Jim Robson facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jim Robson
|
|
|---|---|
Robson speaking before the 2014 Heritage Classic
|
|
| Born | January 17, 1935 Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, Canada
|
| Occupation | former broadcaster |
| Years active | 1952–1999 |
| Spouse(s) | Bea |
| Children | 4 |
Jim Robson, born on January 17, 1935, is a famous former radio and television announcer. He was best known as the "Voice of the Canucks" for almost 30 years! From 1970 to 1999, he called the exciting play-by-play for the Vancouver Canucks ice hockey games. He even received the Order of British Columbia for his amazing work.
Contents
Jim Robson: The Voice of Hockey
Jim Robson started his broadcasting journey when he was just 17 years old. He began by covering senior men's basketball games for a radio station called CJAV in Port Alberni.
In 1955, Jim moved to CHUB radio in Nanaimo. There, he covered the exciting Mann Cup lacrosse finals. By 1956, Jim was in Vancouver. He covered many different sports teams, including the BC Lions football team, the Vancouver Mounties baseball team, and the WHL hockey team.
Announcing for the Canucks
When the Vancouver Canucks joined the NHL in 1970, Jim Robson became their main announcer. He moved to CKNW radio to call all their games. For nearly three decades, he was known as the "Voice of the Canucks."
For his first seven years, Jim often worked alone. For games played away from home, he would do everything himself. This included the pre-game show, the breaks between periods, and the post-game show. Later, other broadcasters joined him. These included former BC Lions player Tom Larscheid and ex-Canuck Garry Monahan.
Jim also called Canucks games on television from 1985 to 1999. He worked on channels like BCTV, CHEK-TV, and VTV. Sometimes, he even did both radio and TV broadcasts at the same time!
In 1994, Jim decided to focus only on television. His very last radio broadcast was a huge game: Game 7 of the 1994 Stanley Cup Finals. The Canucks were playing against the New York Rangers. After that, he continued as the Canucks' TV announcer for five more seasons. He worked with former players like Darcy Rota and Ryan Walter.
Big Moments on National TV
Jim Robson also worked for CBC's Hockey Night in Canada. He mostly covered games in western Canada. He even broadcast the Canucks' very first NHL game on October 9, 1970. The Canucks lost that game 3-1 to the Los Angeles Kings.
Because he was so good, Jim was chosen to call the Stanley Cup Finals several times. These included the finals in 1975, 1980, 1982, and 1983. He also covered the NHL All-Star Games in 1977 (in Vancouver), 1981 (in Los Angeles), and 1983 (in Long Island).
Jim left Hockey Night in Canada after the 1984-85 season. However, he still had a few national TV assignments after that.
Nationally, many people remember Jim Robson for his call of Bob Nystrom's winning goal in overtime for the Islanders in 1980. Locally, his voice is connected to all the big Canucks moments in the 1970s, 80s, and 90s. This includes the exciting 1982 and 1994 Stanley Cup playoffs.
Jim was also known for his special greeting during every broadcast. He would always say "a special hello to all the hospital patients and shut-ins, those of you who can't make it out to the game." This showed how much he cared about all his listeners.
Awards and Honors
Jim Robson was very involved in his community. He was often asked to speak at fundraising dinners and events across British Columbia. He also helped out as a director for the BC Benevolent Hockey Association and the Canucks Alumni.
Jim received the Foster Hewitt Memorial Award from the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1992. This award is given to hockey broadcasters who have made a big impact. He was also inducted into the B.C. Hockey Hall of Fame in 1998 and the B.C. Sports Hall of Fame in 2000.
In 2002, Jim Robson was inducted into the Canadian Broadcast Hall of Fame. The broadcast booth at Rogers Arena, where the Canucks play, is even named after him!
Memorable Calls
Jim Robson's voice made many hockey moments unforgettable. Here are some of his most famous calls:
- "The pass, right on the stick of Tonelli. Coming in with Nystrom, Tonelli to Nystrom, HE SCORES! Bob Nystrom scores the goal! The Islanders win the Stanley Cup!"
- This was the overtime goal that won the Stanley Cup for the New York Islanders in 1980.
- "Babych, long shot. Potvin has trouble with it. Adams shoots, SCORES! Greg Adams! Greg Adams! Adams gets the winner fourteen seconds into the second overtime! The Vancouver Canucks are going to the Stanley Cup Final!"
- This was the double overtime goal that sent the Vancouver Canucks to the 1994 Stanley Cup Finals.
- "He'll play, you know he'll play. He'll play on crutches. He will play, and he'll play on Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden; the game is over!"
- Jim said this as the final seconds ticked off the clock in Game 6 of the 1994 Stanley Cup Finals. He was talking about Trevor Linden, who was bleeding after being hit with a high stick. This moment led to one of the most famous photos in Canucks history: Linden hugging goalie Kirk McLean, with blood on his jersey.
