Legendary sportscaster Peter Young has passed away after a lengthy battle with blood cancer.
Young is best known for his two decades with CTV, going from sports director at CKY-TV Winnipeg to network broadcaster, supplying play-by-play and commentary for the NHL, CFL, international tennis, international hockey, numerous Olympic Games, and contributing to more than 100 episodes of Wide World of Sports.
He went on to serve as Sports Director at MTN (Manitoba Television Network) from 1995-98, before moving into a career in sport management, holding positions with the Orlando Seals Hockey Club, Arizona Winter League, and New York City-based management and consulting firm, Liberty Sports Group.
Originally from Thunder Bay, ON, Young’s introduction to sports journalism started in his teens, covering the Lakehead Senior Fastball League for the Fort William Times-Journal. Young started shadowing CJLX reporter Ken Nicolson, who recommended him for his job when he moved on to CKPR Port Arthur in 1964. Young would also join CKPR a few years later, doing double duty on both radio and television, while serving as the voice of the Thunder Bay Twins and track announcer at Riverview Raceway.
He concurrently managed to complete a degree at Lakehead University where he served as sports editor of student newspaper, The Argus, while playing for college hockey team, The Norwesters. He went on to teach and coach football at the local high school while co-hosting the morning show on 580 CKPR with Don Percy before classes.
Young landed in Winnipeg in 1974, pursuing Masters courses at the University of Manitoba and working part-time at CKY-TV. He was quickly asked to join the station full-time as sports director, going on to handle play-by-play duties for the Winnipeg Jets during their run in the World Hockey Association (WHA) and later NHL. He also appeared on Winnipeg Blue Bombers broadcasts, and was part of the original Winnipeg Goldeyes radio broadcast team.
His network work saw him appear on screen alongside legends like Billie Jean King, Mario Andretti, and Howard Cosell, among many other figures from the world of sport.
Young was named to the Manitoba Sportswriters and Sportscasters Media Roll of Honour at the Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame last year and was invested by the Northwestern Ontario Sport Hall of Fame in 2023 as a Builder. He was named ACTRA Sportscaster of the Year in 1983.
