"I was flattered to think that somebody felt I had the ability to step into a market where you have a Hall of Fame play-by-play man who may think of retiring," Dunleavy said. "People thought I had the ability to not fill his shoes but maybe shoulder the load to be the next guy to sit in a chair that was already occupied by Ted Darling and Rick Jeanneret."

He is aware of the old saying that you don't want to replace the legend, you want to replace the man who replaces the legend. And he realizes criticism comes with the territory and one needs a thick skin.

"I can be Dan Dunleavy," he said. "I'm confident enough on how I call a game that I know I can step into this market or any market around the NHL and be myself. Which I think is an energetic, entertaining play-by-play guy."

He used to read the criticism on Twitter, but recently stopped.

"As thick a skin that you think you have, it does sting because you are trying your best," Dunleavy said. "Even if there wasn't a Rick Jeanneret here already, you are going to have your critics … I don't want the people who expect RJ to be on the air let down with my call."

The criticism that hit Dunleavy like a crosscheck was being told after one of Jeannaret's trademark calls that he had a lot to learn about play-by-play.