The hockey world is in mourning over the sudden passing of broadcaster and former National Hockey League goaltender John “Cheech” Garrett.
Garrett was part of the Vancouver Canucks regional broadcast team on Sportsnet for 20 years before stepping away from his role as colour commentator in 2023.
In the years since, he continued to do several Hockey Night in Canada broadcasts each season.
This week, he was in Salt Lake City to cover the Utah Mammoth playoff series against the Vegas Golden Knights when he died suddenly and unexpectedly at age 74.
“Probably the best teammate I’ve ever had,” Canucks play-by-play broadcaster John Shorthouse said in an interview with CTV News.
Shorthouse shared the broadcast booth with Garrett for hundreds of games over 15 years, including the memorable night Daniel and Henrik Sedin played their final home game.
“We were up for that one. We were ready,” Shorthouse said. “And when Daniel scored that goal set up by Henrik and (Alex) Edler, and Cheech just said, ‘Wow! Wow! Wow! Wow!’ Perfect.”
Through the ‘70s and ‘80s, Garrett was a journeyman goaltender.
He played for 10 teams in five professional leagues – finishing his NHL career with the Canucks, who released a statement following his death.
“Canucks Sports & Entertainment is heartbroken by the sudden passing of John Garrett, a cherished member of our family whose loss is deeply felt across our entire organization and community,” the team said.
When Garrett began his 40-year broadcasting career in 1986, his many stories, and the way in which he told them, immediately set him apart.
One of the more legendary anecdotes took place during then-rookie Mario Lemieux’s first home game with the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Lemieux was in a fight with the Canucks’ Gary Lupul, a much smaller player, when Garrett charged out of his crease to join the fray by leaping over an official and trying to get at Lemieux.
Garrett shared the story on Hockey Night in Canada’s After Hours.
“I said, ‘Hey Mario, you’ll never make it. Anybody, anybody can score a thousand points in the Quebec league. You’ll never make it. You’re nothing but a big goon,’” Garrett recalled yelling at the future NHL Hall of Fame inductee.
He said over the years, Lemieux would always chuckle when that story came up.
NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman released a statement about Garrett’s passing.
“On a personal note, I always enjoyed catching up with John when our travels around the league intersected – as they did one last time on Friday night in Utah, when he broadcast the Mammoth’s first ever home playoff game. We send our deepest condolences to his family, his friends around the game and his many fans,” Bettman wrote.
Garrett frequently told stories about his family during broadcasts, and his former colleagues say he truly cherished his wife, daughters and grandchildren.
“While we could sit together and dissect the Canucks powerplay, or talk hockey, or about who was playing well in the league, what he enjoyed most of all was talking about his family,” said long-time broadcast partner Jim Hughson.
Garrett had an ability to reach people through the broadcast so that those listening felt like they really knew him.
“Just a really, really genuine person. Ready for the cliche?” said Shorthouse. “This world would be so much better with a million John Garretts, right?”
But Cheech was one of a kind – and he’s gone too soon.
