Sportsnet shares heartbreaking news on longtime broadcaster’s passing

Sportsnet reported Tuesday that Garrett, the longtime colour commentator and former NHL goaltender, has passed after a broadcasting career that stretched across 4 decades. For fans in Vancouver and across Western Canada, that is not just sad news. It is the loss of a voice that became part of the way they watched hockey.

Blue Jays beloved on-field report Hazel Mae also sent out a condolences message on social media after hearing the news as she worked alongside Garrett for years.

Garrett's hockey life ran long before the booth. He played 207 NHL games with the Canucks, Quebec Nordiques, and Hartford Whalers, and also appeared in 323 WHA games before his playing career ended in 1985.

Then came the second act that made him unforgettable. After retiring, Garrett moved into broadcasting with Hockey Night in Canada in 1986, joined the original Sportsnet team in 1998, and later became the voice many fans tied most closely to Canucks telecasts.

That is where his legacy really settled in. Garrett spent more than 2 decades as the colour commentator on Canucks broadcasts before stepping away from that role in the 2023-24 season, though he continued working national games.

What made Garrett matter was not only the longevity. It was the style. He sounded like someone who loved the sport without trying to overpower it, someone who could explain the game clearly while still making the broadcast feel warm, loose, and human.

Fans knew him as “Cheech,” and that nickname fit the bond he built with the audience. Garrett never felt distant. He felt like part of the room, which is rare for any broadcaster and even harder to sustain over decades.

The league's reaction showed how wide that respect ran. In a statement carried by Sportsnet, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said the hockey world was stunned and saddened, praising Garrett's insight and noting that he had contributed to national broadcasts as well as local coverage for the Oilers, Flames, and Canucks.

That last part matters. Garrett was bigger than 1 market, even if Vancouver is where his broadcasting legacy hit deepest. He helped fans understand the game, but he also made them feel at home with it.

That is why this loss lands so hard. John Garrett was not only a former goalie or a longtime analyst. He was part of the soundtrack of hockey in Canada, and that kind of presence does not get replaced.

Our thoughts go out to the entire Garrett family.