Jack Dennett (May 30, 1916 – August 27, 1975) was a Canadian

radio Radio is the technology of communicating using radio waves. Radio waves are electromagnetic waves of frequency between 3 hertz (Hz) and 300 gigahertz (GHz). They are generated by an electronic device called a transmitter connec ...

and

television Television (TV) is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. Additionally, the term can refer to a physical television set rather than the medium of transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertising, ...

announcer An announcer is a voice artist who relays information to the audience on a broadcast media programme or live event either on radio or television. Television and other media Some announcers work in television production, radio or filmmaki ...

. He began his career in radio at the age of sixteen at

CFAC :''CFAC also stands for Commander Fleet Activities Chinhae'' CFAC (960 AM) is a radio station serving Calgary, Alberta. Owned by Rogers Radio, a division of Rogers Sports & Media, the station broadcasts a sports format branded as ''Sportsnet ...

in Calgary, beginning with various odd jobs such as filing, then began filling in for the regular news announcer when he did not appear for work.

Career

In 1935, Dennett began conducting hockey interviews of players in the Regina Senior Hockey League. He enlisted in the

Canadian Forces The Canadian Armed Forces (CAF; , FAC) are the unified Military, military forces of Canada, including sea, land, and air commands referred to as the Royal Canadian Navy, Canadian Army and the Royal Canadian Air Force. Under the ''National Defenc ...

in 1940 although was soon

discharged Discharge may refer to: * The act of firing a gun * Termination of employment, the end of an employee's duration with an employer * Military discharge, the release of a member of the armed forces from service Flow * Discharge (hydrology), the a ...

due to suffering from

stomach ulcers Peptic ulcer disease is when the inner part of the stomach's gastric mucosa (lining of the stomach), the first part of the small intestine, or sometimes the lower esophagus, gets damaged. An ulcer in the stomach is called a gastric ulcer, while ...

. He returned to radio in

Winnipeg Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Manitoba. It is centred on the confluence of the Red River of the North, Red and Assiniboine River, Assiniboine rivers. , Winnipeg h ...

at CKRC then shortly moved to Toronto in 1943 to take over newscasts at

CFRB CFRB (1010 AM) is a commercial radio station in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is owned by Bell Media and carries a News/Talk radio format. Its studios and offices are in the Entertainment District at 250 Richmond Street West. One of the oldes ...

and eventually took over full-time slots in 1949. He became a regular on the radio and television broadcasts for the ''Saturday Night Imperial Esso Hockey'', later ''

Hockey Night in Canada ''Hockey Night in Canada'' (often abbreviated ''Hockey Night'' or ''HNiC'') is a long-running program of broadcast ice hockey play-by-play coverage in Canada. With roots in pioneering hockey coverage on private radio stations as early as 1923, ...

''. He stopped broadcasting NHL radio games in 1962, continuing on television. Finally, he provided color commentary on Saturday night

Vancouver Canucks The Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver. The Canucks compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division (NHL), Pacific Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Conferenc ...

home games in the 1970–71 season. He is also notable for having interviewed every

Prime Minister A prime minister or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. A prime minister is not the head of state, but r ...

from

R.B. Bennett Richard Bedford Bennett, 1st Viscount Bennett (July 3, 1870 – June 26, 1947) was a Canadian lawyer, businessman, philanthropist, and politician who served as the 11th prime minister of Canada from 1930 to 1935. Bennett was born in Ho ...

Pierre Trudeau Joseph Philippe Pierre Yves Elliott Trudeau (October 18, 1919 – September 28, 2000) was a Canadian politician, statesman, and lawyer who served as the 15th prime minister of Canada from 1968 to 1979 and from 1980 to 1984. Between his no ...

Personal life and honors

He was diagnosed with

bowel cancer Colorectal cancer (CRC), also known as bowel cancer, colon cancer, or rectal cancer, is the development of cancer from the colon or rectum (parts of the large intestine). Signs and symptoms may include blood in the stool, a change in bowel ...

and had surgery in January 1975 and returned to work, leaving just a month before his death. That same month, he was inducted into

Canada's Sports Hall of Fame Canada's Sports Hall of Fame (; sometimes referred to as the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame) is a Canadian sports hall of fame and museum in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Dedicated to the history of sports in Canada, it serves as a hall of fame and mu ...

. Sadly, he died at the age of 59 in Scarborough General Hospital on August 27, 1975.

References

External links

*
Canada Sports Hall of Fame

Canadian Communications Foundation biography
* 1916 births 1975 deaths Canadian radio news anchors Canadian sports announcers Deaths from cancer in Ontario National Hockey League broadcasters Canadian television sportscasters CBC Television people Burials at Mount Pleasant Cemetery, Toronto Canadian military personnel from Alberta Canadian military personnel of World War II Canadian television hosts {{Canada-radio-bio-stub