[News] 2019/2020 season is Bob MacKenzie’s last for covering the NHL full time

[Scorch]

He will still be covering WJC until 2025

https://twitter.com/user/status/1214614076984365056

But also

https://twitter.com/user/status/1214618266674577414

[Toonage]

Nm! Thanks

[TheScorpion]

FWIW, McKenzie has signed a five-year extension with TSN to continue covering marquee events like IIHF, the trade deadline, free agency, some Leafs games, etc.

[Monahammer]

A deserved step towards retirement, but a real blow to Hockey fans everywhere. We are losing the best (and only real IMO) insider in the biz.

[Sylvanfan]

Yeah, with the staunch realization that 1990 is 30 years ago already, it does mean that people who were some what established in their respective field at that time are at a point where they will be stepping back or retiring as they are getting to be into their 60's or possibly even 70's.

[nik-]

Good riddance.






naw, jk, Bob is the man.

[SportsJunky]

In an unrelated article today, Cruickshank reveals that Michael Stone's father was the beat reporter in Sault Ste. Marie covering the Soo Greyhounds. When Rob Stone left and moved to Winnipeg, it was Bob McKenzie who took over the vacant position.
https://theathletic.com/1514636/2020...wayne-gretzky/
Bob McKenzie owes a big thank you to Michael Stone's father.

[Weitz]

I don't mind Bob but he doesn't really provide any insight into the game anymore. Just seems neutral and not wanting to provide opinions. He definitely has connections, but really you just need to follow him on twitter for that.

I sort of started noticing this ever since Sportsnet got the national coverage.

[Scorch]

Originally Posted by Weitz

I don't mind Bob but he doesn't really provide any insight into the game anymore. Just seems neutral and not wanting to provide opinions.

Unfortunately, I think that’s what made him so well liked. Being opinionated makes enemies of people of different opinions and people remember who they dislike more than the people who they like.

And that’s why Vanilla is the most consumed ice cream flavour

[bluejays]

Originally Posted by Weitz

I don't mind Bob but he doesn't really provide any insight into the game anymore. Just seems neutral and not wanting to provide opinions. He definitely has connections, but really you just need to follow him on twitter for that.

I sort of started noticing this ever since Sportsnet got the national coverage.

Fully agree and noticed that myself for the past few years. He's always giving obvious options for what could happen, with no real direction where he thinks something will go. His script tends to go something like this, "(Player) could go a team in the east, but it wouldn't surprise me if a team in the west were able to sway him". It's always been about maintaining relationships with his sources rather than passing along hard opinions or providing actual insight. I noticed a lot of so-called insiders in recent years taking that approach, and it's more to protect their jobs, rather than taking an actual stance on where they see things going. I wish him the best of luck, but he hasn't truly provided any good rumors or anything in years, aside from the occasional breaking trade/signing on twitter (which, IMO, is no big deal). All these insiders know of the bad coaches, and whatnot, but chose to stay quiet over it, and for that I lost respect for a lot of them these past few months, but that's another story.