‘A larger-than-life personality’: TSN broadcaster Darren Dutchyshen dead at 57

TORONTO – Long-time TSN broadcaster Darren Dutchyshen has died, the network announced Thursday.

TSN said Dutchyshen died Wednesday at age 57. The cause of death was not provided, but his family said in a statement he was "surrounded by his closest loved ones."

"His sharp wit remained until his final moments, classically delivering plenty of jokes — most of them pretty good and all of them inappropriate," his family said.

Dutchyshen revealed he had prostate cancer on Sept. 9, 2021, and spent a year away from TSN while receiving treatment.

He began his TSN career in 1995 and became a mainstay on the network's flagship SportsDesk and SportsCentre news programs over the next three decades.

Born in Regina and raised in Porcupine Plain, Sask., Dutchyshen was part of the network's CFL broadcasts, and also hosted Olympic Prime Time on TSN during the Vancouver 2010 Winter Games and London 2012 Summer Games.

"A larger-than-life personality, Darren's incredible sense of humour and magnetic energy made him a natural broadcaster who connected easily with viewers," said Stewart Johnston, senior vice-president for sales and sports at Bell Media, TSN's parent company.

"His enthusiasm reminded us every day of why we love sports.”

Dutchyshen's first job as a sportscaster was with STV in Saskatoon, followed by a stint with IMTV in Dauphin, Man. He also spent seven years as the host of ITV's Sports Night in Edmonton.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 16, 2024.