Longtime Edmonton Oilers sportswriter Bruce McCurdy has passed away
Longtime Edmonton sportswriter Bruce McCurdy has died.
Edmonton Oilers fans knew McCurdy from his work with the Edmonton Journal and his active presence on social media. McCurdy also made numerous appearances on the Edmonton media circuit, including the “Cult of Hockey” podcast that he hosted alongside fellow Journal writer David Staples.
McCurdy’s son Kevin announced the sad news on X this morning, saying that his father experienced a medical emergency last night and became unresponsive.
Kevin said resuscitation efforts were performed and Bruce was transported to the hospital where he passed away.
“This will be the hardest thing I’ve ever had to write,” Kevin wrote. “To say that we are devastated is an extreme understatement and we ask for privacy as we deal with the grieving process.
“We understand that Bruce touched so many lives in various communities and we will do our best to advise what our next steps are. I love you Dad, and I miss you more than words could ever tell you.”
This will be the hardest thing I've ever had to write.
Last night, shortly after the hockey game and this tweet was written, my father .@BruceMcCurdy experienced a medical emergency and became unresponsive. My family called 911 and resuscitation efforts were performed to the… https://t.co/yOY1gr0xaG
— Kevin McCurdy (@McCurdy1987) April 2, 2025
According to Bruce’s LinkedIn account, he had been writing for the Journal since 2010 and previously worked for the now-defunct SB Nation blog Copper and Blue.
Apart from his immense knowledge of the game of hockey, Bruce also fancied himself a lover of astronomy and would often intersperse posts about various astrological events between his Oilers content. He had over 30 years of volunteer service at Edmonton’s Telus World of Science.
To say that Bruce has left a lasting impact on the Oilers community is an understatement. Tributes have poured in on social media mourning his loss, including a moving post made by current Oilers senior director of data and analytics Michael Parkatti.
“I’m devastated to hear this news. I’ve counted Bruce as a friend since I first started writing about hockey in 2012,” Parkatti wrote. “He was as knowledgeable about the sport’s history as anyone I’ve ever met. A true Edmonton icon. I’ll miss him dearly.”