Ron MacLean
Encyclopedia
Ronald Harold "Ron" MacLean (born April 12, 1960) is a Canadian
sportscaster for the CBC
who is best known as the host of Hockey Night in Canada
.
, West Germany
, where his father, an officer in the Royal Canadian Air Force
, was stationed at the Metz France Air Base. 14 months later the family moved back to Canada, and he grew up in Chester, Nova Scotia
, Whitehorse, Yukon
(for 5 years) and Red Deer, Alberta
. His broadcasting career began in 1978 when he took a part-time position at CKRD-FM Radio (98.9), followed by duties at 850 CKRD-AM radio, and eventually a position doing weather with CKRD-TV
. According to his biography he was called by the Program Director at the time (Martin Smith) to fill in for a sick friend who had recommended him. His initial duties were little more than pushing buttons and playing commercials, but was soon granted the opportunity to become a disc jockey
. Ron MacLean was still in high school at the time. Ron MacLean is of Scottish
heritage on both his mother's and father's side.
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.
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
. That made headlines across Canada and following a huge public outcry
, the CBC quickly gave in to his demands.
In addition to hosting HNIC, he has been a part of the CBC's Olympics coverage since 1988. He took over as chief anchor following the departure of Brian Williams
to CTV
/TSN
. MacLean was the main sportscaster and host for the 2008 Summer Olympic Games in Beijing
until his mother died, causing him to hand over duties to Scott Russell
. In 1993, MacLean served as an ice level reporter for NBC Sports' coverage of the NHL All-Star Game
in Montreal
. MacLean has also hosted CBC's coverage of the Queen's Plate
.
s for his work with CBC. 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.
, in follow up to an earlier incident between Burrows and referee Stéphane Auger
where the credibility of Auger was called into question. The piece was considered by a number of prominent sports writers, Canucks coach Alain Vigneault as well as fans to be a one sided smear against Burrows. Ron MacLean appeared on Vancouver based sports radio show Team 1040 on January 18, 2010 and strongly denied being biased or one sided in his presentation.
. 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
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
.
.
On June 3, 2010, he helped to rescue a man trying to take his own life, by jumping into the Delaware River
in Philadelphia. MacLean and a few others sprung into action. He grabbed a velvet rope, jumped a wrought-iron railing and ran down to the water. When he arrived he saw another man had already jumped into the river and pulled the man to a raft. MacLean says he and a couple of staff from the hotel used the velvet rope to pull the man onto the wharf, while the person who had jumped in to save him climbed out.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
sportscaster for the CBC
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly known as CBC and officially as CBC/Radio-Canada, is a Canadian crown corporation that serves as the national public radio and television broadcaster...
who is best known as the host of Hockey Night in Canada
Hockey Night in Canada
Hockey Night in Canada is the branding used for CBC Sports' presentations of the National Hockey League...
.
Early life and career
MacLean was born in ZweibrückenZweibrücken
Zweibrücken is a city in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, on the Schwarzbach river.- Name :Zweibrücken appears in Latin texts as Geminus Pons and Bipontum, in French texts as Deux-Ponts. The name derives from Middle High German Zweinbrücken...
, West Germany
West Germany
West Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....
, where his father, an officer in the Royal Canadian Air Force
Royal Canadian Air Force
The history of the Royal Canadian Air Force begins in 1920, when the air force was created as the Canadian Air Force . In 1924 the CAF was renamed the Royal Canadian Air Force and granted royal sanction by King George V. The RCAF existed as an independent service until 1968...
, was stationed at the Metz France Air Base. 14 months later the family moved back to Canada, and he grew up in Chester, Nova Scotia
Chester, Nova Scotia
Chester is an incorporated Canadian village located in and part of Nova Scotia's Chester Municipal District in the southeastern part of Lunenburg County.-History:...
, Whitehorse, Yukon
Whitehorse, Yukon
Whitehorse is Yukon's capital and largest city . It was incorporated in 1950 and is located at kilometre 1476 on the Alaska Highway in southern Yukon. Whitehorse's downtown and Riverdale areas occupy both shores of the Yukon River, which originates in British Columbia and meets the Bering Sea in...
(for 5 years) and Red Deer, Alberta
Red Deer, Alberta
Red Deer is a city in Central Alberta, Canada. It is located near the midpoint of the Calgary-Edmonton Corridor and is surrounded by Red Deer County. It is Alberta's third-most-populous city – after Calgary and Edmonton. The city is located in aspen parkland, a region of rolling hills...
