John Garrett, NHL Legend, Passes Away

0:00On April 28th, John Garrett, the longtime NHL color commentator and former goalie, passed away at 74. Sportsnet broke the news this week, saying no cause was given. He'd been calling games for 40 years, including over 20 with the Vancouver Canucks. Garrett played 13 seasons in the NHL and WHO from 1973 to 1985, suiting up for teams like the Hartford, Whalers, Quebec, Nordics, and Canucks in 207 games. After hanging up his pads, he jumped into broadcasting in 1986 on Hockey Night in Canada, later joining Sportsnet in 1998. Fans and colleagues are mourning a true original, known for his warmth, humor, and deep love of the game. He earned the nickname Cheech from his lookalike vibe to the comedian, and he brought real insight to every call, working with play-by-play voices. Like Jim Houston and John Shorthouse, in recent years, Garrett shifted to national broadcasts, wrapping his Canucks run after the 2022-23 season.

1:04He was on the crew for Sportsnet's coverage of the Vegas Golden Knights versus Utah Mammoth play-off series, including Game 4 just this week. NHL Commissioner Gary Betman shared his shock, noting a recent chat with Garrett in Utah during the Mammoth's first home play-off game. Garrett leaves a huge void, but his joy and authenticity will echo in hockey broadcasts for years. From your team, powered by AI, this is NHL News Today. I'm Corey with The Story.