john willsey

now a luke schenn stan account

[john willsey @jsw020202]

@TronCarterNLU Is he a dude?

[john willsey @jsw020202]

@NoLayingUp Can’t help but feel this is TC’s fault

[OverDrive @OverDrive1050]

THEY DID IT NAYLOR!

[Mike Johnson @mike_p_johnson]

Tell me how this isn’t goalie interference? He moved his glove out of the way before puck gets to him. By this standard, you can hit hands of goalie anytime their hands are over the white ice? There’s no way that can be right.

[Jonny Lazarus @JLazzy23]

Probably my favorite video in the history of sports, I love when this resurfaces

[john willsey @jsw020202]

Homan -8.5 bettors rejoice 🙏

[TSN @TSN_Sports]

The #OverDrive crew joked about Kris Knoblauch’s post game interview on the goaltending in Edmonton 😂

@OverDrive1050

[JD Bunkis @JDBunkis]

Surely none of his teammates will mind Eichel making more than them

[WBR @W_B_Rick]

You have no idea what this Russillo news means to me (a white guy in his 20s that loves the NBA)

[Cousin Sal @TheCousinSal]

Ahh damn…sorry to report this is the final episode of Against All Odds. The Betache of all Betaches. Thanks to our amazing listeners for this insane 8+ year run for me and my lovable degenerate pals. Happy handicapping.
https://t.co/fRULl1q1W8

[Bob McKenzie @TSNBobMcKenzie]

The trade is one for none.

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.

I’ll be 69 years old in August. I decided a few months ago it’s as nice a time as any to call it a career with the expiry of my current contract. If I had been so inclined to continue doing the World Juniors and draft rankings etc. at TSN, the opportunity was certainly there for me to do so. And I’m so grateful to TSN for that.

Honestly, though, I am looking forward to waking up on Christmas morning this year and NOT flying to Minneapolis-St. Paul for the World Juniors.

I’m also looking forward to doing more travelling with my wife Cindy; having more time to give my sons Mike and Shawn unwanted (and unneeded) advice; playing even more golf than I am now; and having my two wonderful grandchildren Blake and Gunnar running my show on a full-time basis.

After almost 50 years in the business, there are far too many people to thank individually, so I won’t even try to name any lest I leave some out.

Just know that I’ve been blessed to work for, work with and work against so many great people who gave me boundless opportunity, incredible support and intense motivation. The nearly five decades have gone by in the blink of an eye.

I certainly never set out to be the TSN Hockey Insider. It never occurred to me that I would work in television. All I wanted to be when I grew up was a hockey writer, to have a “job” to watch, write and talk about the game. You know, tell a few stories and try to capture the spirit of the thing.

Mission accomplished, I guess.

I couldn’t say goodbye now without a special thanks to everyone at TSN, past and present.

I first started showing up on the network in or around 1986-87. In the 1990s, I was working full-time hours at TSN but still had a full time newspaper job, too. Since 2000, 25 years ago, TSN has been my primary professional home.

It’s been a very special place on so many levels. The best part of TSN has always been the people. The best people doing the best work. What an honour to be one small part of the unsurpassed excellence that is TSN. Every time I’ve walked out of Studio Six at the end of Free Agent Frenzy on July 1, I’ve said to myself: “It doesn’t get any better than that.”

And it doesn’t. That’s especially true on this Canada Day because I’m so very proud to be a Canadian. 🇨🇦

I’m a very lucky guy. I owe the game of hockey, and all the people within it — the players, coaches, managers, executives, scouts, agents et al — so much; I owe my family and friends even more. 

Finally, thank you to anyone who has ever read, watched or listened to any of my work in any form at any outlet over the last 48 years. It’s been a privilege to share some information with you all, and try to have a few laughs along the way on social media or whatever they’re calling it these days.

I’ve cherished it all.

Fully Completely.

✌️and 💕 

-30-

[PGA TOUR @PGATOUR]

Feeling right at home 🇨🇦

@MacHughesGolf with the early eagle hole-out @RBCCanadianOpen!

📺 @PGATOURLIVE

[bobby cappucino @bobbycappucino]

season 3 of The Rehearsal should be Nathan solving the crisis that is the Toronto Maple Leafs

[#1 A'ja Wilson Fan @Account4hockey]

Full health Matthews would have 4 goals tonight

[No Laying Up @NoLayingUp]

RORY COMINNNN!!!!!!!

[john willsey @jsw020202]

I know it will never change because there has been zero innovation in curling broadcasting over the last 15+ years but @TSNCurling should be embarrassed at how bad the brier and Scottie’s has been televised this year

[Tony Roundtree @Tonywithyy]

Severancing my brain the old fashioned way tonight