Ron MacLean
 | This article's lead section may be too short to adequately summarize the key points. (December 2009) |
Ron MacLean | |
|---|---|
 MacLean (right) with Don Cherry at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, Utah | |
| Born | April 12, 1960 |
| Employer | CBC |
| Known for | Co-host of CBC's Hockey Night in Canada and playing Friday Night Hockey in Oakville, Ontario |
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.
Biography
Early life and career
MacLean was born in Unterm, West Germany. His father was stationed at Zweibrücken Air Base in Germany as an officer in the Royal Canadian Air Force when MacLean was born, but 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, where his broadcasting career began in 1978 when he took a part-time position at CKRD Radio, which eventually led to a position doing weather with CKRD-TV. Ron MacLean is of Scottish heritage on both his mothers and fathers 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 Toronto 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.[1] That made headlines across Canada and following a huge public outcry, the CBC quickly gave in to his demands.[2][3]
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.[4] 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.[5]
Awards and honors
MacLean has won eight Gemini Awards for his work with CBC.[6] 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 Burrows, in follow up to an earlier incident between Burrows and referee Stéphane Auger[7] 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.[8][9][10] 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.[11]
Hockey Canada
In addition to his work at the CBC, MacLean is a Level 5 referee with Hockey Canada. 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[12] calling one penalty in the final minute of the game. His interest in refereeing extends to his career in broadcasting.
Personal life
He, his wife and his wheaton terrier live in Oakville, Ontario.
On June 3, 2010, he helped to rescue a man trying to take his own life, by jumping into the Delaware River in Philadelphia.[13] 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.
References
- ^ Playing the Game (Page 3)
- ^ Macleancbc1002a
- ^ caaws.ca/e/leadership/article
- ^ olympics-ron-maclean
- ^ http://www.horse-races.net/library/qp08-entries.htm
- ^ "CBC.ca - Program Guide - Ron MacLean". [dead link]
- ^ "Burrows slams referee after loss to Predators". The Sports Network. 2010-01-11. Retrieved 2010-01-14.
- ^ "Burrows given no chance to defend himself". The Globe And Mail.
- ^ "Alex Burrows ignores character assassination". The Vancouver Sun.
- ^ "Vigneault slams CBC's Maclean". The Globe And Mail.
- ^ "Pratt and Taylor with Ron Maclean". Team 1040.
- ^ "Ron MacLean referees NHL game". CBC News. September 30, 2006.
- ^ "Hockey Night in Canada's Ron MacLean jumps in river to save suicidal man". The National Post. Postmedia News. June 3, 2010. Retrieved 3 February 2011.