Bio

Daniel Patrick Kelly was born in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, on September 17, 1936. Dan was the youngest son of John and Gertrude Kelly. Dan's father died when he was two years old and he was raised by his mother and his older sister Teresa. Dan's inspiration to become a broadcaster came from his older brother Hal, who was a well-known television and radio sportscaster in Toronto. 

After high school, Dan took a job as an engineer apprentice with a small station in Ottawa. Desperate for an on-air job, he took a $60 a month pay cut, and at the age of 19 was hired by radio station CJET in Smith Falls, Ontario. The "big break" in Dan Kelly's career involved football not hockey. He was hired to do the Canadian Football League's "Game of the Week" which in turn lead him to being hired as host of Hockey Night in Canada. In the summer of 1968, Robert Hyland of KMOX Radio and Sidney Salomon Jr., owner of the St. Louis Blues, hired Dan to become the full-time voice of the Blues. For the next 21 years, Dan became famous for his signature call "He Shoots...He Scores" and would call many historic moments including Bobby Orr's Stanley Cup winning goal in 1970 and the Blues' Monday Night Miracle comeback in 1986. 

In addition to calling Blues' games on radio and television, Dan was the National Voice of the NHL on CBS Television, USA Network, ESPN, and CTV, a Canadian Network. "He dominates his sport like no other announcer," wrote William Taaffe, Sports Illustrated's Media Writer, in 1985. In addition to his hockey duties, Dan was well-known in St. Louis for broadcasting University of Missouri football games, St. Louis Cardinals' football, and St. Louis Cardinals' baseball. After being diagnosed with lung cancer in October of 1988, Dan passed away after a courageous battle on February 10, 1989. In recognition of his outstanding work, Dan was inducted into the Media Wing of the Hockey Hall of Fame, was given the Lester Patrick Award for outstanding service to hockey in the United States, was inducted into the Ottawa Sports Hall of Fame and one year ago was inducted into the St. Louis Sports Hall of Fame.

Dan is survived by his wife Fran who lives in Ballwin. Together they had six children; Cathy, John, Ann, Susan, Karen and Dan. Both son's have followed in their father's broadcasting footsteps. John is the television voice of the St. Louis Blues and Dan is the television voice of the Chicago Fire soccer club and also works for Big Ten Network covering several sports, including hockey.