Vancouver Canucks reporter Jason Botchford: A tribute to a great man

Joshua Rey: Contributor

It saddens me that he is gone. He was only 48? Too young and too soon.  Jason Botchford was the guy who made me want to go into sports media. I look up to many in the sports media world like Satiar Shah, JD Burke, Steve Dangle, Bob Mckenzie, Cat Silverman, Jason Brough, Mike Halford, and many others; but Botchford was the first.

I remember as a kid reading his articles for the Province. There was something about his writing that I adored. I think it was his sense of humour or his passion in the writing. Whatever it was, there was something about Botch’s writing that made me think, “I should do this, I want to write about hockey, I want to be like Botchford.”

His pieces on Elias Pettersson the alien and Jacob Markstrom with Ian Clark, are pieces of great writing. There are too many to name but he wrote some amazing articles.

Botchford continued to inspire me as he made regular appearances on TSN 1040 and That’s Hockey! with Gino Reda. The way he spoke was passionate. He loved hockey and his job. He always sounded like he was having fun and that’s what sports journalism should be, fun.

I always loved listening to him on the Patcast. His rants and constant F-bombs were just fun to listen to and I always wanted more. He was very funny not just in print but on the radio.

I really loved how Botch interacted with fans and other sports personalities on Twitter. His takes weren’t always the best but he wanted people to prove him wrong. He loved the fans because, in many ways, he is one too. Despite many arguments with people on Twitter, I heard when he met them in real life he joked and laughed with them and later unblocked them. I never met him, but I heard he was a very nice guy.

It pains me to just find out now that he was open to helping people like me get into the sports media. His Twitter DM’s were open and he often gave advice. Now I wish I talked to him. I will never get the chance to. You don’t know what you’ve got until it’s gone.

Botchford was a man filled with passion, determination and just love of the game of hockey and the Vancouver Canucks. Say what you want about his takes but he was the best in the Vancouver sports media business. There will never be another one like Botch.

He was my inspiration for getting into the sports media business and he will forever be missed but he will never be forgotten. The sports media world lost a legend. He was one of a kind. One of the funniest, most passionate sports writers ever. I never met him but those who did are lucky to have met an amazing writer and an amazing man.

Botch made sports writing fun for the fans and he loved the fans and even defended the fans. Jason Botchford was a man of the people, our voice. He wasn’t a fan of the Canucks since birth, but he became one of us.

One of Botch’s most well-known quotes is “We need an army!”  Us Canucks fans were his army and he was our general. Unfortunately, our general is gone and it hurts. I give my condolences to Botchford’s family and friends. They are in my thoughts and prayers.

There are three words that went through Botch’s head when the Sedins retired and they are going through mine now that he is gone.

“You’re So Cool.”

“You’re So Cool.”

“You’re So Cool.”

Botch, you were cool.

Thank you for everything you’ve done for this market Jason Botchford. Rest in Peace.