NBC and CSN Chicago hockey analyst Ed Olczyk will "miss the start" of the '17-18 NHL season as he "undergoes further treatment, including chemotherapy," for colon cancer, according to Mark Lazerus of the CHICAGO SUN-TIMES. Olczyk "had a tumor removed last week." The team did "not announce a replacement," but Blackhawks TV studio host Steve Konroyd has been Olczyk’s fill-in "when national games prevented Olczyk from calling" Blackhawks games (CHICAGO SUN-TIMES, 8/9). In Chicago, Chris Hine notes that Olczyk "maintains a hectic travel schedule with dozens of flights each season" due to his duties for the Blackhawks and NBC. Olczyk has been the analyst on Blackhawks games since the '06-07 season and NBC's lead hockey analyst since '07. He also has a "passion for horse racing" and has "been a part of NBC's coverage of major races such as the Kentucky Derby" (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 8/9). Also in Chicago, John Dietz writes "few color analysts do a better job of describing how a play unfolded or why a team is playing a certain way better than Olczyk" (Chicago DAILY HERALD, 8/9).
