Blackhawks announcer Pat Foley says he's sorry for on-air remark about putting 'a bullet in my head'

Chicago Blackhawks play-by-play announcer Pat Foley apologized Monday for making an on-air remark about putting "a bullet in my head" during the team's season finale against the Dallas Stars.

Foley had been calling away games remotely this season for NBC Sports Chicago, and during the third period, he praised the Blackhawks players for playing through difficult COVID-19 protocols on the road without needing to have a game rescheduled.

He mentioned that players were limited to their hotel room and the rink and couldn't go out to dinner or visit with family and had to deal with a lot of boredom.

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“Had I been traveling with the team this year, I might have put a bullet in my head,” he said during the Stars' 5-4 overtime win. "I wouldn't even have had access to the player lounge."

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Foley apologized on air during overtime for the imagery.

“I wish I didn’t say that,” he said. “I’m sorry if I offended some folks. Apparently I did, so I apologize.”

The Blackhawks said they were "incredibly disappointed" in Foley's comments, calling it "an absolutely unacceptable choice of words that trivialized mental health and suicide while discussing the challenges and loneliness the team may have faced during COVID-19 restrictions.

"We know many of our fans and other community members are struggling with similar thoughts and feelings, especially after this trying year, and we want them to know their wellbeing is no joking matter. Mental health is of the utmost importance to the Blackhawks, and we are speaking to Pat further about his insensitivity." 

Foley has called Blackhawks games for nearly four decades, starting in 1981-2006 and returning for the 2008-09 season. He received the Hockey Hall of Fame's Foster Hewitt Award in 2014 for outstanding contributions as a hockey broadcaster.