Hockey insider Bob McKenzie retires after 48 years: A tribute from those he inspired
The longtime hockey insider, who will turn 69 in August, announced his retirement from the industry on TSN's 'Free Agent Frenzy' show and social media.
'The trade is one for none,' McKenzie said. 'Which is to say I'm exchanging my semi-retired TSN life of the last five years — doing the World Junior Championships, NHL Draft Rankings, a handful of Toronto Maple Leaf broadcasts, TradeCentre and Free Agent Frenzy — for a fully-retired life of doing absolutely nothing. Well, nothing work related anyway. Today's Free Agent Frenzy is the last working day in a 48-year professional career that included stops at The Sault Star, The Globe and Mail, The Hockey News (twice), The Toronto Star, TSN, ESPN and NBC, amongst others. It's been quite a ride.'
McKenzie, nicknamed 'The Bobfather,' has been semi-retired since 2020 and said now is 'as nice a time as any to call it a career.'
End of an era for @TSNBobMcKenzie, as we celebrate his retirement in his last #FreeAgentFrenzy on TSN. pic.twitter.com/kYcAzArA8Y
— TSN (@TSN_Sports) July 1, 2025
We reached out to McKenzie's friends, colleagues and those who looked up to him here at The Athletic to share their memories and well wishes. Here's what they had to say.
When you're young and scared to death and certainly not confident in your own abilities as a hockey writer but sure pretend to be, you remember the legends who treat you with respect and, frankly, like an adult.
I started covering the NHL as a 21-year-old in 1995 and still remember to this day how nervous I was to introduce myself to Bob. Even then, he was a titan in the business.
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But he didn't treat me like a kid. He treated me instantly like a colleague.
I can't convey how much I've looked up to Bob over the years and am thankful for how he's helped me and treated me. I still remember, even as a veteran hockey writer in 2017 during the Stanley Cup Final, sitting at a table on the roof of Tootsies in Nashville with Bob and an agent, thinking how cool it was to have a couple of drinks with them, and that I was even allowed to sit there. A week or so later, I still remember sitting at the Center Bar at the Encore in Vegas with Bob, witnessing Bob get scoop after scoop about the expansion draft and marveling at just how he operates.
I am sure that I've never met a reporter as universally respected by everybody in the business — media colleagues, GMs, owners, players, commissioner Gary Bettman and deputy commissioner Bill Daly — as Bob. He's truly one of a kind — the original Insider, the GOAT, 'The Bobfather' — and this sport and all of us hockey fans, and especially those of us who have gotten to know Bob and worked alongside Bob, are eternally grateful. — Michael Russo
It wouldn't be exaggerating to say that I wouldn't have a career in sportswriting without Bob McKenzie, who was the first 'real' pro to boost my profile way back in the early days. That sort of endorsement was the difference between me becoming a forgotten name from the bygone blogging era and whatever I am today. And as I'd later learn, it wasn't remotely unusual — Bob was a guy who was happy to offer a hand up to others, in any way he could, even if they were no-names and/or potential competition. He's just a good guy who loves hockey and wants to see it covered well. That's a small part of what makes him the best to ever do this. — Sean McIndoe
When I was a young writer, Bob went out of his way a few times in a manner I will always appreciate. Be it promoting my work on social, taking time out of his day to discuss his craft, or just chatting prospects when I ran into him at the rink, for a junior writer, I looked up to him, and those small gestures meant a ton. — Corey Pronman
Everyone knows how incredible Bob was at breaking news. And evaluating talent. And connecting with sources in a way that only comes with unqualified trust. But I'll always appreciate the lengths he would go to help others in the industry. We were never on the same team, working for the same outlet, but any time I'd approach him about something, he never hesitated to help. He'd write a blurb for your book. He'd share his perspective on how to get ahead in the media. I remember asking him once about a player who was drafted on a team I covered, just to get some insight on what I should expect. He didn't just share what the player was like on the ice; he shared countless stories about the guy's brothers and family that only come from spending time up close at the rink and off. I couldn't believe how much he knew about this one random defenseman. But that's Bob. He knew everyone, and he helped everyone. He's the best. — Craig Custance
I unfortunately did not get the chance to know Bob well over the years, but he did inspire me to move to Toronto and attend the same journalism school to try to be a hockey writer.
