Darren Dutchyshen, beloved longtime TSN broadcaster, dead at 57
By Isaac Lamoureux, True North Wire
Canadians bid farewell to a familiar face on Thursday as revered broadcaster Darren Dutchyshen died, announced TSN.
Dutchyshen, a long-time host and personality on TSN and known for his sense of humour, is dead at the age of 57 after a protracted battle with prostate cancer. The iconic Canadian sports broadcaster’s death occurred on Wednesday.
“Darren Dutchyshen was a legend of Canadian sports broadcasting, a great teammate, and an essential part of TSN for the last three decades,” said Stewart Johnston, Senior Vice President of Sales and Sports at Bell Media.
Dutchyshen, born in Regina and raised in Porcupine Plain, Saskatchewan, began his sportscasting career with STV in Saskatoon and later worked with IMTV in Dauphin, Manitoba. His first big break came in 1988 when he started hosting Edmonton’s ITV Sports Night, a role that tripled the station’s ratings.
“Darren was very different from the really staid, suit and tie types,” said Ann Stark, his boss at ITV, in a 1990 Edmonton Journal feature.
“We opted for his sort of vibrant personality just to get everybody’s attention,” she added.
In 1995, Dutchyshen took an even bigger role when he joined TSN, hosting weekend editions of SportsDesk and CFL Live. He became a beloved figure on TSN’s flagship program, SportsCentre, co-anchoring late-night editions first with Rod Smith and later with Jennifer Hedger.