The Canadian sports media scene lost a legend Thursday. That would be Darren Dutchyshen, particularly known for his work as a SportsCentre host on TSN. He had worked at that Canadian broadcaster since 1995.
Dutchyshen passed away Thursday at 57 after a long battle with cancer. On Thursday night, TSN released a remarkable 16-minute tribute to him, featuring long-time colleagues James Duthie, Jennifer Hedger, and Rod Smith:
That fits in with a lot of the tributes to Dutchysen overall. Steve Simmons of The Toronto Sun relayed some of those in a piece Thursday, including particularly notable thoughts from his long-time SportsCenter co-anchor Jennifer Hedger:
“I’m laughing through the tears thinking of him,” said Jennifer Hedger, who spent almost 20 years in the seat next to Dutch on TSN’s SportsCentre.
“I’m gutted — and I’m honestly surprised. I knew this day was coming. I thought I was prepared for it. But the people who are reaching out now and saying the things that they’re saying — he was such a huge personality and so beloved.
“He was the best at that job. And I was lucky enough to be sitting beside him. We hosted SportsCentre longer than anyone. The show was great because of him. He was my partner for 20 years and, as much I knew when we did our last show together last fall, I don’t think I truly believed he wasn’t coming back.”
…“Dutch said the things out loud that other people were thinking and would never say,” Hedger said. “That was his charm and that occasionally got him in trouble. But he was the ultimate guy to have a beer with, to just talk sports or perogies or country music or boxing or whatever you wanted to talk about. He was so disarming. He treated the farmer in Saskatchewan with the same reverence he would treat the owner of your hockey team.
For those who spent any time consuming Canadian sports media over the past decades, Dutchysen was a key figure. He and Hedger anchored a crucial SportsCenter show for TSN for decades, and brought their own personalities to it. And he made a major mark there, which was illustrated in many of the tributes to him Thursday. Here are some of those, from colleagues, competitors, and beyond:
I’m laughing through the tears.
Thanks @tsnjamesduthie @jenniferhedger @RodSmithTSN for sharing those great stories about our friend Darren Dutchyshen.
RIP Dutchy pic.twitter.com/pWIG277VnH
— Steve Argintaru (@SteveTSN) May 16, 2024
Hayes, O-Dog and Jason Strudwick remember the life and legacy of the legendary TSN broadcaster Darren Dutchyshen. pic.twitter.com/tejnN38x8D
— OverDrive (@OverDrive1050) May 16, 2024
"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."@FriedgeHNIC & @JeffMarek remember one of the industry's best, Darren Dutchyshen. pic.twitter.com/j0FZWRFW68
— Sportsnet 590 The FAN (@FAN590) May 16, 2024
Darren Dutchyshen personified in a single clip.
RIP Dutchy pic.twitter.com/iQ021piajy
— Mike Beauvais (@MikeBeauvais) May 16, 2024
Darren Dutchyshen was one of a kind in the broadcasting world. He spoke about our league with such passion and pride. He was a terrific interviewer – so professional and knowledgeable, but always incredibly friendly with a joke or two at the ready. When he came back on the air,… pic.twitter.com/5f94IeFtG5
— Randy Ambrosie (@RandyAmbrosie) May 16, 2024
https://twitter.com/BlueJays/status/1791255255264764289
Most Canadians remember Darren Dutchyshen from @TSN_Sports. But my enduring memory is from our time together at @GlobalEdmonton. Darren and Perry were an unforgettable Edmonton combination on ITV SportsNight. #dutchy
March 20, 1992 broadcast. Full video: https://t.co/QMDJSNtIYR pic.twitter.com/jVvGL5tVQs— Pat Kiernan (@patkiernan) May 16, 2024
https://twitter.com/Cabbie/status/1791185539812528328
“Dutch” will certainly be missed by many. Our thoughts go out to his family (including his partner, long-time TSN anchor Kate Beirness) and friends.
