Darren Dutchyshen, long-time TSN broadcaster died on Wednesday at the age of 57. The cause of death is not revealed yet and his family said that he was “surrounded by his closest loved ones.”
“His sharp wit remained until his final moments, classically delivering plenty of jokes — most of them pretty good and all of them inappropriate,” his family said. Dutchyshen previously revealed that he was suffering from cancer on September 21, 2021 and survived for a year while receiving treatment. He began his career in 1995 and become main member on the network’s flagship SportsDesk and SportsCentre news programs for over three decades.
He was born in Regina and lived in Porcupine Plain, Sask. Since childhood. He had also hosted Olympic Prime Time on TSN during the Vancouver 2010 Winter Games and London 2012 summer games.
Senior Vice-President for sales and sports at Bell Media, Stewart Johnston, “A larger-than-life personality, Darren’s incredible sense of humour and magnetic energy made him a natural broadcaster who connected easily with viewers”. He also said that, “His enthusiasm reminded us every day of why we love sports.” He worked as a sportscaster with STV in Saskatoon as his first job, then a stint with IMTV in Dauphin, Man. He has also worked as the host of ITV’s Sports Night in Edmonton.
After hearing news of his death, many fans and colleagues, expressed their feelings by posting messages on social media.
“Only met Darren a few times but once played a round at a charity golf event,” wrote the CBC’s Tom Harrington. “Genuinely friendly & easygoing. He loved his home province & you always had the sense he’d won the lottery being a sportscaster. Far too young.”
“Sad day in the sports broadcast world, this man was an absolute workhorse,” wrote Rob Fai, host of CKNW 980 AM in Vancouver. Added Roger Lejoie of The Fan 590: “I shared the mic many times with Darren Dutchyshen on our shows. Always smiling. Always full of life. Heartbroken for his family and friends. Gone way too soon. RIP Dutchy.”