Tim Hennessy Will Call Final UND Hockey Season
The veteran broadcaster will complete his 47th season behind the microphone for the Fighting Hawks in 2026-27.
Updated on Sept. 28, 2026 in Hockey
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Tim Hennessy will return to the booth for his 47th and final season calling UND hockey games during the 2026-27 schedule. He will work on a per-game basis following a shift in the university's employment structure for broadcast roles.
Why it matters
The transition reflects a broader administrative change at the university to discontinue full-time employment status for radio announcers. This shift marks the end of a tenure for Hennessy that began in 1977 and saw him become a full-time university employee in 2009.
Hennessy has provided play-by-play coverage for UND hockey for 47 seasons since his start in 1977. The 2026-27 year concludes his long-standing broadcast career following his transition to a full-time university staff role in 2009.
The players
Tim Hennessy
He is a long-time play-by-play announcer who has served as the voice of University of North Dakota hockey for nearly five decades.
Mike LaMoine
He is a former collegiate athlete who serves as the team analyst and won an NCAA championship with the team in 1987.
Darrin Looker
He is a broadcaster who will take on play-by-play duties for University of North Dakota road games.
University of North Dakota
This public research university in Grand Forks maintains the Fighting Hawks athletic program.
Fighting Hawks Sports Partnerships
This is the organizational entity now managing the play-by-play broadcast operations for university men's hockey.
The details
Following a notification in July 2026, the university moved the men's hockey play-by-play duties under Fighting Hawks Sports Partnerships. While Hennessy prepares for his final year, Darrin Looker has been tapped to broadcast road games, with Mike LaMoine continuing his role as the team analyst.
Timeline
Hennessy began his tenure calling UND hockey games in 1977.
The university notified Hennessy of the employment change in July 2026.
The 2026-27 season will serve as the final year of Hennessy's broadcast career.
Season Trajectory
The move to Fighting Hawks Sports Partnerships reflects a broader trend of shifting toward outsourced media partnerships in collegiate athletics. This structural change reshapes the broadcast team dynamic for the upcoming season while signaling a move away from legacy internal staffing models.
Listeners will hear a restructured broadcast team during the 2026-27 season, with Darrin Looker handling road games and Mike LaMoine continuing as analyst. The transition confirms that this upcoming schedule is the final year of Hennessy's nearly 50-year tenure.
The takeaway
Legacy roles in sports broadcasting are increasingly subject to the evolving business models of university athletic departments. Fans should expect changes to familiar voices as institutions prioritize partnership-based management for media operations.
Further reading
For more on local sports coverage, visit the Hockey section.
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