Mike Emrick is adding letter writing to his agenda

Mike Emrick is known for his play-by-play commentary for the National Hockey League. Throughout his career as a commentator, he has covered more than 3,000 hockey games and worked on 25 consecutive Stanley Cup Playoffs. His voice is instantly recognized by hockey fans all over the country. Despite being busy with this year’s Stanley Cup Playoffs, Emrick has made time for something else in his life: letter writing.

Emrick has decided to write thank you cards to anyone and everyone who has had an impact on his life and the person that he has become today. It doesn’t matter how big or small of an influence someone had on Emrick, he still wants to tell them how much they mean to him. He plans on sending letters to high school classmates, neighbors, past co-workers, analysts and producers.

The reason behind these handwritten thank you notes is quite simple: It’s because he wants to. Emrick feels that he doesn’t need a reason to say thank you to those who have helped him out over the years. Most of his notes start off with the phrase “For no particular reason ….” His father-in-law recently passed, which caused him to miss game one of the L.A. Kings facing off against the New York Rangers. He noted that these letters are a chance to emotionally connect with people, because you never know how long certain people in your life are going to stick around.

Emrick is fully aware of how much of a difference a simple handwritten note can make. In fact, he has seen it firsthand. His mother and father, Florence and Chuck, were both teachers. Their students actually wrote letters detailing how Florence and Chuck have made a difference in their lives. The parents were touched by the gesture, and this truly resonated with Emrick. He wishes to make the same positive impact in people’s lives with a handwritten card.

“There’s so much that people did for you along the way that they probably thought was nothing at all,” Emrick explained to USA Today. “I wanted to tell them what it meant to me. It seemed like something that needed to be done.”

His plan is to write a thank you note to a different person every day. Even with his busy Stanley Cup Playoff schedule, Emrick is an inspiration to all, showing that it only takes a few minutes to jot down a note and make someone’s day.