Ukraine parliament presents service award to TSN announcer Gord Miller

Gord Miller/Twitter

TSN announcer Gord Miller is best known for his calls of some of Canada’s most iconic sporting moments, but he’s making a global impact for his work to grow the game worldwide.

Miller, who has worked for TSN since 1994, recently travelled to Ukraine to be presented a certificate of merit from the country’s parliament for his work helping to organize a tour of Canada by a Ukrainian under-25 team.

🧵# 1: Why would I go to Ukraine?

I was invited. In June, the Ukrainian Verkhovna Rada (parliament) notified me that they were awarding me a certificate of merit for my work in helping to organize the Canadian tour by the Ukrainian U25 hockey team in January. 1/8 pic.twitter.com/H4FQ5wrkNx

— Gord Miller 🌻🇺🇦 (@GMillerTSN) September 14, 2023

“I was asked if I would be willing to go to Kyiv to accept in person and after overcoming some initial reservations, I agreed. It was an honour to be presented with the award by the first deputy of the [Ukranian parliament], along with Canada’s ambassador to Ukraine, Natalka Cmoc,” Miller said in a series of follow-up posts on X (formerly Twitter). “We raised awareness, we raised spirits, and yes, we raised money for humanitarian efforts in Ukraine for the Canada/Ukraine Foundation and Save Ukrainian Hockey Dream. Huge thanks to everyone involved.”

During the “Hockey Can’t Stop” tour which happened this past January, the team travelled to three NHL arenas to take in home games of the Edmonton Oilers, Calgary Flames, and Winnipeg Jets.

But they also kept a busy schedule along the way, taking on the University of Alberta, University of Calgary, University of Manitoba, and University of Saskatchewan in a series of exhibition games ahead of the team’s participation in the 2023 FISU University Games in Lake Placid, New York, where they finished sixth out of 12 teams.

While on the ground in Ukraine, Miller attended a practice in Kyiv of a local youth team while also seeing first-hand the equipment shortages the children are experiencing, though he added that CCM and other companies are working to get the local youth equipment.

“Children in Ukraine are experiencing constant stress, playing sports is a tremendous way to temporarily relieve it,” Miller explained.

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