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Veteran NHL Broadcaster John Garrett Dies at 74

4/28/2026

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Summary

Story summary

John Garrett died at age 74 on April 28, 2026.
Born June 17, 1951 in Trenton, Ontario, he was drafted 38th overall in 1971, played 200 NHL and WHA games, and earned an All-Star nod in 1983.
After moving to part-time broadcasting in 2023, he kept duties, was calling the Vegas-Utah playoff series when he died, prompting NHL commissioner Gary Bettman to say the league was stunned and saddened.

History

Historical Context

The eight-game 1972 Summit Series, held in September 1972 between Team Canada and the Soviet Union, drew a record 16 million Canadian viewers for the final match and cemented hockey’s modern, televised era. Decades later, the death of former player-broadcaster John Garrett, honored by NHL commissioner Gary Bettman during the Vegas-Utah playoffs, revives that legacy of on-ice achievement and media impact.

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Story summary

John Garrett died at age 74 on April 28, 2026.
Born June 17, 1951 in Trenton, Ontario, he was drafted 38th overall in 1971, played 200 NHL and WHA games, and earned an All-Star nod in 1983.
After moving to part-time broadcasting in 2023, he kept duties, was calling the Vegas-Utah playoff series when he died, prompting NHL commissioner Gary Bettman to say the league was stunned and saddened.

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