Longtime local television sports broadcaster Peter Young, whose voice was “synonymous with Winnipeg Jets hockey,” died Monday after a battle with cancer.
Best known locally for his time at CKY-TV, Young called Jets games in both the World Hockey Association and the National Hockey League, covered the CFL’s Grey Cup and went to three Olympic Games — in Sarajevo, Los Angeles and Calgary.
Young’s son, Jason, said at one point his dad was doing a morning show on radio with Don Percy, heading to a high school to teach physical education and mathematics, before wrapping up his day doing an evening television news broadcast.
Peter Young posted this photo to Instagram after being named to the Manitoba Sportswriters and Sportscasters Media Roll of Honour last year.
“He always had something going on, right up until recently,” Jason said.
True North Sports and Entertainment, the company that owns the Winnipeg Jets, said in a statement it was saddened to hear of the 79 year old’s death, a man “whose voice was synonymous with Winnipeg Jets hockey.”
“He brought the team to life with play-by-play that spanned both the Jets’ WHA and 1.0 NHL days, adding to an incredible career that told the stories of community athletes, all the way to the Olympic stage. His voice and his work certainly left a mark with Jets fans and beyond.”
The Winnipeg Football Club said in a statement that “Peter was a fixture on national Canadian Football League telecasts in the 1970s and 1980s and a must-watch presence locally through his work with CKY-TV, which included extensive coverage of the Blue Bombers over many, many years.”
“The club would like to offer its condolences to Peter’s many family, friends and fans.”
Young was inducted into the Manitoba Sportswriters and Sportscasters Association’s Media Roll of Honour last year and into the Northwestern Ontario Sports Hall of Fame’s builder category in 2023.
Born in what’s now Thunder Bay, then known as Fort William, Ont., Young was in high school when he began reporting on sports for the Fort William Daily Times-Journal. He went on to cover sports for a radio station while, at the same time, serving as sports editor of the Argus, the student newspaper at Lakehead University, where he attended.
Young later came to Winnipeg, where he was taking a master’s degree in sports sociology, when he heard there was an opening for sports director at the then-CKY-TV.
“He applied for it, but it was more or less as a joke, and he got it,” Jason said.
Young was also a main host for CTV’s Wide World of Sports.
“Growing up, as a kid it was kind of odd for me that at school no one knew each other’s dads, but everyone knew my dad. It all came back (on Monday) when I saw hundreds of people commenting on the Facebook post. I was honoured by how many people saw him the way we saw him, as a kind and caring person.”
After leaving CTV, Young became the first play-by-play voice of the Winnipeg Goldeyes, founded a sports consulting company, and served in management of sports franchises in Florida, Arizona and Calgary.
“He truly was a legend in the local media community from his time at CKY — and he also left his mark on the national media scene with CTV,” said Judy Owen, a longtime sports reporter for The Canadian Press.
“Peter liked nothing better than to talk about sports, but not just the stories he covered. He was so proud of the young reporters he helped get into the business when he was CKY Winnipeg’s sports director and he didn’t think of gender,” adding he hired Rod Black, Lisa Bowes, Steve Vogelsang and Kim Babij.
Bowes said she was “heartbroken” to learn of Young’s death.
“He was a one-of-a-kind boss and played a significant role in my working life. Not only did he give me my big break at CKY — among many others — but he continued to support my endeavours in the 35 years since then. That is extremely rare and a true gift.”
Vogelsang said in a text everyone has a story about Young.
“The list of people who owe their careers to Pete, which includes me, is the approximate length of Portage Avenue.”
Joe Pascucci, who was sports director at rival CKND-TV/Global Winnipeg, said Young was competitive not only behind the microphone.
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Pascucci said the two were once part of a team made up of media members and Blue Bombers playing a friendly game in Starbuck.
“(He) got into a battle for the puck — wouldn’t you know it, the gloves came off and Peter would have his nose broken,” he said. “Didn’t miss a shift, partied at the social, and was on the air Monday doing his sportscast.
“Last year, I nominated Peter for consideration to the Canadian Football and Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame and I’m sure those honours are coming.”
Besides Jason, Young is survived by Marlene, his wife of 57 years, son Branden, and two grandchildren, Alexander and Everett.
kevin.rollason@freepress.mb.ca
Kevin Rollason is a general assignment reporter at the Free Press. He graduated from Western University with a Masters of Journalism in 1985 and worked at the Winnipeg Sun until 1988, when he joined the Free Press. He has served as the Free Press’s city hall and law courts reporter and has won several awards, including a National Newspaper Award. Read more about Kevin.
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