Tributes pour in from sports and media worlds for passing of TSN host Darren Dutchyshen
Nobody could ever accuse the late TSN host Darren Dutchyshen of having a small impact on the world.
Today, the longtime SportsCentre anchor's passing at the age of 57 was announced by the network, after previously having taken a leave from his career due to a public bout of prostate cancer.
"Darren Dutchyshen was a legend of Canadian sports broadcasting, a great teammate, and an essential part of TSN for the last three decades," said Stewart Johnston, senior vice president of sales and sports at Bell Media, in a statement posted to TSN.
My view for the last 20 years. Dutch was the best. Truly, the best. We will remember him tonight on SC. Raise a Pil to Dutchy tonight. I will. Thank you Dutch. From all of us. pic.twitter.com/bNb06bEsXs
— Jennifer Hedger (@jenniferhedger) May 16, 2024
Dutchyshen had taken a leave of absence throughout 2021 and much of 2022 while dealing with the condition.
"It's not the kind of cancer where you ring a bell. So it's still in the base of my skull, my ribs, my legs, hips and stuff like that, but it's treatable, and I feel really, really good. And the place that I feel best is right here," Dutchyshen told co-host Jennifer Hedger back in November 2022.
"I had 54, 55 years of really good health. And then you really appreciate what [the doctors] do, and the people in your lives, and what you get to do for a living so it's fun. It's nice to be back."
Tributes poured in from around the media and sports worlds to honour the Regina, Saskatchewan native.
Dutchy was an incredible broadcaster, but anyone who has been in his company will tell you that he was an even better person.
— Aaron Bronsteter (@aaronbronsteter) May 16, 2024
A larger-than-life personality with the sort of positive energy that you would aspire for. A supportive and incredibly kind human.
RIP Darren Dutchyshen
While there's a healthy rivalry between TSN, Sportsnet and other sports media companies, there were no corporate allegiances when it came to the tributes for the man many knew as "Dutchy," with plenty of well-known names sharing their thoughts on his life.
"If we're not passionate in what we're covering, the audience won't be either... and he was always very passionate about what he covered and he drew the audience in," Sportsnet hosts said of Dutchyshen on air Thursday.
TSN added in their release that they plan to honour Dutchyshen's legacy in the coming days, where "some of his closest friends and co-workers will share their stories about what made him truly one of a kind."
Join the conversation Load comments