Джим Робсон: «Дауысы» Vancouver Canucks

Canadian sportscaster
the Australian politician

Jim Robson OBC (born January 17, 1935) is a former radio and television broadcaster who was the play by play announcer of the Vancouver Canucks' games from 1970 to 1999.

Robson started his career at the age of 17 covering senior men's basketball for CJAV radio station in Port Alberni. In 1955, Robson started working for CHUB radio in Nanaimo, where he covered the Mann Cup lacrosse finals. By 1956, Robson found himself in Vancouver covering the BC Lions football team, the Vancouver Mounties baseball team and the then WHL Vancouver Canucks hockey team on CKWX.

When the Vancouver Canucks became an NHL expansion team in 1970, Robson moved to CKNW to announce the team's games; he was popularly known as the "Voice of the Canucks" for nearly three decades. For the first seven years, he usually worked alone. For road games, he broadcast the game without a colour commentator and provided the pre game, intermission, and post game shows. In 1977–78, he was joined by former BC Lions player and broadcaster Tom Larscheid. From 1983–84 to 1987–88, his broadcasting partner was ex Canuck Garry Monahan before Larscheid rejoined him in 1988–89. He also covered the Vancouver Canucks on television broadcasts on BCTV, CHEK TV and VTV from 1985–86 through 1998–99. From 1987–88 to 1993–94, Robson provided both radio and television play by play for the Canucks on simulcasts, alongside colour commentators Monahan and Larschei, and Howie Meeker joined him on both TV and radio in 1985–86. Robson stepped down as the radio announcer for the Canucks in 1994 and moved to television full time. His last radio broadcast was game seven of the 1994 Stanley Cup Finals between the Canucks and the New York Rangers. Robson served as the Canucks' TV announcer for five more seasons, working alongside colour commentators Darcy Rota (1994–95 to 1995–96) and Ryan Walter (1996–97 to 1998–99). His replacement on radio was Jim Hughson, who later moved to Rogers Sportsnet, and then to CBC's Hockey Night in Canada. In his final year, Robson split television play by play duties with rookie John Shorthouse, who is now the announcer for the Canucks on TV and radio.

Jim Robson also worked for CBC's Hockey Night in Canada, mostly covering games in western Canada. It was for HNIC that he broadcast the Canucks' first NHL game, a 3–1 home loss to the Los Angeles Kings on October 9, 1970. His reputation as one of the top broadcasters in the business earned him assignments to cover the Stanley Cup Finals in 1975, 1980, 1982 (in which the Canucks faced the New York Islanders), and 1983. He also covered the NHL All Star Games in 1977 (Vancouver), 1981 (Los Angeles), and 1983 (Long Island). He left HNIC after the 1984–85 season, but had a couple of national TV assignments afterward; for CBC in the 1987 playoffs and CanWest Global for the 1988 Smythe Division Final between the Edmonton Oilers and Calgary Flames. Nationally, Jim Robson is probably best remembered for his call of Bob Nystrom's Cup winning overtime goal for the Islanders in 1980. Locally, his voice is linked to every significant Canucks moment in the '70s, '80s, and '90s, particularly the 1982 and 1994 Stanley Cup playoffs. Robson was also well known for taking time to say "a special hello to all the hospital patients and shut ins, those of you who can't make it out to the game", during each of his broadcasts, both on radio and TV. On Hockey Night in Canada, he also used to make a statement prior to the opening face off regarding team uniform colors, for example, "tonight it's the Vancouver Canucks at the Calgary Flames, the Flames in home jerseys trimmed in gold & white; the Canucks in road jerseys trimmed in black & yellow". The notion of 'trimmed' was Robson's unique quote among HNIC play by play announcers. In 2002, at the Canadian Association of Broadcasters annual meeting in Vancouver, Jim Robson was inducted to the CAB Broadcast Hall of Fame. The broadcast booth at Rogers Arena is named after him.