Veteran TSN sportscaster Darren Dutchyshen has died

Veteran TSN broadcaster Darren Dutchyshen, one of Canada’s best-known sports journalists, has died. He was 57.

The Regina-born broadcaster was a mainstay of Canadian sports media. Dutchyshen began his TSN career in 1995 hosting weekend editions of SportsDesk. Over the following three decades, he was best known for hosting late-night editions of SportsCentre, the network’s flagship program.

“Darren’s incredible sense of humour and magnetic energy made him a natural broadcaster who connected easily with viewers.” Stewart Johnston, Bell Media’s senior vice president of sales and sports, told TSN.ca.

Johnston called him a “legend of Canadian sports broadcasting, a great teammate, and an essential part of TSN for the last three decades.”

He was also outspoken about his battle with prostate cancer, which pushed him to take a break from anchoring SportsCentre in 2021.

One year later, he returned to the air and revealed the cancer was still present throughout his body. Despite that, he said he felt compelled to work.

“The place that I feel best is right here,” he said.

“You are the best in this country at this job,” co-anchor Jennifer Hedger responded. “With a bullet, not even close.”

That fall, Dutchyshen returned to his home province of Saskatchewan to host TSN’s coverage of the Grey Cup.

He “carried on as if he’d never been gone,” said sportscaster Rod Smith, who worked with Dutchyshen for several years, in TSN’s tribute video remembering Dutchyshen.

Through his career, Dutchyshen maintained respect and comradery with his coworkers and community, said Smith.

Dutchyshen was “tough, yet friendly, funny engaging and kind; truly, one of a kind,” he said.

Surrounded by loved ones

In a statement to TSN, his family wrote, “He passed as he was surrounded by his closest loved ones.”

“His sharp wit remained until his final moments, classically delivering plenty of jokes – most of them pretty good and all of them inappropriate.”

The network says it plans to honour Dutchyshen over the coming days, inviting close friends and co-workers to share stories of his character and storied career. 

Born in 1966 in Regina, Dutchyshen was raised in Porcupine Plain, Sask., about 260 kilometres from the capital.

He got his first job with STV in Saskatoon. Following a brief placement at IMTV in Dauphin, Man., he hosted ITV’s Sports Night in Edmonton. He also hosted Olympic Prime Time on TSN during the 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver, and again for the London 2012 Summer Games.