The end of Hockey Night in Canada…it felt like a funeral announcement.
When I recently heard that Hockey Night in Canada (HNIC) on CBC was coming to an end, it felt like a death in the family. Saturday nights gathered around the television with family and friends will never be quite the same.
Hockey Night in Canada began as a Saturday-night radio broadcast in 1931 and made its television debut on CBC on October 11, 1952. Over the decades, it became far more than a sports broadcast—it became a cherished Canadian tradition. Recognized by Guinness World Records as the longest-running television sports program, its remarkable run spanned generations of hockey fans.
Over the years, I have visited and profiled the graves of several of the remarkable personalities who helped make HNIC a national institution, hoping in some small way to ensure that their legacies are not forgotten. Among them are Foster Hewitt, Bill Hewitt, Danny Gallivan, Ward Cornell, Jack Dennett and Howie Meeker.
Their voices brought the game into our homes and helped create memories that lasted a lifetime. Thank you gentlemen for years of enjoyment.
so I met Galivan in The Montreal Canadiens Hall of Fame. I told Danny I was from Vancouver. Oh he said; Lotta rain I here. We smiled well I only heard your voice on TV. Danny said I never expected to be a hockey broadcaster let alone being heard across the country. Can I have your autograph on this picture of u in the Forum, Glad too now I gotta run