It was an emotional night at Rogers Arena on Tuesday night as the Vancouver Canucks honoured the life and legacy of former player and broadcaster John Garrett, lovingly known as “Cheech.”

Garrett’s exit from the Canucks’ regional broadcast booth in April 2023 was no doubt a sad moment in the franchise’s history, but nothing compares to the sudden loss of our dear friend and colleague. Cheech was on the road in Utah, preparing to call another playoff game alongside Harnarayan Singh and Dan Murphy when he passed away at 74.

Last night, taking on the Carolina Hurricanes — Garrett, of course, played for the Hartford Whalers, who went on to become the Hurricanes — the Canucks knocked it out of the park in their efforts to honour Cheech.

First, there were the shirts, which paid homage to Garrett’s iconic moustache. Manny Malhotra proudly wore one while meeting with the media in the morning, offering up reflections from his time as a Canucks player getting to know Cheech. The players wore them pregame in the locker room while they prepared for warm-ups.

Then there was the press box meal.

Here was the menu offered up:
-Salad bar
-Cream of Mushroom Soup
-Dinner Rolls
-Tater Tot Poutine
-Marshmallow Sweet Potatoes
-Salt and Pepper Chicken Wings
-Foot Long Grilled Cheese Action Station
-Second intermission snack: Bread pudding and vanilla ice cream

My only critique was that there were veggies in the salad. Me personally? I kept my plate as beige as possible in honour of Cheech:

And before you ask, there is ketchup on my grilled cheese hot dog, and I’m kicking myself for not getting a photo at an angle that indisputably proves that. I also went back for seconds of the tater tot poutine.

The meal was just the beginning. Public address announcer Al Murdoch referred to the game as “John Garrett night” when he welcomed fans over the loudspeakers. Olivia McDonald’s pregame ice-level interview with Brock Boeser let the longest-tenured Canuck say a few nice words about Cheech to the fans in attendance for warmups. The in-arena hosts made references to Cheech all throughout the night, and even played some “John Garrett trivia” during a TV timeout.

Prior to the anthems, a two-minute tribute video played. It was narrated beautifully by Al Murdoch and featured photos and videos from throughout Garrett’s life. These included his playing days, broadcasting career, and, most importantly, plenty of shots of him with his family. The fans’ cheers and applause at all of the evening’s Cheech-related events made the whole evening feel authentic and even more emotional.

After the game, the Canucks hosted Garrett’s family and the media back upstairs in the press box for a salute to Cheech. A chance to crack a beer in his honour, swap stories, and chat with the Garrett family. Henrik and Daniel Sedin made an appearance, thanking everyone for coming and saying some nice words about Garrett. John Shorthouse also took the time to talk about his late friend and longtime broadcast partner.

Cheech loved baseball, especially his Toronto Blue Jays, so it was only fitting that the Canucks organization and the fans in attendance hit a home run in his honour.

My colleague Jamie Dodd said it best on Rink Wide Vancouver last night. We should all hope to live our lives so that there is no better tribute to the life you led than to have hot dogs falling from the sky in your memory. Yes, that was another thing the Canucks did last night as they paid homage to the late legend.

As the final horn sounded on the Canucks’ eighth straight loss, we were reminded that while sports are ultimately about winning and losing, we often remember the people who connect us to the game the most.

Here’s to you, Cheech. May your plate forever stay beige.