John Garrett, former NHL goaltender and longtime Canucks broadcaster, dead at 74

Broadcaster John Garrett acknowledges the crowd after his retirement was announced during a stoppage in play as the Vancouver Canucks and Calgary Flames play during the first period of an NHL hockey game in Vancouver, on Saturday, April 8, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

John Garrett, a fixture on Vancouver Canucks broadcasts for more than two decades and a former NHL goaltender, has died. He was 74.

Sportsnet announced Tuesday that Garrett died suddenly, and no cause of death was provided.

Garrett spent more than two decades as the colour commentator on Canucks regional broadcasts and was a regular presence on national NHL coverage.

He began his broadcasting career in 1986 with CBC’s Hockey Night in Canada before joining Sportsnet.

“The National Hockey League family is stunned and saddened by the sudden passing of John Garrett, whose astute analysis took fans — particularly in Western Canada — inside our game for the last four decades,” NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said in a statement.

“Following a 13-season career as a goaltender in the WHA and the NHL, Garrett moved into the broadcast booth in 1986 and never left, contributing his encyclopedic knowledge and expert insight to national broadcasts on Sportsnet and local broadcasts for the Edmonton Oilers, Calgary Flames, and, for two decades, the Vancouver Canucks.”

Sportsnet said Garrett was “a beloved colleague, friend, and one of the most familiar voices in Canadian hockey,” adding he “brought insight, authenticity, and heart to every broadcast.”

The network said he will be remembered for his career and “the kindness and joy he shared with everyone who had the privilege of knowing him.”

Born in Trenton, Ont., Garrett played professionally from 1971 to 1985, including stints with the Vancouver Canucks, Quebec Nordiques and Hartford Whalers.

He was Vancouver’s lone representative at the 1983 NHL all-star game and was favoured for MVP honours before Wayne Gretzky scored four times in the final 10 minutes.

Garrett formed a long-running broadcast partnership with play-by-play man John Shorthouse and host Dan Murphy on Canucks regional telecasts.

He stepped away from a full-time role after the 2022-23 season but continued to appear on select Sportsnet assignments, including the first-round playoff series between the Vegas Golden Knights and Utah Mammoth at the time of his death.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 28, 2026.