John Garrett has been on Sportsnet as part of the network’s coverage of the Vancouver Canucks since 2002. After more than 20 seasons, he is ready to leave the broadcast booth. He made the announcement in a Twitter video on Thursday night.
“This season will be my final time filling that role, even though I will appear on some other Sportsnet properties,” Garrett told Canadian hockey fans.
In his announcement, Garrett shouted out his colleagues on the broadcast. He promised that his play-by-play partner John Shorthouse, studio host Dan Murphy and producer Greg Shannon would always be his lifelong friends. He paid tribute to all of the people that make the broadcast possible, both in front of and behind the camera.
“Sportsnet Pacific crew doesn’t have an equal in the business,” he said. “No matter what the situation, no matter day or night, they make you feel like you are in the building.”
John Garrett made his professional hockey debut at age 20. He bounced around various minor leagues and then the old World Hockey Association before making his NHL debut as a goalie in 1979 for the Hartford Whalers. He played eight seasons in the NHL, including three in Vancouver.
His broadcasting career began almost immediately after his retirement. He began as a color commentator for the CBC’s Hockey Night in Canada in 1986. He also served as the analyst on local coverage of the Calgary Flames and Edmonton Oilers before landing at Sportsnet to cover the Canucks in 2002.
“Most of all, I’d like to thank the fans, whose unwavering support has lasted for these 20 years and beyond,” his announcement concluded. “Your enthusiasm for the game and this team will never be forgotten. We are all Canucks.”
