'These were hurtful comments': Punjabi hockey commentator reflects on Don Cherry's ousting

Growing up, Parminder Singh loved watching Don Cherry on Coach's Corner.

But the founding host of Hockey Night in Canada: Punjabi Edition, who is now a Punjabi-language commentator for the NBA, believes Cherry's time was up.

"It's very difficult to defend a man I loved for so long for various reasons," he told Cross Country Checkup host Duncan McCue.

Cherry was fired by Rogers Media-owned Sportsnet on Monday after making comments that seemingly targeted immigrants that don't wear the Remembrance Day poppy during his Coach's Corner segment.

Singh spoke about his experience with Cherry and the outspoken commentator's ousting Sunday on Checkup.

Here is part of that conversation.

You are the founding host of Hockey Night in Canada in Punjabi. What did Don Cherry mean to you as a broadcaster, as a hockey broadcaster?

One thing that I can say my broadcast assisted in doing was connecting generations. 

You had grandparents who couldn't speak the language now watching [Hockey Night in Canada], and one of my favourite pastimes growing up with my grandfather was actually watching Coach's Corner. 

My grandfather loved him, yet he didn't understand a word of English…. 

Most of the time whether it was incomprehensible or not ... it was the energy he brought and everything else that was associated around him.

Very much a showman. I understand you've met Mr. Cherry before. What was that encounter like?

It was fantastic. [During] my first broadcast … when I had the opportunity at the first intermission, I ran upstairs — it was a couple flights of stairs — just to get a glimpse of Ron and Don. 

After they were done, I introduced myself to Don. He's like, "What's your name again, son?" and I had to repeat it a couple of times.

A couple of weeks later, his makeup artist told me that Don was actually asking her my name because he wanted to practice it. 

It's a sad loss, I think, in general for the hockey community. But then really looking at it ... there [were] a lot of comments that were made that became a part of his legacy.

WATCH: Ron Maclean speaks about the end of Coach's Corner

Ron MacLean delivers emotional monologue on the end of Coach's Corner

5 years ago

Duration 4:44

Ron MacLean spoke during the 1st intermission of the Leafs/ Penguins game to address the Don Cherry situation and what he called the "end of an era."

The "You people ... who come here" comments, the night that [Cherry] made them, the entire Hockey Night in Punjabi crew, they tweeted a picture of themselves wearing poppies. What did you make of  that statement?

I wish Don had ... used language that was a bit more inclusive. 

I come from the background where my paternal great-grandfather was in World War I and lost veterans. And, I'm a practicing Sikh, so there [were] a lot of guys that looked like me on the battlefield. 

They wore turbans and beards, and it was actually one of the biggest volunteer army groups — more than the Scottish, the Welsh, the Irish and even Canadians put together. 

So, these were hurtful comments when I felt that I was pushed to the wayside along with all the other "you people."

Don Cherry did take to the media this week and said numerous times, OK, maybe I should've used the word everybody instead of "you people." Does that does that count as an apology to you?

It's interesting because listening to what Ron had to say last night, and from my takeaways from what Ron mentioned, was that Don was given an opportunity ... to apologize. 

Whether those were on his terms, or on Sportsnet's terms, are still to be heard. But he chose not to do it.

So it really put things into perspective on what played behind the scenes.

We hear within the conversation, or this rhetoric of sensitivity or whatever the case may be, we've got an individual who's quite entertaining on television. Says a lot of things which are very risqué. 

And, I think, being where we are within the realm of social media, there's a lot of people who heard these comments who necessarily will never watch Coach's Corner or never did. 

I think when it comes to being aired on a public broadcast such as the CBC, then the standards do play a part.

I want to ask you about that — about him being on the public broadcaster — because it isn't the first time that Don Cherry has come under fire. He's offended women and immigrants and francophones over the years…. Do you think he should've been taken off the air earlier?

Absolutely. 

It's interesting because we don't realize [it], but we're equating freedom of speech with freedom of consequences, and I think that it's important for us to recognize the two. 

When you're on a public broadcast, you're set at a higher standard. If he was on late night, perhaps with Ed the Sock or whatever the case may be, then by all means.

But what we need to understand as viewers, is that there are a set of guiding principles and standards which all Canadian broadcasters must follow….

So it's very difficult to defend a man I loved for so long for various reasons.

This Q&A has been edited for length and clarity. To hear the full interview, click Listen above.