Ron MacLean

Early Life

Ron MacLean was born at the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) base then located in Zweibrücken, West Germany. His father, Ron MacLean Sr., a 30-year veteran of the RCAF, and mother, Sarah “Lila” MacDonald, were both originally from Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. MacLean’s parents were both transferred to the RCAF headquarters for Number 1 Air Division, which at the time was located at the Château de Mercy in Metz, France. (See also Canadian Forces in Europe during the Cold War.) Ron’s parents were married in the château’s 350-year-old chapel in 1959.

At the age of about 14 months, Ron was brought to Canada by his parents, who initial settled in Nova Scotia. The family left for the Yukon when Ron was four years old because his father was stationed in Whitehorse. It was there that MacLean first began to play hockey, a game he fell in love with immediately. By the mid-1950s, the family had settled in Alberta. Ron went to high school in Red Deer, where, in Grade 12, he met his future wife, Cari.

Early Career

Almost immediately after high school, Ron MacLean began his career in broadcasting. He had initially planned to study at the University of Alberta to become a teacher, but a friend asked him to cover his shift as the overnight disc jockey at a local radio station. MacLean quickly fell in love with the world of broadcasting and soon found himself with regular work. This in turn led to opportunities to work in the radio station’s TV sister station, where MacLean did the evening news, sportscasts and even the weather. It was his weather segments that caught the eye of a Calgary TV producer, who offered him the opportunity to host telecasts for the Calgary Flames beginning in 1984.

Career Highlights

Ron MacLean’s next big break came in 1986, when Hockey Night in Canada (HNIC) host Dave Hodge took a job with CBC Radio in Vancouver and requested the right to host Vancouver Canucks games. This created an opening to host Toronto Maple Leafs’ games in Toronto, one MacLean was well-suited to fill. In March 1987, MacLean was promoted to a leading role in the HNIC broadcast, which also included taking over co-hosting responsibilities from Hodge during the Coach’s Corner segments with Don Cherry.

Beginning with the 1988 Olympic Summer Games in Seoul, MacLean’s sportscasting responsibilities for the CBC expanded beyond HNIC. He has since provided hosting, reporting and commentary for CBC broadcasts of Olympics and other major international sporting events, including Commonwealth Games and Pan Am Games. In total, he has covered six Olympiads for the CBC. He has also hosted the World Cup of Hockey, the Calgary Stampede, the Queen’s Plate and the Reality TV series Battle of the Blades.

MacLean’s exceptional popularity was proven during contract negotiations with the CBC in 2002. Due to a standstill in the negotiations, and MacLean’s belief that his offer was fair, on the advice of his agent he threatened to walk away from his job with the CBC. It made national headlines and resulted in thousands of letters to the CBC in support of MacLean. Within a few days, the CBC conceded to MacLean’s contract demands, and the veteran sportscaster was rehired.

MacLean began working for Rogers Communications when they acquired the rights to broadcast NHL games for the 2014–15 season. However, he lost his position as the host of Hockey Night in Canada to George Stroumboulopoulos, who was hired in an attempt to attract younger viewers. MacLean retained his co-hosting position on “Coach’s Corner” segments. He also started hosting a new HNIC segment, “Hometown Hockey.” He returned to his host position with Hockey Night in Canada in 2016.

“Coach’s Corner” Controversy

In November of 2019, MacLean’s long-time co-host of “Coach’s Corner,” Don Cherry — who had a long history of making controversial comments, including some that led to accusations of bigotry — suggested on-air that immigrants to Canada were not sufficiently supportive of the Royal Canadian Legion’s annual Remembrance Day poppy drives. Cherry insinuated that immigrants to Canada were not wearing the poppy and implied that they were taking advantage of the sacrifice made by veterans. Cherry’s claims were baseless and understood to be directly aimed at immigrants and racialized minorities in Canada. Cherry was fired two days after the incident, on Remembrance Day.

With Cherry, MacLean often played the role of the straight man, maintaining his composure and feeding lines to his more actively comedic and eccentric partner. Throughout Cherry’s commentary, MacLean remained silent, and at the end he gave a thumbs-up. This gave the appearance MacLean was in agreement with Cherry’s comments, something MacLean later apologized for and distanced himself from. In a later broadcast, MacLean elaborated on the incident and announced the end of “Coach’s Corner.”

Personal Life

Ron MacLean is married to his wife, Cari MacLean, whom he met while in high school. They live together in Oakville, Ontario. They are both involved in numerous philanthropic projects, including support for the Oakville Hospital Foundation, the Canadian Armed Forces and cancer research. MacLean plays hockey regularly and has officiated at the junior hockey level as a certified referee.

Honours

Ron MacLean is an Honorary Colonel of the 1 Air Movements Squadron at 17 Wing Winnipeg of the Royal Canadian Air Force. Over the course of his career, he has won 10 Gemini Awards and one Canadian Screen Award. He has also twice won the George Gross Award for excellence in sports broadcasting from Sports Media Canada.

MacLean was inducted into the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame in 1996, the Canadian Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame in 2000 and Canada’s Walk of Fame in 2015. He has received an honorary Doctor of Laws from the University of Alberta and an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from Lakehead University.

Awards

• Best Sportscaster/Anchor, Gemini Awards (1992, 1994, 1997, 1998, 2001, 2002)
• Best Host or Interviewer in a Sports Program or Sportscast, Gemini Awards (2004, 2006, 2007, 2008)
• Best Sports Host in a Sports Program or Series, Canadian Screen Awards (2015)