John McKeachie, who had a more than 40-year career working in B.C. sports media across TV, radio and print, has passed away at the age of 82.
Announced earlier this year as a 2026 B.C. Sports Hall of Fame inductee, McKeachie is best known for his 27 years as a sports anchor on BCTV (now Global) from 1973 to ’99, while also serving as an on-air host and colour commentator for Vancouver Canucks and Vancouver Whitecaps broadcasts.
He went on to host CBC Vancouver’s Hockey Night in Canada post-game show, McKeachie’s Hockey Talk from 1998-2000, which later became the long-running After Hours. Other stops included CDKA Victoria (1970-72); CKNW Vancouver, where he hosted Canucks and BC Lions broadcasts (1972-75, 1997-98); TEAM 1040, where he hosted McKeachie in the Morning (2001-03); and MOJO Sports Radio (2003-05), among other work, including two Olympic games. In addition to his work in media, he also worked for Vancouver investment firm, ZLC Financial, for almost 20 years.
“While British Columbia knew John as one of its most beloved and enduring sports media personalities, those closest to him knew him first and foremost as a devoted husband, father, grandfather, brother, and friend — roles he cherished above all others and considered his greatest achievements,” said McKeachie’s wife, Sandi, and daughter Jessica, in a statement. “To family and friends, he was bigger than life, instantly recognizable by his booming voice and his love of a good story that could captivate a room.”
“John’s own passion for sports started long before the cameras and microphones, playing Little League baseball in his hometown of Victoria. Though he’d be the first to joke he never made it big as an athlete himself, that love of the game never left him. Well into his life he kept up a weekly basketball game with a close group of friends and was a regular on the ice rink and the golf course though, by his own admission, he always wished he were a little better at them,” the statement continued. “That genuine love of sport carried him into a celebrated 40-year career…”
Dan Russell, the longtime host of Sportstalk in the Vancouver market, wrote in a post to Facebook that he was “heartbroken” to have lost his longtime friend.
“Long before I knew him personally, I listened to and admired him on CKNW and later BCTV. Ultimately, I was lucky enough to call him a close friend,” said Russell.
McKeachie will now be posthumously inducted into the B.C. Sports Hall of Fame on Nov. 6. He was previously inducted into the Victoria Sports Hall of Fame in 2012. He also captured TV Week Magazine’s B.C. Sports Broadcaster of the Year honour on three occasions during his time at BCTV.
