John Tortorella shares nice words about legendary Canucks broadcaster John Garrett
The hockey community is mourning after confirmation on Tuesday morning that longtime Vancouver Canucks broadcaster and former NHL netminder John Garrett has passed away.
After his 12-year career in professional hockey came to an end, Garrett began a long and successful broadcast career. He called games for 40 years, beginning with Hockey Night in Canada in 1986 and joining Sportsnet in 1998.
Garrett was absolutely beloved by his peers and hockey fans, particularly those who root for the Canucks. Many have since voiced how much of an impact he had through his 74 years.
One of the many people who made sure to honour Garrett’s legacy was John Tortorella. The 67-year-old got to know Garrett well during his lone season as the head coach of the Canucks during the 2013-14 season.
“I just want to send our condolences to John Garrett’s family,” Vegas Golden Knights head coach Tortorella said to reporters on Tuesday morning. “That’s just one of the good guys in the business. He’s going to be missed. We just want to send our condolences to his family.”
When asked what it was that made Garrett such a special person, a smile lit across the face of the usually fiery Tortorella.
“Just his personality. Understood the game, had a unique perspective. He was just a good person.
“We get caught up in this crap of winning and losing and all the stuff that comes with our game. And it’s important stuff, I get it. But we forget about the people. He’s one that I got to know pretty well when I was out in Vancouver, and just knowing him for being in the league for so long. He’s one of the good ones. He was loved, and he’s going to be terribly missed.”
Earlier in the day, John Shorthouse told Mike Halford and Jason Brough on Sportsnet 650 that Tortorella texted Garrett’s daughter, Sara, his condolences during the first intermission of Game 4 between the Golden Knights and Utah Mammoth.
“I think that pretty much sums up the gravitas that Cheech carried with him in the industry,” Shorthouse said.
Tortorella is one of many who are grieving the sudden passing of a truly outstanding person.
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