So, I have always admired Bob. But he really showed why he's so respected in this industry when he endorsed a little fledgling startup called The Athletic back in the fall of 2016, when we were a group of a dozen writers struggling to build something new.
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Even though we were technically 'the competition,' he wanted us to succeed and called on readers to support our work. I'll never forget the DM he sent me that day.
'Good luck, James. You're a brave man, giving up a job to go to a start-up, but here's hoping your faith is justified. Take care, all the best.'
The ultimate class act. Thank you, Bob — enjoy retirement. — James Mirtle
The bright lights of sports television can be a drug, especially for those who morph from the printed word to the spoken word. The drug is fame. The affliction is ego. You have seen this many times on American sports television, with many sequels.
I grew up in New York, but I live in Toronto now. I didn't get to read Bob McKenzie in his writing prime for The Hockey News and The Toronto Star, but I have certainly watched him on TSN for many years. (Some Americans may remember him as an NHL insider for NBC when they had hockey.)
The interesting thing for me about McKenzie on TSN was that he was very much the opposite of what we (Americans) think of as sports television. He wasn't loud. He didn't have a gimmick. His news gathering and informed analysis drove his appearances. He had a combination of competency and comfort. He was thoughtful. When I watched him, I would think to myself: I'm glad there is still a place for this on sports television.
Very few people in this business get to depart clean and on their own terms. It looks like Bob McKenzie did — and that's a helluva lead NHL story on Canada Day. — Richard Deitsch
Growing up watching hockey and wanting to be a journalist, I learned it wasn't right until Bob McKenzie said so.
Both Bob and I — and countless others, of course — adore The Tragically Hip.
In 2006-ish, a younger me stood outside the Phoenix Concert Theatre in Toronto before doors opened for an intimate Hip show. I had to get on the rail up front, of course. And so when he strolled by us keener fans waiting in line with his head down and walked straight into the venue with a pat on the back from The Hip's security guard, I thought, 'Good goddamn, that dude is the coolest.'
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Almost 20 years later, Bob has continued to reveal what is both true and cool: He operates with respect for younger people when they come to him for advice. He never speaks about people in the industry in a remotely negative way. He loves the work and loves doing it fairly and honestly. And he puts all of his effort into an important second act: being a grandparent.
I didn't think Bob could be any cooler than being buddies with a band I grew up adoring. Then I watched him closely, learned more about him and realized how wrong I was and how right he always is. — Joshua Kloke
There was no such thing as an Insider in hockey media until Bob McKenzie invented that role. He is a trailblazer in the way he married a writing career with television before anyone else in hockey ever thought of doing it. He is not only the reason I decided to try to follow in his path, but also the reason I came to TSN in 2011. The idea of working with 'The Bobfather' was surreal. And it didn't disappoint. What a privilege it was to work alongside a legend for 14 years.
And what an amazing person to get to know. A caring, funny guy who cared about his coworkers and took great pride in TSN's successes. He is the GOAT. Plain and simple. — Pierre LeBrun
Anyone who ever said 'never meet your heroes' never had the chance to meet Bob McKenzie.
What can you possibly say about the best among us? Bob was the famous guy on TSN when I was a kid dreaming of chasing a career as a hockey reporter, and he became someone I was lucky enough to share laughs with, share meals with and share a spot on the Insider desk with.
I once discreetly watched him work the phones for his best-in-class draft rankings list while sitting poolside in Las Vegas. What a legend. I also saw him graciously take the hit during one runaway media dinner at the Stanley Cup Final that ended in a misguided game of credit card roulette.
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In getting to know the man behind the legend, what I came to admire most about Bob was his integrity and values.
The glowing tributes you'll read here aren't the result of the mountains of scoops he produced over 48 years in the business. No, what really set Bob apart was how he delivered all of that news and, even more importantly, how he carried himself while doing it.
To me, that's the legacy Bob leaves behind. He both created the job and did it so much better than anyone else ever could. — Chris Johnston
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