The Botchford Project is heading beyond Vancouver, and Kat Botchford says the expansion to Hockey Canada is a welcome next step for a program built around Jason Botchford’s style and spirit.
Jason Botchford had a rare gift, as Don Taylor once put it: he understood what Canucks fans were feeling. He knew what they hoped for, what unsettled them, and what would light them up. That connection helped make his coverage stand out, and after his death in 2019 from an accidental drug overdose, the Canucks created a program designed to help young journalists find their own voice while covering the team he once wrote about.
Since then, more than 30 young people have gone through “Botchford Nights.” The experience gives them a full day at Rogers Arena, where they observe the media professionals covering the team and then produce their own story about something Canuck.
Kat Botchford, who has remained one of the project’s driving forces, said she was thrilled to see it grow. The turning point came last fall at the Hockey Hall of Fame ceremony in Toronto, where she met Hockey Canada chief of staff Jeremy Knight, a Vancouver native, along with Hockey Canada CEO Katherine Henderson. Knight told her he was struck by the project’s impact.
Working with Rink Wide Vancouver’s Jeff Paterson, she has continued looking for writers who can bring something distinct to their work. That was always part of Jason’s appeal. He had plenty of flair and a strong sense of character in his writing, but he never let that get in the way of professionalism.
“The role of the sports writer is not to be a fan, but to be a fair judge, and deliver ideas and opinions to the fans by standing apart from the team itself.
“He brought the ability to not be a fan, so he could break the hard stories,” she noted. “He wasn’t best friends with the players. He brought professionalism.”
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