Change happens all the time in pro sports.

New champions, new players, new storylines to follow, and yes, even new play-by-play broadcasters.

There have been plenty of new players and stories to follow surrounding the Vancouver Canucks over the last 28 years, but one thing that hasn’t changed in that time is play-by-play man John Shorthouse.

And as of this week, that won’t be changing for at least another four years, as Rogers Media Inc. has re-upped Shorthouse on a four-year contract to continue calling Canucks games for Sportsnet.

“I couldn’t be happier,” Shorthouse said in a phone interview on Wednesday afternoon. “This takes me to 32 years in the seat, and to age 60. I’ve done this for more than half my life, and it definitely beats working for a living!”

Shorthouse began his broadcasting career at local Vancouver station CKVU-TV, working as an anchor on the late-night sports highlight program Sports Page. He then oined Vancouver Canucks pay-per-view broadcasts as a reporter while continuing his television role at CKVU beginning in 1996. His first Canucks play-by-play call was on March 24th, 1996, when Trevor Linden made his return to Vancouver as a member of the New York Islanders. In 1998, Shorthouse was hired to share local television play-by-play duties with Jim Robson following the launch of CTV Sportsnet (now Rogers Sportsnet). He also served as a substitute radio play-by-play announcer when Jim Hughson was on national assignments.

In 1999, Shorthouse took on the lead radio play-by-play role for the Canucks following Jim Robson’s retirement and Jim Hughson’s transition to full-time TV coverage. He was paired with colour commentator Tom Larscheid, with the duo shifting from CKNW to CKST (The TEAM 1040 / TSN 1040) after the Canucks radio broadcast rights shifted stations in 2006.

After Hughson left for CBC in 2008, Shorthouse was tabbed to take over the Canucks’ television play-by-play duties, partnering with John Garrett, and that’s when the era of “John and John” took place. Shorthouse and Garrett’s chemistry in the broadcast booth was unmatched, and the duo remained intact until the end of the 2022-2023 season, when the late Garrett announced that would be his final season on Canucks regional broadcasts. Garrett didn’t retire, instead moving to national colour commentary duties with Sportsnet following his departure from calling Canucks games.

Also up there in Shorthouse’s list of career accomplishments: He once co-authored a live mailbag with this author from Canucks training camp in Whistler in 2022.