After almost three decades on air at Canada’s Rogers-owned Sportsnet, primarily covering the NHL, Christine Simpson is moving on. She tweeted that news on Wednesday.
Simpson’s exit drew remarkable tributes from around the hockey world and beyond. Here are a few.
I have no idea what Christine Simpson wants to do next.
But here is what I do know.
1. I have seen so many sports media organizations devalue institutional knowledge. That ethos crosses borders and is usually related to one thing: Money.
2. Amazon should hire her as it moves… https://t.co/J6GIqY0VIo
— Richard Deitsch (@richarddeitsch) September 11, 2024
Simpson’s exit here is notable on several fronts. One is the overarching narrative of media organizations moving on from proven and long-tenured veterans with significant institutional knowledge in favor of younger and cheaper names. Another is the overall representation of women in the national NHL media space, which has not been great over the past few years in either the U.S. or Canada. And that looks set to take a further hit after this news of Simpson moving on from Canada’s primary NHL rightsholder (unless she winds up with another NHL broadcaster, which is possible).
At any rate, Simpson made a remarkable impact during her decades with Sportsnet. It will certainly be worth keeping an eye out for what she does next.
[Christine Simpson on X/Twitter; image via Christine Simpson on Instagram]