Jim Robson, the legendary broadcaster famous for perhaps the most iconic call in Vancouver Canucks history, has died at the age of 91. The Prince Albert-born Robson passed at his care home in the midst of a battle with cancer.

Robson was the voice of the Canucks from the time the team entered the league in 1970 until his retirement in 1999. During his tenure he became a fan favourite, his enthusiasm for the game infectious even when Vancouver was one of the worst teams in the league, which was often. 

Like all greats, Robson had his go-tos in the broadcast booth, one of his best-known lines being not about the games on the ice, but instead fans of the game. To tune in was to know that at some point he’d take a moment between plays to announce: “A special hello to all the hospital patients and shut-ins, the pensioners, the blind, and all of those people who can’t get out to watch hockey games.”

Vancouver made two trips to the Stanley Cup Finals while Robson was their play-by-play man. While he was already a legend long before the Canucks met the New York Rangers for the cup in 1994, it was during Game 6 of a warlike final that Robson secured a permanent place in history as one of the all-time greats. 

As the game wound down, Canuck captain Trevor Linden was struggling to get to the bench, having already been chopped down to the ice. He was hit away from the play by New York Rangers captain Mark Messier, leading Robson to capture the moment with, “Messier hit Linden when he was down on his knees, the play is running down, it could get a bit ugly here in the late stages. Linden is struggling to the bench, now he’s at the bench talking to the trainer. I didn’t see who hit him the first time, but Messier hit him when he was down the second time.”

And then, as the clock wound down, and the crowd at the old Pacific Coliseum on Renfrew was at a thundering pitch, Robson delivered the call that’s become part of Canucks’ lore: “He will play, you know he’ll play! He’ll play on crutches! He will play, and he’ll play at Madison Square Garden … on Tuesday night.”

Iconic. 

Robson had four children with his wife, Beatrice, who died in September of 2025 after 68 years of marriage. 

The Canucks announced the universally loved broadcaster’s passing today in a statement. 

“On behalf of the Aquilini family and our entire organization, we are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of legendary Canucks broadcaster Jim Robson,” Canucks president of business operations Michael Doyle said. “Jim was the voice of the Canucks for nearly three decades and will be remembered for his passion, pride, and relentless pursuit of perfection. His voice and his calls stitched together the fabric of what it means to be a Vancouver Canuck, bringing together fans from across the province, including ‘the hospital patients and shut-ins, the pensioners and the blind, those fans who can’t get out to hockey games.’ Jim had a unique way of making us all feel like we were right there in the thick of the action.”

Here’s the call. 

Video of 1994 Stanley Cup Final: Game 6 – Jim Robson’s Famous Call: “He will play!” – Trevor Linden