There’s no voice more synonymous with the Vancouver Canucks.
He was the voice of the team for the majority of its existence. Every big moment that the Canucks had during the 1970s, ’80s and ’90s was largely witnessed and called by Jim Robson.
On Tuesday, news broke that the legendary Canucks broadcaster had passed away at the age of 91.
In the minutes that followed, tributes began to pour in.
“Devastated to hear of the passing of Jim Robson,” Sportsnet’s Brendan Batchelor said. “He is the standard to which all BC based play-by-play broadcasters have aspired to, and will never reach. The word legend isn’t enough.”
Batchelor has been the radio voice of the Canucks for nearly a decade. Robson, on the other hand, called Canucks games on the radio from the time they entered the league in 1970, up until Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals versus the New York Rangers.
During an era in the 1970s and ’80s where Canucks games were only available on TV once a week, Robson’s voice was crucial in telling the story.
“Nobody described a game better,” CHEK’s Rick Dhaliwal said. “Simply the best there ever was.”
The Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, native spent five years after stepping away from radio calling Canucks games on television. He officially retired from broadcasting in 1999, ending a career that started in the mid-1950s, when he called Canucks WHL games along with the BC Lions.
His legendary calls will live on in eternity for Canucks fans.