Don Cherry is not only a hockey icon; he’s a national treasure. Plain-spoken, flamboyant and always entertaining, he has become one of Canada’s most recognizable celebrities. Cherry’s wildly popular “Coach’s Corner” on Hockey Night in Canada, co-hosted with Ron MacLean, is often the most watched segment on the CBC and is a mainstay of Saturday night television. His knowledge of—and love for—our national game is peerless.Born in Kingston, Ontario, Cherry chased his hockey-playing dream as a teenager across the continent, from Sudbury, Ontario to Spokane, Washington. In 1955, he appeared in a playoff game for the Boston Bruins; it would be his only on-ice NHL appearance. After stepping away from the game, he dabbled in different careers, doing everything from construction to working as the “world’s worst Cadillac salesman.” In 1974, he was hired as head coach of the Boston Bruins, earning Coach of The Year honours in the 1975-76 season. The same year, he was named assistant coach of Team Canada. In 1980, he appeared on Hockey Night in Canada with then-host Dave Hodge in a new segment called “Coach’s Corner.” Years later, in what became a career-defining interview with Brian Williams, Cherry condoned on-ice violence in hockey, after a bench-clearing brawl during a world junior championship game between Canada and the Soviets. The move helped boost Cherry’s popularity and moved him to the front of the national conversation, where he has remained ever since.In 2004, The CBC conducted a nationwide poll of “The Greatest Canadians,” and at the #7 spot—right behind Nobel-winner Lester Pearson, but in front of former Prime Minister John A. MacDonald—was Canada’s favourite hockey commentator, the king of tell-it-like-it-is, Don Cherry.
What does Don Cherry talk about? Coach’s Corner: Live and InteractiveDon Cherry’s live appearences bring all of the energy, humour and fun of “Coach’s Corner” to major corporate and association events. Combining commentary on Canada’s national game with an extended Q&A, meet and greet and autograph session, his appearences create buzz before, during and long after an event.