John Garrett (ice hockey)
Goaltender, broadcaster, and ketchup enthusiast.
John Murdoch Garrett (June 17, 1951 – April 27, 2026) was a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender and later a television sports commentator. He played in the World Hockey Association from 1973 to 1979 and in the National Hockey League from 1979 to 1985, then moved into broadcasting.
Born in Trenton, Ontario, Garrett was the son of a schoolteacher father and a stay-at-home mother. He grew up in a household of seven, where money for hockey gear was tight. His mother also cared for her father and her brother, a World War II veteran whose injuries left him unable to live independently.
The St. Louis Blues selected Garrett in the 1971 NHL draft. He spent a year with their Central Hockey League affiliate, then played half a season for the Portland Buckaroos of the Western Hockey League before moving to the Richmond Robins of the American Hockey League. In 1973–74, he signed with the Minnesota Fighting Saints of the WHA. He stayed with the Saints until the franchise folded on February 25, 1976, then joined the Toronto Toros and followed the team when it relocated to Birmingham. In the WHA’s final season, he was traded to the New England Whalers and remained with the franchise when it entered the NHL. He holds the WHA record for most losses by a goaltender. While with the Whalers, Garrett assisted on Gordie Howe’s final goal, though the NHL did not officially credit him until 2025, when Ron MacLean announced the retroactive assist during the Stanley Cup Final after reviewing footage. Garrett later played for the Quebec Nordiques and Vancouver Canucks before retiring at the start of the 1985–86 season.
Garrett was part of a bizarre All-Star Game moment. Replacing an injured Richard Brodeur as the Canucks’ sole representative, he was voted MVP before the game ended. After Wayne Gretzky scored four goals, a re-vote gave Gretzky the award.
Garrett’s first broadcasting job came while he was still playing: he worked as an intermission analyst for CTV during the Stanley Cup playoffs after the Hartford Whalers missed the postseason. He retired before the 1985–86 season. The Canucks’ GM Harry Neale had offered him an assistant general manager role, but Neale was fired and the offer was withdrawn. Garrett began his full-time broadcasting career in 1986–87 as a colour commentator on CBC’s Hockey Night in Canada.
Quick Facts
- Height
- 5 ft 8 in
- Weight
- 175 lb
- Position
- Goaltender
- Catches
- Left
- Born
- 17 June 1951
- Birthplace
- Trenton, Ontario, Canada
- Died
- 27 April 2026
- Place of death
- Salt Lake City, Utah, U.S.
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Garrett grew up in a family of seven in Trenton, Ontario, with a schoolteacher father and a stay-at-home mother. The family struggled to afford hockey equipment, and his mother also cared for her father and her brother, who had been injured in World War II and could not live independently. Garrett credited his childhood love of ketchup to the sauce making poor food palatable.
His playing career included stints with the Minnesota Fighting Saints, Toronto Toros, Birmingham franchise, New England Whalers, Quebec Nordiques, and Vancouver Canucks. While with the Whalers, he assisted on Gordie Howe's final goal, though the NHL did not officially credit the assist until 2025 after reviewing footage. Garrett holds the WHA record for most losses by a goaltender. He was involved in an unusual All-Star Game scenario: replacing injured Canuck Richard Brodeur, Garrett was voted MVP before the game ended, but after Wayne Gretzky scored four times a re-vote gave Gretzky the award.
Garrett earned the nickname 'Cheech' from teammate Rick Smith in the mid-1970s because his afro and moustache resembled Cheech Marin. After the 1984–85 season, he was called 'Lotto' because his 6.49 goals-against average matched Canada's Lotto 6/49 lottery number. During a game with the Quebec Nordiques, while serving as backup, he accepted a hot dog from the trainer and was forced onto the ice with it still tucked into his equipment.
Reader's Guide
Garrett's broadcasting career began while he was still an active player, working as an intermission analyst for CTV during the Stanley Cup playoffs after the Hartford Whalers missed the postseason. He retired before the 1985–86 season after a promised assistant general manager position with the Canucks fell through when Harry Neale was fired. Garrett joined CBC's Hockey Night in Canada as a colour commentator in 1986–87, covering his first conference final in 1991 and eight consecutive conference finals thereafter. He also worked local Edmonton Oilers broadcasts with Bruce Buchanan. In 1998 he moved to CTV Sportsnet (now Rogers Sportsnet), serving as a studio analyst and colour commentator for Calgary Flames games. Beginning with the 2002–03 season, he became the colour commentator for Canucks regional broadcasts on Sportsnet Pacific, partnered first with Jim Hughson and later John Shorthouse. He announced his retirement from Canucks regional broadcasts in March 2023 but continued part-time network work. Garrett died in his hotel room in Salt Lake City on April 27, 2026, while working as an analyst for Sportsnet covering the Utah Mammoth–Vegas Golden Knights first-round playoff series.
Did You Know?
- Garrett holds the record for the most losses by any goaltender in WHA history.
- During a game with the Quebec Nordiques, Garrett played with a hot dog stuffed into his pads after being forced into a relief appearance.
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