For generations of Vancouver Canucks fans, Jim Robson wasn’t just a broadcaster-he was the voice of hockey on the West Coast. His passing at age 91 marks the end of an era, but his legacy is etched into the very fabric of the franchise.
Robson wasn’t just present for the big moments in Canucks history-he defined them. From the team’s NHL debut in 1970 through the highs and heartbreaks of the ’70s, ’80s, and ’90s, his voice was the soundtrack to Vancouver’s hockey journey. Whether it was a regular-season grind or a Game 7 in the Stanley Cup Final, Robson brought the game to life with a clarity and passion that made fans feel like they were right there in the arena, even if they were miles away listening on the radio.
In an era when Canucks games were only televised once a week, Robson’s play-by-play wasn’t just important-it was essential. He was the link between the team and the fans, painting pictures with words that made every shift, every save, and every goal feel monumental. You didn’t just hear the game-you felt it.
Current Canucks radio voice Brendan Batchelor, who’s held the mic for nearly a decade, summed it up powerfully: “Devastated to hear of the passing of Jim Robson. He is the standard to which all BC-based play-by-play broadcasters have aspired to, and will never reach. The word legend isn’t enough.”
That sentiment was echoed across the hockey world. Rick Dhaliwal of CHEK put it simply: “Nobody described a game better. Simply the best there ever was.”
Robson’s journey in broadcasting began long before the Canucks joined the NHL. A native of Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, he got his start in the mid-1950s, calling games for the WHL’s version of the Canucks and the BC Lions.
When the NHL came to Vancouver in 1970, Robson was ready-and he never looked back. He was behind the mic for nearly three decades of Canucks hockey, right up through their unforgettable 1994 Stanley Cup Final run against the New York Rangers.
After stepping away from radio, he spent five more years calling games on television before officially retiring in 1999. But even in retirement, Robson remained a revered figure in the hockey community-a gold standard for broadcasters, and a beloved voice for fans.
His calls still echo in the memories of those who grew up with them. They’re part of the team’s history, woven into the narrative of every great Canucks moment. And while Jim Robson may be gone, his voice-and his impact-will never be forgotten.