Don Cherry, an iconic Canadian hockey commentator, has been fired by Sportsnet for his on-air remarks on Saturday alleging that the country’s immigrants don’t properly honor fallen soldiers.
Cherry, 85, used his “Coach’s Corner” segment on “Hockey Night In Canada” to criticize individuals who didn’t wear poppy pins leading up to the nation’s Remembrance Day. The pins are sold by veterans groups and are worn to symbolically honor those who served.
“I live in Mississauga [Ontario]. Very few people wear the poppy. Downtown Toronto, forget it. Nobody wears the poppy. … Now you go to the small cities. You people … that come here, whatever it is — 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. These guys paid for your way of life that you enjoy in Canada. These guys paid the biggest price for that,” Cherry said.
After immediate backlash on social media Sunday, the majority of media reaction Monday morning called for Cherry’s removal. By the afternoon, word spread that he had been fired.
Jerry Agar is a talk show host for NewsTalk 1010 in Toronto. He joined Dan and Amy to talk about “Cancel Culture” and the firing of hockey analyst Don Cherry: