Veteran NHL goaltender-turned-analyst John Garrett, who was born and raised in Trenton, suddenly passed away Tuesday at the age of 74. The wry, self-deprecating Garrett was a fixture around hockey rinks for more than 50 years, first as a 5-foot-8 goalie, then for 40 years as a broadcaster. He was best known as the TV colour commentator for Edmonton Oilers games alongside play-by-play voice Bruce Buchanan.
Garrett died of natural causes in Salt Lake City while in Utah to work Game 4 Monday with Harnarayan Singh for the first round Mammoth-Vegas Golden Knights playoff series. They had worked together for the first three games. His sudden passing is a sad day for the hockey community.
A beloved figure in hockey
Garrett worked the room, always doing his due diligence, talking to players at the rink, sharing stories and sharing laughs. “I loved seeing John, like you guys (media) here, I saw John several times in the morning (of games). He was one of my favourite people,” said Anaheim coach Joel Quenneville, 67, whose fourth NHL team was the Hartford Whalers, joining them as a defenceman the year after Garrett left the Whale.
“This is shocking,” said former Oilers coach Ron Low, a goalie just like Garrett. He loved Garrett’s work as a commentator, his blunt style, no stickhandling. “I just heard him the other night on TV in the Utah-Vegas series. His broadcasts were good. He did know the game, his analysis were pretty damn good, in my estimation, one goalie to another,” said Low, agreeing he was painfully honest on air.
A memorable career
Nobody had more fun than the former WHA and NHL goalie who once was sitting at the end of the bench with the Quebec Nordiques, eating a hot dog when surprisingly told he was replacing the starter. He quickly hid the chien chaud under his goalie pads until the game was over, no sense throwing away good fast food. He joked he was a no utensils guy. Burgers and fries, chicken wings. He loved ketchup, unlike Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid, who wouldn’t go near it.
Not the healthiest fare for Garrett, but he stayed in shape, albeit, not conventionally. One day at the LAX Marriott between TV games, he was sitting on a lounge chair by the pool, an abs stimulator belt wrapped around his chest. Easier than sit-ups at that.
Time for the loveable Garrett or Cheech as he was affectionately known by one and all because he bore a resemblance to comedy icon Cheech Marin. It’s been a tough last year for one-time goalies who went to the calling games, with fellow analyst Greg Millen, 67, passing away shockingly of a heart issue April 8, 2025.
