It’s arguably collegiate hockey’s broadcast booth version of the Boston Red Sox left- field legacy.

For more than three decades, the Sox had a line of greatness when it came to left fielders: Hall of Fame players Ted Williams and Carl Yastrzemski, and Hall of Fame candidate Jim Rice.

For exactly three decades, the University of Maine has had its own line of talented announcers calling Black Bear hockey action on the radio.

Current NHL and Major League Baseball announcer Gary Thorne of Old Town started it by calling Black Bear hockey action for 10 seasons. Then came Hermon native Joe Carr, who was the voice of the Bears for eight seasons. Both have won numerous broadcasting awards in their careers.

So has current UMaine hockey play-by-play man Dan Hannigan. Hannigan may not hit like Rice, but he has his own bragging rights.

The 40-year-old New York native and veteran radio and television reporter is now the leader in terms of tenure among UMaine hockey radio announcers after calling his 450th broadcast in this, his 12th season.

“I wasn’t sure how long I’d be doing this. I knew that only Joe Carr and Gary Thorne had done this before me and that covered 18 years of the program’s history,” said Hannigan, who became Bangor all-sports radio station WZON’s play-by-play man for UMaine hockey in 1995. “It’s funny. A lot’s changed over my career during my time doing this, but this has bridged everything and has been the lone constant in that time.”

Hannigan will be recognized for becoming UMaine’s all-time leading hockey radio announcer Friday night during Maine’s 7 p.m. game against Providence at Alfond Arena.

“They made some commemorative pucks and I got a few myself,” Hannigan said with a laugh. “I guess they’re doing something, but I’m hoping it’s fairly low-key.”

That’s typical for the understated Hannigan, who prefers to let the game speak for itself and not try to overshadow or put his own stamp on it.

“Dan brings his trademark great sense of humor to broadcasts, which I think sets him apart, and he really does his homework,” said Carr, who still calls UM hockey games on TV for Bangor’s WABI (Channel 5). “I also think he has college sports in the right perspective, making it fun and focusing on the positive elements.”

Carr, who called more than 300 UMaine broadcasts, also appreciates another Hannigan trait, one he also employs during his own broadcasts.

“He captures the flow of the game very well and you can tune in at any point and very quickly get a feel for how things are going,” Carr said. “And that is so important because you have so many listeners who tune in and out constantly.”

Not bad for a guy who had little play-by-play, and no hockey broadcast experience before being hired.

“We’re very privileged to have him working with our program,” said UMaine hockey coach Tim Whitehead. “I’m thrilled he’s being recognized out of the inner circle, so to speak. Our guys love him, the coaches love him, and everybody respects him.

“He’s one of those individuals who can always see the funny side of things while also doing his job better than anybody else. He’s a special guy.”

Dale Duff, program director and broadcaster for the Sports Zone (WZON) said Hannigan’s success stems from his easygoing style.

“I think he is just very comfortable to listen to. He gets excited when he needs to and gets serious when he has to,” Duff said. “For instance, when he described Michel Leveille getting bashed against the board, I thought ‘Uh-oh, there’s something wrong’ because of the way he said it. You can always trust what he says.”

Hannigan credited color analyst partners Larry Mahoney and Blair Marsh for making his job easier.

“I’ve been able to work with two guys in particular who are great to work with in Blair and Larry and that has made the games that much more enjoyable for me. They’ve kept it light-hearted,” he said.

Duff explained the timing of Hannigan’s recognition.

“Some people asked ‘Why not 500?’, but the main thing from my perspective is that he’s now the longest-running play-by-play announcer for UMaine hockey after two other guys who had very long, very successful runs,” Duff said.

Andrew Neff can be reached at 990-8205, 1-800-310-8600 or at aneff@bangordailynews.net