Ron MacLean
Ron MacLean | |
|---|---|
 Ron MacLean {right) with Don Cherry at the 2002 Winter Olympics | |
| Born | April 12, 1960 |
Ronald Joseph MacLean (born April 12, 1960, in Zweibrücken, West Germany) is a Gemini Award-winning Canadian sportscaster for the CBC who is best known as the host of Hockey Night in Canada.
Biography
Early life and career
MacLean's father was stationed at Zweibrücken Air Base in Germany as an officer in the Royal Canadian Air Force when MacLean was born, but 14 months later the family moved back to Canada, and he grew up in Chester, Nova Scotia, and Red Deer, Alberta, where his broadcasting career began in 1978 when he took a part-time position at CKRD Radio, which eventually led to a position doing weather with CKRD-TV.
Hockey Night in Canada
MacLean has worked on Hockey Night in Canada since 1986–87. He began anchoring telecasts out of western Canada, but near the end of the season was moved to Toronto games when Dave Hodge was fired for flipping his pencil on the air to protest a CBC programming decision. He worked his first Stanley Cup Final that spring and has been the primary game host ever since. Part of his duties include hosting Coach's Corner with Don Cherry.
In addition to hockey, he has worked on every Olympics covered by CBC since 1988. On August 20th, 2008 during the broadcast of the Bejing 2008 Olympics he announced very calmly on-air that his mother had died and he would be leaving to return to Canada. In closing he said "As Don Cherry would say, 'Don't worry about me, I'll be fine.'"
Contract negotiations with CBC Sports Executive Director Nancy Lee and the president of English television had hit a standstill in the 2001–02 NHL season. MacLean threatened to leave CBC on the advice of his agent Don Meehan.[1] That made headlines across Canada and following a huge public outcry, the CBC quickly gave in to his demands.
Awards and honors
MacLean has won eight Gemini Awards for his work with CBC[2]. His first was in 1992 for Best Sports Broadcaster; he also won the Best Sports Broadcaster award in 1994, 1997, 1998 and 2001. He won Best Host or Interviewer in a Sports Program or Sportscast in 2004 and again in 2006.
Canadian Amateur Hockey Association
In addition to his work at the CBC, MacLean is a Level 5 referee with the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association. He has refereed in junior, minor pro, senior, and university leagues across Canada, but mostly in the Southern Ontario region. He served as a referee in the September 29, 2006 NHL preseason matchup of the Buffalo Sabres and the Pittsburgh Penguins[3] calling one penalty in the final minute of the game. His interest in refereeing extends to his career in broadcasting.
MacLean was named an Honorary Colonel for the 1 Air Movements Squadron at 17 Wing Winnipeg of the Canadian Forces Air Command.
Personal life
He and his wife, Cari, live in Oakville, Ontario.