On June 23, Don Cherry made the news when he appeared to sign off his podcast Grapevine at 91 for the last time.
He then clarified to the Toronto Sun later in the week that he was only saying “toodaloo” for the season and would be back for the next. But it got people reflecting on Cherry’s career when it looked like it was the end of it.
I couldn’t help but imagine that in another universe, ‘Grapes’ would’ve been signing off in 2025, but from Coach’s Corner on Hockey Night in Canada, having a well-deserved send-off, unlike the one he got in this universe.
It all started, of course, with the following words by Cherry on Nov. 9, 2019.
"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 that night. "These guys paid for your way of life that you enjoy in Canada, these guys paid the biggest price."
Two days later, on Remembrance Day, Cherry was fired.
He was given the pink slip because his comments were considered anti-immigrant. Sportsnet didn’t use those words specifically but did call them divisive. Cherry maintains that his “you people” meant Canadians and residents of all walks of life and wasn’t directed toward any particular group.
As a hockey-lover and a proud naturalized Canadian, I sympathize with Cherry. I truly believe he was treated unfairly.
Canadians of all backgrounds need to be grateful for the rights and privileges they get when calling Canada home. We have naturalized Canadians among us who have spent their childhoods in places where freedom of speech and freedom of expression are not even basic human rights. For them, this is a huge step up. We shouldn’t be taking our great country for granted.
Why should Cherry have been penalized for pointing out the obvious?
As far as wearing poppies goes, it’s just unfortunate the real message Cherry was trying to convey got lost amid the controversy.
I'll just say this: wearing a poppy never hurt anyone. I know I wear one in the days leading up to and at Remembrance Day.
Nonetheless, what was more saddening was that among the Hockey Hall of Fame inductees for the 2025 class, Cherry’s name was not even in the mix.
We’re talking about someone who was voted seventh-greatest Canadian in a CBC poll in 2004. Grapes was also a prominent face in the NHL as he coached the Boston Bruins from 1974 to 1979 before taking charge of the Colorado Rockies in the 1979-80 season. He led the Bruins to the playoffs in all of the seasons he coached them and led them to the 1977 and 1978 Stanley Cup finals.
He will be remembered by fans for his passion for Canada’s great game and his signature flashy suits. Cherry will also be remembered for his often-controversial takes in hockey that were more based on an “old-school pro-Canadian” style of the sport.
While unintentional, he often mispronounced the names of European players on Coach’s Corner. On a similar note, he expressed displeasure at Europeans playing in the CHL and spoke before that about Europeans needing to bring something unique to the NHL that a Canadian can’t. He also advocated for more fighting in hockey and was not a fan when enforcers were phased out in the NHL.
Cherry is not a perfect person. No one is.
But not only is he an important part of Canadian hockey, he is also an important Canadian.
It would be sad if 38 years of his on-air memories just lived on in between random YouTube videos when he departs.
Let's hope it doesn't come to that.
Ismail Fasih was born in Makkah, Saudi Arabia, in a Pakistani family. He immigrated to Mississauga, Ont., in 2008 at the age of 16 and discovered his love for the game going to grad school and attending Mississauga Steelheads games. He still fondly remembers Canada's 2010 Olympic gold medal victory as one his first hockey memories.