Chocolate Hockey Remembers Gregg Mace

Like many across Central PA, we were deeply saddened by the loss of legendary sportscaster Gregg Mace on November 23rd. Anyone connected to sports in the area, whether a fan or colleague, knew Gregg Mace. And the Chocolate Hockey staff was no exception. The husband of Caroline and the father of Kyle was a light to many and left a mark on everyone he met, inspiring future generations of broadcasters. Even if you only met him once, you remembered him, and he welcomed you with a smile the next time you saw him.

Mace was an absolute sports fanatic and started his career with abc27 in 1979 as the first-weekend sports anchor. Not too long after, he was named the sports director for the station and held that position for 40 years. He loved to talk about sports, especially the Bears. During his time there, Mace covered the Chocolate and White as a longtime supporter of the organization. 

He covered six of the Calder Cup Championships, and Gregg always treated the club as if they were a National League team. With little to no money to do so, Gregg would broadcast Bears’ games on abc27. He did everything he could for the station, the Hershey Bears, and the local fan base. His work ethic was inspiring. No one in broadcast had a passion for the Bears quite like him.

He always had a big smile on his face while at the rink for practices and games. “Just his smile and infectious positive energy, I really just appreciated talking to him and talking about Bears hockey,” said Spencer Carberry, Head Coach of the Hershey Bears. His excitement and pure joy were infectious. Mace was the type of man that could make you happy just by walking into a room. He had a heart of pure gold. He was a friend to everyone, no matter what. “We had 20 years between us,” John Walton, a long-time friend and former co-worker said, “he was my best friend during the five years I worked with him and long after that.” 

Throughout his career, Gregg worked with so many people whether it was from abc27, other stations, the Bears organization, or fellow media members. “He was my broadcast partner on TV, and he was family to me. When I went to the Olympics for the first time in 2018, he was my first phone call,” Walton said, remembering Gregg. “My favorite professional memories of him all involved interviewing Bears’ players on the ice after Calder Cup wins. But mostly, even after I moved to Washington, we would always talk on the phone just to catch up. I will miss that the most. His passing leaves such a large void at abc27 and throughout central Pennsylvania. His legacy though will live on through the lives he touched and the people in the television world he nurtured.”  

Gregg loved sports, but he loved his family more. Caroline, his wife of 35 years, was the love of his life. They worked so well together, and they are two of the kindest people you’ll ever meet. His son Kyle was his pride and joy. Kyle is a spitting image of Gregg – his work ethic, his love for sports, his attitude, you can see it all in Kyle. While Kyle has stepped away from Chocolate Hockey, we are lucky to have the expertise and sports knowledge of Gregg live on through him and be available to us every step of the way.

Gregg was a man we were all lucky to know. He truly was one of a kind and will be deeply missed by all those who knew him. 

We encourage you to join the Celebration of Life ceremony being held at the Giant Center tomorrow at 7:30 p.m. Come and honor Gregg’s life and his contributions to the Central PA community.

A GoFundMe was setup to help support the Mace family during this difficult time. If you’d like to support Kyle and Caroline, you can donate here