Remembering Cheech: The Voice That Made Canucks Hockey

John Garrett passed away this week. He wasn’t just a goalie or a TV voice; he was the kind of guy who made hockey feel smarter and friendlier at the same time. From his days in the crease with the Hartford Whalers, Quebec Nordiques, and Vancouver Canucks to two decades breaking down Canucks games, Garrett had this easy way of reading the ice and then saying exactly what mattered in a sentence or two.

He saw the game differently because he literally saw everything in front of him: who was cheating up, which winger was late, and how the defence reacted off the rush. That goalie vantage point gave his commentary weight — not just opinion, but lived experience.

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Garrett Was Intelligent as an NHL Colour Commentary

What always struck me about Garrett was how he parcelled out details like a baker slicing a perfect loaf. His lines were precise, rarely wasteful, and somehow funny without trying too hard. That mix of insight and gentle self-mockery made him feel like your uncle who actually knew the game inside out.

He was also painfully human. How can anyone with the nickname ‘Cheech,’ the Sudoku habit, and the way he’d fold into a broadcast with warmth not be memorable? That’s what made his smart takes so instructive. He wasn’t some untouchable analyst throwing stats from a tower; he’d talk about a breakaway he blew or a bad bounce he took, then tie it into a teaching point. That insight gave him credibility: he’d lived the plays he was dissecting, so his lessons carried weight.

Former NHL Goalies Often Make the Best Commentators

From a goalie’s perspective, he highlighted things most fans don’t notice. Timing of the stick, body language of the forwards, or how a defenseman’s first touch sets the next three plays. Those tiny, invisible things lend information. Until someone like Garrett points them out, they remain invisible. Then, suddenly, the whole game becomes clearer. He was like a teacher who loved his craft, and that love came through every time he spoke.

I still have his Hartford Whalers card somewhere in my collection, and the next time I pull it out, I remember the double life he led. A 5-foot-8 goalie (rare in an era where netminders seem to fill the net with size) and a clever colour man on TV.

He made hockey better by showing us how to watch it. We lost a great announcer and a great guy who made the game more enjoyable while he was here.

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