It’s only the second time in the last 21 years that Gary Thorne has faced the prospect of going through an entire winter and spring without calling any NHL action.

His life as a professional broadcaster is no less hectic, but things have been unsettling for the Old Town native the last three months.

“I’ve got plenty of work to stay busy, but with something you were close to, it feels like there’s something missing,” said the 58-year-old Thorne. “When you’re around it for that long a period and that much out of each year, you have a personal stake in it. It’s a hole and it’s something you wish you could fill.”

Thorne’s “hole” resulted when NHL officials opted to sign a three-year, $200 million TV contract with the Comcast cable-owned Versus Network (formerly OLN or Outdoor Life Network) after a six-year run with ESPN.

“We had the deal worked out to go to [call games on] Versus, but ESPN said no, ‘we can’t have you go because they’re a competitor and it gives them credibility,'” said Thorne.

So instead of watching games on the ice, Thorne called a lot more action for games on the grass.

“I’ve done a lot more college football. I have the GMAC Bowl this weekend and then I have to go to Hawaii,” Thorne explained. “I have even less time now, ironically.

“Football is one of the most time-consuming games to cover. It begins on Wednesday and continues right on through Sunday with conference calls with the coaches and players.”

This is only the second time Thorne has missed an entire NHL season in the last two decades. The only other one resulted from the NHL’s lockout and cancellation of the 2004-05 season.

“The strike year was less difficult on me because you knew it was eventually going to be over,” said Thorne, who started broadcasting NHL games with the New Jersey Devils in 1986. “You have to remember this is a business, and you don’t want to get locked in too much on anything. When you feel the loss of it, it’s more a personal thing, but you also have to be realistic about it.”

The former and first radio voice of the University of Maine hockey team hasn’t cut the cord completely on hockey as he will still work ESPN’s NCAA Division I playoff games as well as the Frozen Four. He also writes an online column for USA Hockey and stays in touch with hockey executives, coaches and players through that.

After an extended vacation in early spring, Thorne will be able to ease the sting of his separation from the NHL with his other love – baseball – as one of ESPN’s broadcasters for Major League Baseball games.

Despite Thorne’s sense of loss, there is one thing he isn’t missing much.

“You never miss the travel,” Thorne said. “It’s the people and the players you’ve made friends with over the years along with fellow broadcasters, but in the end, it’s the excitement of the game.”

ESPN’s play-by-play man won’t miss that excitement entirely as he plans to attend a playoff game or two.

“I don’t think there’s anything better in sports than a great Stanley Cup playoff game,” he said. “The whole 2 1/2 months is so intense, and it’s still a marvel that the players can survive that whole run with all the travel, the emotional ups and downs, and the physical punishment.”

Thorne remains hopeful that he’ll eventually return to an NHL broadcast booth.

“I still hope, and ESPN does, that they get the deal back, but we don’t know when or if that happens,” said Thorne, who is in the second year of a four-year contract with ESPN.

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