When Sportsnet announced that they were buying the Canucks radio broadcast rights and launching a new sports talk radio station in Vancouver, there was an initial wariness from Vancouver sports fans. Would Rogers put together a station that truly reflected Vancouver or would it have a more corporate feel? In other words, just how much “Toronto” was going to be on the air?
While some hires haven’t sat right with Vancouver sports fans, Sportsnet’s new broadcast crew for Canucks games has plenty of local flavour. Getting the call up from the Vancouver Giants is Brendan Batchelor to handle play-by-play duties, while former Canucks goaltender Corey Hirsch will be the colour commentator.
Batchelor is a BCIT graduate who has paid his dues, starting as an in-arena announcer with the Coquitlam Express of the BCHL before doing play-by-play for the Surrey Eagles for a year. For the last four years, Batchelor has done play-by-play for the Giants, while also serving as their Director of Media Relations for the last three years.
Meanwhile, he’s also been an announcer, reporter, and producer for TSN 1040. Now he’s switching in those many different hats for one big one.
Batchelor is a talented play-by-play man, with a rapid patter well-suited for radio and an excellent sense for how plays develop, giving his voice a good rise-and-fall that follows the excitement of the play on the ice. He’s a solid choice for Sportsnet.
As for Hirsch, he has plenty of BC connections, starting with his four years in the WHL with the Kamloops Blazers, then with four seasons with the Vancouver Canucks. While he may not have as much on-air experience as Batchelor, he makes up for it with plenty of on-ice experience, playing professionally for a total of 13 years.
Hirsch even backstopped Team Canada at the 1994 Olympics, posting a .930 save percentage in the tournament and winning a silver medal thanks to Peter Forsberg going full-Forsberg on him.
His Bates Motel goalie mask is also one of the all-time great masks in Canucks — nay, NHL — history.
Hirsch has since made the transition to broadcasting and has worked as a TV analyst for Sportsnet (partly thanks to Twitter) and the Arizona Coyotes, and wrote a regular column for The Score this past season. He has a strong point-of-view, a wealth of stories and experiences to draw on, and a snarky sense of humour that should serve him well on Vancouver radio.
Most recently, Hirsch was in the news for revealing his struggles with mental health and obsessive-compulsive disorder, writing a profoundly affecting article for The Players’ Tribune. He also partnered with the Canucks to produce a video for Hockey Talks.
While it remains to be seen how Batchelor and Hirsch will mesh together on Canucks broadcasts, there’s no denying their connection to the local fanbase, which should give them the benefit of the doubt early on.
This means no more Jon Abbott and Dave Tomlinson on Canucks broadcasts. Abbott bid farewell to Canucks fans and his “dream job” on Twitter.
A reflection filled with gratitude. Not enough words, not enough space, not enough time. More to follow. ❤️2Vancouver pic.twitter.com/ujim2oprST
— Jon Abbott (@HockeyAbbs) August 14, 2017
