The man whose voice was synonymous with the Vancouver Canucks for more than three decades has died at age 91.
Jim Robson, who called the first-ever Canucks game when the team joined the NHL as an expansion team in 1970, would become a beloved and constant presence on the airwaves for hockey fans across the province.
“It’s such a big loss,” said Trevor Linden, former Vancouver Canucks captain who played several big games during Robson’s career. “He’s just such a fabric of the organization, the community.”
Linden says he has many fond memories of Robson, including the famous call at the end of game six of the 1994 Stanley Cup Final in which Robson said of Linden “you know he’ll play, he’ll play on crutches.”
The former captain said he was honoured to be part of such an “iconic” call.
“I love the fact that Jim was so confident that I would play. I wasn’t sure that I would play—Jim was, and I think that was just a symbol of that team and that moment and, is pretty cool to be part of.”
Current television play-by-play broadcaster John Shorthouse remembers Robson as a mentor and a friend.
“He was the gold standard as far as I’m concerned,” Shorthouse told CTV News.
Shorthouse says he grew up idolizing Robson and the two briefly worked together prior to Robson’s retirement.
“It was like being in broadcast heaven for me,” said Shorthouse. “It would be an impossibility for you to find anyone to have a bad word to say about Jim. And I think that’s all you need to know about him. He was universally loved.”
Robson’s accolades include the Foster Hewitt Memorial award by the Hockey Hall of Fame, being inducted into the Canadian Broadcast Hall of Fame, receiving the Order of Canada, and being inducted into the BC Sports Hall of Fame.
“To many British Columbians, Jim Robson is the voice of hockey. Countless hockey fans literally grew up on the game while listening to Robson’s impeccable delivery of the on-ice action, whether over the radio or television,” Robson’s entry in the B.C. Sports Hall of Fame says.
“Twice BC hockey fans hung on his every word as the Canucks reached the Stanley Cup Finals in 1982 and 1994,” the entry continues.
According to the BC Sports Hall of Fame, Robson never missed a broadcast due to illness in his entire career.
Robson turned 91 on Jan. 17, 2026, and was in the crowd at a Canucks game later that month—sporting a team jersey and hat, which he tipped with a smile on his face while waving to the cheering crowd.
The team issued a statement Tuesday, paying tribute to Robson and celebrating his impact—which reverberated beyond the broadcast booth
“For so many fans, his voice meant home. It was the simple joy of listening to the game we all love. He had a rare gift for making people feel connected, involved, and included, sharing every moment through radio or television,” the statement said.
“His impact goes far beyond the broadcast booth. Jim helped shape what hockey means in Vancouver, and that legacy will never fade. We are profoundly grateful for everything he gave this city, and his voice will continue to echo here.”
Robson retired in 1999 and the broadcast booth at Vancouver’s Rogers Arena is named in his honour.
