6 Current NHL Players Who Would Make Great Television Announcers

Professional sports generally have a lot of former players moving into the role of announcers after their careers have finished—hockey is no different. Darren Pang, Jeremy Roenick, Peter McNab and Eddie Olczyk all do in-game announcing.

It makes sense that a lot of players make this leap as they have been around the game all of their lives and want to keep it a part of them.

Here are some current players that would make great television announcers.

Jean-Sebastien Giguere

J.S. Giguere would make a great studio analyst for a lot of reasons.

First, he's got a good look and a likable personality.

Second, Giguere has a fantastic understanding of the game of hockey and about the goaltending position. His insights provided between periods would be great for the at-home viewers.

His credibility is also immediately established by his Stanley Cup championship and Conn Smythe Trophy.

Jarome Iginla

Jarome Iginla would be good at any type of television announcing asked of him. Whether it be doing color commentary or in-studio analysis, Iginla would be great.

His innate understanding of the game of hockey is what has made him one of the game's biggest superstars throughout his career.

He's well-respected throughout the league and constantly mentioned as one of the league's nicest players. He's also got experience doing everything on the ice. He grinds, he scores, he fights and he leads. He would be able to provide in-depth analysis of any- and everything that happens on the ice.

Zach Parise

Zach Parise already has some in-studio experience during the 2010-2011 NHL season where he missed the majority of the season with an injury. Parise did in-studio analysis during the IIHF World Championships.

He has a bit to learn about camera presence, but other than that did a fantastic job. He's also got that "boy next door" look that is appealing to an audience.

Ilya Bryzgalov

People loved watching Bryzgalov on NHL 24/7 leading up to the Winter Classic and I imagine they would continue enjoying him in any form on television.

He has a unique personality, which could be both great and a little scary for networks, but he would definitely have viewers on the edge of their seats.

Martin St. Louis

I don't know anybody that doesn't like Martin St. Louis, and likability is one of the biggest factors in working in television. He automatically gets people on his side because of his ability to not just play the game of hockey at his size, but the way that he is able to dominate.

His personality is affable and he's another guy that would be able to comment on every aspect of the game.

St. Louis should seriously consider picking up a microphone once he lays down the hockey stick.

Ryan Smyth

Another player who is greatly respected throughout the league because of his leadership abilities and his hard-working mentality is Ryan Smyth.

Smyth also has a personality that would be fun to watch on television and could provide insights and knowledge of the game that would impress the biggest hockey fanatics and attract the casual fans.

Plus, who wouldn't want to look at his mane of hair? It's majestic.