Longtime "Coach's Corner" analyst and former NHL coach Don Cherry was appointed to the Order of Ontario alongside 29 other individuals, including Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment chair Edward Rogers.
Former NHL coach and Coach's Corner analyst Don Cherry was named one of 30 appointees to the Order of Ontario for 2025 on Tuesday.
The Order of Ontario is the Canadian province's highest civilian honor.
"The 2025 Order of Ontario appointees represent the very best of our province," Edith Dumont, the Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, said in the announcement. "Through their exceptional dedication and achievements, they have made profound contributions that have touched lives across Ontario and beyond. May their remarkable examples continue to inspire us all to work together for the greater good."
Cherry, 92, is from Kingston, Ont., and played junior hockey in the Ontario Hockey Association before turning pro. He then played mainly in the AHL from 1954 to 1972 before becoming a coach of the AHL's Rochester Americans.
In 1974-75, he began coaching the Boston Bruins and received the Jack Adams Award in 1976. He also coached the Colorado Rockies and Team Canada at the 1981 World Championship. He won the 1976 Canada Cup as an assistant coach on Team Canada as well.
Cherry currently resides in Mississauga, Ont., in the Greater Toronto Area.
"A prominent Canadian hockey figure, Don Cherry is known for his influential coaching career, bold broadcasting style and decades of dedication to the sport," the Government of Ontario said. "After coaching the Boston Bruins, he became a defining voice on Hockey Night in Canada through Coach's Corner."
Cherry joined Hockey Night in Canada in 1980 for the playoffs and was kept on as a color commentator. The CBC created the Coach's Corner segment to air during the first intermission, where he weighed in on the game, first alongside Dave Hodge and then beside Ron MacLean. He worked for the program for nearly four decades.
Don Cherry and Ron MacLean worked together on "Hockey Night in Canada" for 34 years. (Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images)Cherry has also weighed in on topics either about the off-ice part of hockey or beyond the sport altogether.
On Nov. 11, 2019, Sportsnet fired Cherry over an on-air rant in which many felt he criticized immigrants for not wearing Remembrance Day poppies.
"You people… you love our way of life, you love our milk and honey, at least you can pay a couple bucks for a poppy or something like that," Cherry said during the segment on Nov. 9, 2019. "These guys paid for your way of life that you enjoy in Canada, these guys paid the biggest price."
The Canadian Broadcasting Standards Council said the number of complaints following that segment three days earlier exceeded the organization's technical processing capacity.
"I think it was a mistake," Cherry said of his remarks afterward. "But I think the big thing was that I should have said 'everybody;' that was the big, big thing."
Cherry's impact extends beyond hockey, however.
"Cherry is also recognized for extensive philanthropy, supporting the military and police, youth sports and animal welfare through Don Cherry's Pet Rescue Foundation," the province said. "He founded Rose Cherry's Home for Kids and is a strong advocate for organ donation. In 2004, he was ranked the seventh-greatest Canadian in CBC's The Greatest Canadian."
Edward Rogers, Chair Of Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment, Also Named To Order Of Ontario
The executive chair of Rogers Communications, Edward Rogers, was also named an appointee to the Order of Ontario on Tuesday.
Rogers is also the chair of Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment, which owns the Toronto Maple Leafs, AHL's Toronto Marlies, NBA's Toronto Raptors, MLS' Toronto FC, CFL's Toronto Argonauts and more. Rogers is the chair of MLB's Toronto Blue Jays as well.
The province said Rogers "has expanded nationwide connectivity, championed digital inclusion and advanced major innovations."
"His philanthropic leadership in healthcare underscores a profound commitment to equity, opportunity and enduring social impact," the announcement said.
Rogers appeared on the cover of The Hockey News' Money & Power 2026 issue alongside Tony Staffieri, the president-CEO of Rogers Communications.
Cherry, Rogers and the rest of the 30 appointees to the Order of Ontario will be invested at a ceremony in Toronto this year.
"These inspiring individuals have demonstrated dedication and leadership in a wide range of careers and pursuits, making a lasting difference in our communities and reflecting the very best of our province," Graham McGregor, Ontario's minister of citizenship and multiculturalism, said in the announcement.
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