. His broadcasting career began in 1978 when he took a part-time position at CKRD-FM Radio (98.9), followed by duties at 850 CKRD-AM radio, and eventually a position doing weather with CKRD-TV
CHCA-TV
CHCA-TV was a television station in Red Deer, Alberta, Canada. It was owned by Canwest, and was part of the E! television system. The station was seen on VHF channel 6 and cable channel 11 in Red Deer...
. According to his biography he was called by the Program Director at the time (Martin Smith) to fill in for a sick friend who had recommended him. His initial duties were little more than pushing buttons and playing commercials, but was soon granted the opportunity to become a disc jockey
Disc jockey
A disc jockey, also known as DJ, is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience. Originally, "disc" referred to phonograph records, not the later Compact Discs. Today, the term includes all forms of music playback, no matter the medium.There are several types of disc jockeys...
. Ron MacLean was still in high school at the time. Ron MacLean is of Scottish
Scottish people
The Scottish people , or Scots, are a nation and ethnic group native to Scotland. Historically they emerged from an amalgamation of the Picts and Gaels, incorporating neighbouring Britons to the south as well as invading Germanic peoples such as the Anglo-Saxons and the Norse.In modern use,...
heritage on both his mother's and father's side.
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 TorontoToronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
games when Dave Hodge
Dave Hodge
Dave Hodge is a Canadian sports announcer who currently works for TSN, and has worked in the past for the CBC and CFRB 1010 radio in Toronto.-Broadcasting career:...
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
Hockey Night in Canada
Hockey Night in Canada is the branding used for CBC Sports' presentations of the National Hockey League...
with Don Cherry.
Contract negotiations with CBC Sports
CBC Sports
CBC Sports is the division of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation responsible for English-language sports broadcasting. The CBC's sports programming primarily airs on CBC Television, with some additional broadcasts on bold, CBC.ca, and occasionally CBC Radio One...
Executive Director
Executive director
Executive director is a term sometimes applied to the chief executive officer or managing director of an organization, company, or corporation. It is widely used in North American non-profit organizations, though in recent decades many U.S. nonprofits have adopted the title "President/CEO"...
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
Don Meehan
Donald E. Meehan is an influential National Hockey League Players' Association hockey player agent.- Early career :Meehan earned his bachelor's degree at Sir George Williams University...
. That made headlines across Canada and following a huge public outcry
Moral panic
A moral panic is the intensity of feeling expressed in a population about an issue that appears to threaten the social order. According to Stanley Cohen, author of Folk Devils and Moral Panics and credited creator of the term, a moral panic occurs when "[a] condition, episode, person or group of...
, the CBC quickly gave in to his demands.
In addition to hosting HNIC, he has been a part of the CBC's Olympics coverage since 1988. He took over as chief anchor following the departure of Brian Williams
Brian Williams (sportscaster)
Brian Williams is a Canadian sportscaster who is best known for his coverage of the Olympic Games.-Biography:Williams' father was a very successful doctor...
to CTV
CTV television network
CTV Television Network is a Canadian English language television network and is owned by Bell Media. It is Canada's largest privately-owned network, and has consistently placed as Canada's top-rated network in total viewers and in key demographics since 2002, after several years trailing the rival...
/TSN
The Sports Network
The Sports Network, commonly abbreviated as TSN, is a Canadian English language Category C specialty channel and is Canada's leading English language sports TV channel. TSN premiered in 1984, in the first group of Canadian specialty cable channels...
. MacLean was the main sportscaster and host for the 2008 Summer Olympic Games in Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
until his mother died, causing him to hand over duties to Scott Russell
Scott Russell (commentator)
Scott Alexander Russell MA is a Canadian sports writer and broadcaster. He has worked on various CBC Sports broadcasts including Hockey Night in Canada from 1989 until 2003, and again from 2005 until now...
. In 1993, MacLean served as an ice level reporter for NBC Sports' coverage of the NHL All-Star Game
44th National Hockey League All-Star Game
The 44th National Hockey League All-Star Game was the last All-Star game to take place at the Montreal Forum on February 6, 1993. Before the start of the game there was a tribute to Mario Lemieux, who was in attendance, but could not play due to his treatments for Hodgkin's Disease...
in Montreal
Montreal Forum
The Montreal Forum was an indoor arena located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Called "the most storied building in hockey history" by Sporting News, it was home of the National Hockey League's Montreal Maroons from 1924 to 1938 and the Montreal Canadiens from 1926 to 1996...
