TORONTO -- Don Cherryâs angry Remembrance Day rant singling out immigrants on Saturday drew condemnation across Canada and resulted in his ouster from Sportsnet, but this is not the first time Cherry has made controversial comments.
Famously brash and often divisive statements have been part of Cherryâs brand throughout his nearly 40 years as a hockey commentator. He has rarely apologized.
On Saturday, Cherry spoke angrily about not seeing âyou peopleâ wearing poppies that honour fallen veterans.
âYou love our way of life, you love our milk and honey. At least you could pay a couple of bucks for a poppy or something like that. These guys pay for your way of life that you enjoy in Canada, these guys paid the biggest price,â Cherry said, emphasizing the âyouâ with numerous finger jabs at the camera.
His comments drew so many complaints to the Canadian Broadcast Standards Council that while his co-host Ron MacLean and his network apologized for Cherryâs words.
The NHL also weighed in, calling his comments âoffensive and contrary to the valuesâ of the organization.
After he was fired, Cherry, 85, âI have had my say.â
Here is a look at what else he has said in the past that has sparked headlines.
ON THE INDIGENOUS COMMUNITY
In 2007, got into Simon is of Ojibwa descent from the Wiikwemkoong First Nation.
âWhy wouldnât some kids feel like they havenât gotten a fair shake in life?â MacLean asked.
âFair shake in life! Go out and get your own fair shake in life and work for it. Donât give me that stuff,â Cherry replied.
The dispute then moved on to Ted Nolan, who is a member of the Ojibwa tribe.
âWhen Ted Nolan didnât get the job, âIt was racism, it was racismâ - it wasnât racism!â
ON WOMEN AT HOCKEY GAMES
âWhen you come to the games, keep your eyes on the puck. Iâm telling ya, Iâve seen some awful smacks, and itâs always a woman yapping away there. Look at the game,â Cherry said
âLEFT WING PINKOSâ
In 2010, Cherry appeared as a special guest for the inaugural meeting of Toronto new city council and shocked those present with his comments.
âIâm being ripped to shreds by the left-wing pinko newspapers out there â itâs unbelievable,â he said. âThis is what youâll be facing, Rob, with these left-wing pinkos â they scrape the bottom of the barrel.â
He predicted that Ford would be the greatest mayor Toronto had ever seen.
âAs far as Iâm concerned you can put that in your pipe you left-wing kooks.â
ON CANADIAN ENVIRONMENTALIST DAVID SUZUKI AND CLIMATE CHANGE
âDavid Suzuki, left wing kook, youâre in Vancouver. Itâs warm out there. Why donât you come to Toronto, weâve been freezing for two months ⌠what is this, warming trends? Weâre all dying of cold, and heâs talking warming trend. What?â Cherry said in an undated Coachâs Corner segment
Cherry has long been a climate change skeptic. In a segment last year, Cherry asked MacLean, âIâd like to ask you with your left-wing pinko friends, what about the warming trend?â
When MacLean appeared reluctant to wade into the issue, Cherry said, ââIâm just asking you, the cuckaloos are always saying there are warming trends â weâre freezing to death.â
CALLING FORMER PLAYERS 'PUKES' AND âTURNCOATSâ
Cherry, the creator of the Rockâem Sockâem Hockey videos, in 2011 for speaking out against fighting in hockey.
âThe ones Iâm really disgusted with âŚ. The bunch of pukes that fought before -- Stu Grimson, Chris Nilan, Jim Thomson â the reason, 'Oh, the reason that they're drinking, drugs and alcoholics is because they fight.' You turncoats, you hypocrites,â said Cherry.
âThere's one thing I'm not, it's a hypocrite. You guys, you were fighters, and now you don't want guys to make the same living you did."
The three players released a statement calling his comments âinappropriateâ, âbaseless and slanderous,â adding that they were considering âfurther recourse,â which prompted a rare apology from Cherry a week later.
ON EUROPEAN PLAYERS
Cherry has also had a history of being critical of European players, in 2009 and
âLook at this, this is what we want our hockey players to act? Now watch Ovechkin, does this not remind you of it? Does he not remind you of a soccer player?... This is goofy stuff,â he said, following a montage of soccer players celebrating their goals and a clip of Ovechkin.
âListen you kid, donât get caught in the Canadian syndrome, where if itâs Canadian itâs got to be bad. Weâre the best, Iâve been telling youâre the best.â
Cherry has also criticized players from Russia., he said, âtheyâre nothing. Theyâre nothing. N-O-T-H-I-N-G.â