NESN’s Dale Arnold announces retirement after decades working on Bruins broadcasts

After more than two decades of calling Bruins games and conducting studio shows, NESN’s Dale Arnold is hanging up his microphone.

Arnold announced during the Bruins’ final regular-season home game on Tuesday night he is retiring.

During the first period, the Bruins paid tribute to Arnold with a video — which featured Cam Neely, Patrice Bergeron, Ray Bourque, Don Sweeney, Charlie Jacobs, and Gord Kluzak.

Thank you, @DaleEArnold. pic.twitter.com/Cke3MLzfV5
— NESN (@NESN) April 11, 2023

“Man. I played 22 years,” Bourque said. “I don’t know how many years you’ve been doing it but it’s a lot longer than 22. And you’ve done a great job.”

Arnold, who took in the video tribute from the NESN set at the Garden, was given a stick tap by the Bruins bench and an ovation from the crowd.

Arnold has been a mainstay at NESN, serving as a play-by-play voice for Bruins broadcasts from 1995 to 2007 before switching to studio hosting duties.

Arnold began his professional broadcasting career as the radio voice of the AHL’s Maine Mariners in 1979 after graduating from Bowdoin. He became the radio voice of the New Jersey Devils in 1986 before returning to New England in 1988.

A versatile broadcaster, Arnold is the only person to have called play-by-play for five Boston professional teams (Red Sox, Patriots, Celtics, Bruins, and Revolution). He also called collegiate events such as Boston College football and Hockey East competition.

“I majored in psychology at Bowdoin, because I wanted a backup plan,” Arnold said on the NESN broadcast. “But I knew the only thing I ever wanted to do was work Boston Bruins games on radio or TV. But the chances of a kid from a small town in Maine getting one of those jobs were pretty slim. Guess what? Whatever you want most wants you — and it worked.”