Brendan McCarthy, N.L.'s 'hockey prof' and sports journalism's leading man, dead at 66

Brendan McCarthy, the St. John's man who earned the nickname "Hockey Prof" and established himself over the decades as a leading sports journalist in Newfoundland and Labrador, has died at the age of 66.

McCarthy passed away Saturday evening at the Health Sciences Centre, following a day of visitation from family, friends and former co-workers.

Even his beloved cat Cheddar made an appearance as his bedside, McCarthy's son, Richard Taylor, told CBC News on Monday.

"He said 'I feel peaceful,'" said Taylor.

McCarthy had battled leukemia for 15 years. His wife Audrey also succumbed to cancer in April 2019.

An outpouring of tributes

His passing was met with an outpouring of tributes, with heavy praise for his masterful coverage of hockey and other sports during his three decades with The Telegram newspaper, but also for his kindness and ability to mentor other journalists.

McCarthy's long-time Telegram colleague, photojournalist Keith Gosse, said on Facebook that McCarthy was the "kindest, funniest, most loved and respected person I knew," and that he was an "incredible colleague, friend and true gentleman."

Mark Dwyer, the director of news and current affairs at NTV and a former Telegram co-worker, wrote that McCarthy was a "gifted journalist, among the all-time greats, but he will be best remembered as a gentleman and wonderful man."

McCarthy was from British Columbia, but grew up in New Brunswick. He moved to Newfoundland's Burin Peninsula in the early 1980s to work as a broadcaster at Q Radio. But his reputation was made during his years with The Telegram, where he teamed with sports editor Robin Short — who died in August 2021 — to cover the American Hockey League's St. John's Maple Leafs and later the St. John's IceCaps, beginning in the early 1990s.

McCarthy received the James H. Ellery Memorial Award in 1998 for his outstanding media coverage of the AHL, and was inducted in the N.L. Hockey Hall of Fame in 2020.

Over the years, McCarthy also covered the St. John's Fog Devils of the then Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, and most recently, the ECHL's Newfoundland Growlers.

However, McCarthy never strayed far from his radio broadcasting roots and for years provided colour commentary for Leafs and IceCaps AHL games with play-by-play hosts George McLaren and Brian Rogers on VOCM Radio.

While his beat was elite hockey, McCarthy also shined a spotlight on local sports, and maintained the very popular "Newfoundlanders Away" weekly hockey stats section in the paper.

In 2008, he authored the book, Forward Thinking: The Danny Cleary Story, which told the story of the first person from Newfoundland and Labrador to play for, and win, the coveted Stanley Cup.

McCarthy also volunteered his time to support the Cancer Care Foundation and its efforts to build a new chemotherapy unit at the Dr. H. Bliss Murphy Cancer Centre. McCarthy and Short were featured in a video, with McCarthy sharing the story of his battle with cancer, and how his work and support from colleagues helped him through.

'Huge impact on my life'

Meanwhile, McCarthy's son said his father "made a huge impact on my life" and that he tries to model himself after his dad.

McCarthy also had a special bond with his two grandchildren, Alex, 15, and Ryan, 13, said Taylor.

While the family is saddened by McCarthy's passing, Taylor said they are focusing on the positive impact that his father had on so many people.

"I am thankful for how peaceful he was and for how many peoples' lives he touched," Taylor wrote on Facebook. "He was an all-around inspiration with his kindness, selflessness and positivity. There's a void with him that will never be filled."

Taylor said visitors will be welcomed at Barrett's Funeral Home on Hamilton Avenue from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Tuesday and Wednesday.

A funeral service is planned for Thursday at Barrett's.

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