TORONTO - Brash, outspoken, opinionated — longtime hockey broadcaster Don Cherry was never afraid to ruffle feathers during his "Coach's Corner" segment on "Hockey Night in Canada."
His latest outburst cost him his job.
In a two-paragraph statement Monday afternoon, Sportsnet confirmed that it was cutting ties with Cherry.
"Sports brings people together — it unites us, not divides us. Following further discussions with Don Cherry after Saturday night's broadcast, it has been decided it is the right time for him to immediately step down," said Sportsnet president Bart Yabsley. "During the broadcast, he made divisive remarks that do not represent our values or what we stand for.
Statement from Sportsnet: pic.twitter.com/ah3twdx9po
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) November 11, 2019
"Don is synonymous with hockey and has played an integral role in growing the game over the past 40 years. We would like to thank Don for his contributions to hockey and sports broadcasting in Canada."
Cherry's ouster came after a segment that sparked a swift backlash from inside and outside the hockey world. The network apologized Sunday for Cherry's comments about his belief that new immigrants don't wear poppies, and in turn, don't support veterans.
Don Cherry’s rant on immigrants:
— Rosa Hwang (@journorosa) November 10, 2019
“You people... love our way of life, love our milk and honey. At least you could pay a couple of bucks for poppies or something like that. These guys paid for your way of life that you enjoy in Canada.”
Ron MacLean nodded and gave a thumbs up. pic.twitter.com/OXnIwV1n9T
On Monday — Remembrance Day — the network took it one step further.
Cherry, 85, had singled out new immigrants in Toronto and Mississauga, Ont., where he lives, for not honouring Canada's veterans and dead soldiers.
"You people ... you love our way of life, you love our milk and honey, at least you can pay a couple bucks for a poppy or something like that," Cherry said Saturday night. "These guys paid for your way of life that you enjoy in Canada, these guys paid the biggest price."
"Coach's Corner" and HNIC are broadcast on CBC in a sub-licensing deal with Rogers Media, which owns Sportsnet.
Cherry did not respond to multiple phone calls seeking comment. He has yet to publicly apologize.
The Canadian Broadcasting Standards Council said it was so overloaded with complaints about the segment that it exceeded the organization's technical processing capacity. The CBSC said it was dealing with the broadcast under its normal process, but was not able to accept any further complaints.
Segment co-host Ron MacLean apologized Sunday evening.
I have worked with Don for 30 years, and we both love hockey. But last night, I know we failed you. I see hockey as part of what unites us. I have the honour of travelling across our country to celebrate Canada's game, and our diversity is one of our country's greatest strengths.
— Ron MacLean (@RonMacLeanHTH) November 10, 2019
"Don Cherry made remarks which were hurtful, discriminatory, which were flat out wrong ... I owe you an apology, too. I sat there, did not catch it, did not respond," MacLean said. "Last night was a really great lesson to Don and me. We were wrong, and I sincerely apologize. I wanted to thank you for calling me and Don on that last night."
Criticism of Cherry's comments poured in quickly as video clips of the segment circulated online. A consistently polarizing figure throughout his long broadcasting career, Cherry also had his share of supporters weigh in on social media over the last couple days.
A hard-nosed career minor-leaguer who won coach of the year honours with the NHL's Boston Bruins in 1976, Cherry moved in front of the camera in 1980.
Known for his outlandish suits and thumbs-up gesture, Cherry was liable to say anything during the popular first-intermission segment on Saturday nights. Over the years, he occasionally weighed in with thoughts on European players, francophones, and politics — to name only a few subjects — which often landed him in hot water.
"Hockey Night in Canada" was a longtime CBC Saturday night staple, but the show and its games moved to Sportsnet when Rogers landed a $5.2-billion, 12-year national broadcast rights deal with the NHL that began in 2014.
There was no immediate word on who might replace Cherry on "Coach's Corner" or if the segment would continue in its current form.
many moons ago i wrote a tweet about don cherry calling him “canada’s most lovable racist” and my then-boss made me delete it; can someone get in touch with him for me and calmly say, “what did I say."
— Scaachi (@Scaachi) November 11, 2019
Steven Purewal, a historian based in Surrey B.C. and the author of a book about more than 1 million Indian soldiers sent to fight in World War I, said before news of the firing that Cherry's comments vilify new immigrants.
"What Don Cherry did was endorse a stereotype of the thankless immigrant, of an immigrant that isn't patriotic, of an immigrant that hasn't paid his way, and it's completely wrong," he said.
