Kings voice Bob Miller to return for two more seasons

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Bob Miller, the longtime voice of the Kings, didn’t mind going year-by-year when it came to renewing his contract. But this time, he and the club agreed to a two-year deal that will take him to 40 seasons, a remarkable milestone by any standards.

“And then we’ll see how many years we want to go,” Miller said Thursday. “They’ve been very cooperative and good to me.”

Miller will be 73 in October, a few days after the Kings open the 2011-12 season. He was honored with the Foster Hewitt award and a plaque in the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2000.

It’s amazing that his 40-year tenure isn’t even the longest among Los Angeles sports broadcasters: Dodgers voice Vin Scully recently announced he will return for his 63rd season, and Spanish-language broadcaster Jaime Jarrin will return to the Dodgers for his 54th season.

“I’m not going to go 63 years like Vin,” Miller said, laughing. “If I did, in the 63rd year I’d be 98.

“I think in the last year there was more talk, even by me, along the lines of ‘How long are you going to do this?’ It crept into my mind, too. But every August and September I get enthusiastic about next season. From all indications the team is making strides. After all these years it’s not time to walk away.”

Miller’s broadcast partner, Jim Fox, is in the middle of a multiyear deal. Next season will be their 22nd working together.

“It’s amazing what he’s done coming after a playing career. He’s not just an ex-athlete who walks in and thinks he knows everything. He works very hard at it,” Miller said. ‘I’m looking forward to getting started again.’

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-- Helene Elliott