkinson's disease.  Parkinson's affects different people in different ways, but it does not go away.  It gradually gets worse.  In my case it has gradually slowed me down, and in calling hockey play by play the last thing you need is to be slowed down. I still do a good job on other sports, but hockey is just too fast.

Then there is the travel issue. I live in Burlington. That means every Norwich HOME game is 100 miles round trip ... and that's before you add in the away games. Throw in snow, sleet and freezing rain and it just gets tougher. I used to say if I hadn't been a sports announcer I would have been an over the road trucker... not anymore.

I AM NOT retiring! I plan to stay closer to home, and to continue doing the sports I still do well for as long as I can do them. And we still have the rest of this Norwich season to get though... hopefully the Cadets will carry us deep into March. A fifth National Championship would be a heck of a way to go out!!!

Finally... the thank you's... way too many to mention here... but to everyone at WDEV from Ken Squier on down... to everyone at Norwich, especially to Mike McShane and Cam Ellsworth, to their staffs, and to all the great players I have had the pleasure of watching over the many years at Kreitzberg... and to Dave Moody, Jon Noyes and Cory Gustafson, three of best colormen any play by play guy could ever ask for.

Oh, and to you Norwich fans... YOU ARE THE BEST!

Thanks.

 
Before his time with Norwich, Commo spent 18 seasons as the voice at the University of Vermont.

Commo's first foray into the sports world came in 1974, when he took over as a sports reporter for one of WVNY-TV's evening newcasts.  A year later, Commo was brought on to handle play-by-play duties when WVNY broadcasted the UVM hockey team's trip to the ECAC Semifinals in 1975.

Commo has previously been named as both the Vermont Sportscaster of the Year and as the Associated Press Broadcast Play-by-Play award winner on multiple occasions.  Commo was an honorary inductee into the Norwich Athletics Hall of Fame in 2016.

Despite his intent to step away from hockey, Commo will continue to call other sports.

Norwich men's hockey will honor Commo and host George Commo Night this Friday, Feb. 3, in their game against New England Hockey Conference (NEHC) foe University of Southern Maine.  Commo will drop the puck prior to the game's 7:00 p.m. start time.