Jim Robson, Canucks’ Voice, Dies at 91 — Hometown Mourns

Jim Robson, the longtime play-by-play voice of the Vancouver Canucks and a celebrated Maple Ridge native, has died at the age of 91. The report announcing his death did not specify a date or place of death.

Career and contributions to hockey broadcasting

Robson served as the Vancouver Canucks’ play-by-play commentator from the club’s NHL debut in 1970 and remained the team’s trusted voice through two Stanley Cup final appearances, retiring in 1999. Over more than 25 years he called more than 2,000 NHL games, covered Stanley Cup finals and NHL All-Star games, and reported on international competitions including the 1984 Olympic Games.

His final radio broadcast was the 1994 Stanley Cup Final between the Canucks and the New York Rangers; he then spent his final five years as the Canucks’ television announcer before retiring. Robson began his broadcasting career at CJAV in Port Alberni and moved to CKNW in 1956, where he covered baseball, Canadian football and the old minor‑pro Vancouver Canucks of the Western Hockey League.

Honours, local legacy and tributes

Robson’s awards and honours include the Foster Hewitt Memorial Award from the Hockey Hall of Fame (1992), induction into the BC Hockey Hall of Fame (1998) and the Canadian Broadcast Hall of Fame (2002). The media broadcast gondola at Rogers Arena also bears his name.

The City of Maple Ridge has honored him by naming a section of 105th Avenue “Jim Robson Way” in 2017; Robson attended the 2018 celebration. Mayor Dan Ruimy expressed sorrow at the announcement: “On behalf of city council and the residents of Maple Ridge, I extend our heartfelt condolences to the family, friends, and countless fans of Jim Robson on his passing.” Ruimy said Robson was a beloved hometown hero whose impact on the community and on Canadian sport will not be forgotten.

Early life and roots in Maple Ridge

Robson grew up in Maple Ridge, attending Alexander Robinson School and Maple Ridge Junior and Senior High School. He played basketball and baseball locally and wrote a sports column for the Maple Ridge–Pitt Meadows Gazette. His family moved to the area from Saskatchewan in 1943, and he recalled wanting to be a sports broadcaster from the age of six.

Robson’s death marks the passing of a defining voice in Vancouver sport. The original notice did not provide a date or place of death.