. MacLean has also hosted CBC's coverage of the Queen's Plate
Queen's Plate
The Queen's Plate is Canada's oldest thoroughbred horse race. It is run at a distance of 1¼ miles for 3-year-old thoroughbred horses foaled in Canada. The race takes place each summer in June or July at Woodbine Racetrack, Etobicoke , Ontario...
.
Awards and honours
MacLean has won eight Gemini AwardGemini Award
The Gemini Awards are annual television broadcasting industry awards in Canada.First awarded in 1986, the Geminis celebrate the achievements of TV members of the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television. Essentially, it presents awards for the best television productions in Canada. Awards are...
s for his work with CBC. 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.
Controversy
On January 16, 2010 Ron MacLean presented a pre-game piece together with NHL representative Colin Campbell focusing on Vancouver Canucks player Alexandre BurrowsAlexandre Burrows
Alexandre Ménard-Burrows is a French-Canadian professional ice hockey winger with the Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League . He is known for playing in the style of an agitator and for his ascension to the NHL from being an undrafted player in the ECHL...
, in follow up to an earlier incident between Burrows and referee Stéphane Auger
Stéphane Auger
Stéphane Auger is a National Hockey League referee who wears uniform number 15. Auger began his career as an official at the age of 16 as a part time job in the winter. He began officiating provincial midget hockey and moved up to the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League before turning to the...
where the credibility of Auger was called into question. The piece was considered by a number of prominent sports writers, Canucks coach Alain Vigneault as well as fans to be a one sided smear against Burrows. Ron MacLean appeared on Vancouver based sports radio show Team 1040 on January 18, 2010 and strongly denied being biased or one sided in his presentation.
Hockey Canada
In addition to his work at the CBC, MacLean is a Level 5 referee with Hockey CanadaHockey Canada
Hockey Canada, formally known as the Canadian Hockey Association, is the national governing body of ice hockey in Canada and is a member of the International Ice Hockey Federation. Hockey Canada controls a vast majority of ice hockey in Canada, with a few exceptions...
. He has refereed in junior, minor pro, senior, and university leagues across Canada, but mostly in the Southern Ontario
Southern Ontario
Southern Ontario is a region of the province of Ontario, Canada that lies south of the French River and Algonquin Park. Depending on the inclusion of the Parry Sound and Muskoka districts, its surface area would cover between 14 to 15% of the province. It is the southernmost region of...
region. He served as a referee in the September 29, 2006 NHL preseason matchup of the Buffalo Sabres
Buffalo Sabres
The Buffalo Sabres are a professional ice hockey team based in Buffalo, New York. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League .-Founding and early success: 1970-71—1980-81:...
and the Pittsburgh Penguins
Pittsburgh Penguins
The Pittsburgh Penguins are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The franchise was founded in 1967 as one of the first expansion teams during the league's original...
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
Canadian Forces Air Command
The Royal Canadian Air Force , formerly Canadian Forces Air Command, is one of three environmental commands of the Canadian Forces...
.
Personal life
He, his wife Cari and his wheaton terrier live in Oakville, OntarioOakville, Ontario
Oakville is a town in Halton Region, on Lake Ontario in Southern Ontario, Canada, and is part of the Greater Toronto Area. As of the 2006 census the population was 165,613.-History:In 1793, Dundas Street was surveyed for a military road...
.
On June 3, 2010, he helped to rescue a man trying to take his own life, by jumping into the Delaware River
Delaware River
The Delaware River is a major river on the Atlantic coast of the United States.A Dutch expedition led by Henry Hudson in 1609 first mapped the river. The river was christened the South River in the New Netherland colony that followed, in contrast to the North River, as the Hudson River was then...
in Philadelphia. MacLean and a few others sprung into action. He grabbed a velvet rope, jumped a wrought-iron railing and ran down to the water. When he arrived he saw another man had already jumped into the river and pulled the man to a raft. MacLean says he and a couple of staff from the hotel used the velvet rope to pull the man onto the wharf, while the person who had jumped in to save him climbed out.