Jim Hughson addresses fans who thought he hated the Leafs
Navigating the NHL’s passionate Canadian fan bases is no easy task for a broadcaster. In the case of legendary commentator Jim Hughson, calling games for the Toronto Maple Leafs proved to be a particularly unique challenge.
Appearing as a guest on the Sekeres and Price podcast on Wednesday, the British Columbia native, who served as the main play-by-play commentator on Hockey Night in Canada from 2008 to 2021, reflected on the difficulties of calling games for the team at the heart of the country’s largest hockey market.
“When I broadcasted the Maple Leafs, one of the downsides of having the top chair on Hockey Night in Canada is basically you become a Toronto Maple Leafs broadcaster,” the 67-year-old explained.
Jim Hughson on being a national broadcaster calling #Canucks & Leafs games on HNIC:
"Local people didn't think I was a big enough fan…when I broadcasted the Maple Leafs, one of the downsides of having the top chair on Hockey Night in Canada is basically you become a Toronto… pic.twitter.com/mFCEm7Y9u2
— Sekeres and Price (@sekeresandprice) July 17, 2024
Given Hughson’s background as a Canucks broadcaster, Leafs fans weren’t always the kindest to him — a sentiment that he feels grew stronger in later years.
“As the years have gone by, I’ve noticed a real change in fandom, and a part of it is social media, I think,” he said. “[The] local fan base expects their broadcasters to be like them. They want fans. And if you’re not, you must hate them. And that’s the problem you get when you’re broadcasting on the national level out of Toronto. They want a local broadcast but at the same time, the broadcasters are broadcasting to every corner of the province… It’s really a hard one to win in that sense.”
To remain unbiased on the national stage, Hughson ran into similar hurdles when broadcasting games for his hometown Canucks.
“Everybody knew I was a Vancouver guy and that I live in the city. Local people didn’t think I was a big enough fan and the other guys thought I was too much of a fan,” he added.
All in all, though, things worked out pretty well for Hughson. His illustrious career spanned 42 years, earning him five Gemini Awards, along with the Foster Hewitt Memorial Award from the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2019.
Critics aside, his legacy as one of hockey’s most respected broadcasters remains firmly intact.
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