Meet the New Voice of the Los Angeles Kings

When public address announcer David Courtney tragically died in November, it left a void across three major professional teams in town — the Los Angeles Clippers, Angels and Kings. Other than play-by-play announcer Bob Miller, Courtney's voice was what radiated with Kings fans whenever they stepped inside Staples Center. Needless to say, whoever replaced Courtney would have big shoes to fill. Enter Dave Joseph. The ESPN 710AM anchor spent the last 12 seasons covering the Kings for the radio station and was Courtney's backup and protégé. Because of Joseph's close relationship with Courtney, it put him in a tough spot after accepting the job as the new PA announcer. "It’s really hard to be in that position," Joseph told FishbowlLA. "David was with the Kings for 25 years. He was a legend. Not only did he do the Kings, he did the Clippers, Angels. People get to know his voice and they feel a kind of warmness when they go into Staples Center. For him to pass away and to fill that spot is extremely conflicting." Along with his familiarity with the Kings, Joseph played hockey at Hofstra University and worked in the New York City radio scene for nearly four years before making the move to Los Angeles. If you're expecting Joseph to be David Courtney 2.0, think again. He's bringing his own style to the mic. "I’m trying to call the game or do the PA the way I would do it," Joseph said on paying tribute to Courtney. "I was trained by David, so the guidelines I follow are all because of David. When he would call a goal, David would call it in his own way. When I call a goal, it’s similar to David, but I hesitate to pay tribute because I don’t think I could do that justice." Thanks to the Grammy Awards, Joseph only has three games under his belt entering Friday, but the feedback he's received from the passionate fan base has been positive despite the change. "It’s not like anyone says we’re so happy that you’re here," said Joseph, who returns to the mic for one game tonight before the Kings hit the road again. "I didn’t expect that. I will say it has been good. Of course you’re going to have people that don’t like the way you do certain things or your voice, or the way you call goals or players names. You’re going to get a dose of that, no matter who you’re filling in for. That happened when I just filled in at David’s backup when he was alive. Most people couldn’t stand me. I expect that. It comes with the territory."

Fishbowl

Meet the New Voice of the Los Angeles Kings

Marcus Vanderberg

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Marcus Vanderberg