By Canadian Press

You Can Play Project executive talks with Ron MacLean about Hockey Night comment

May 26, 2021 | 12:04 PM

A member of the executive board of an organization that pushes for inclusion in sports says he has had a “good discussion” with Ron MacLean about a comment made by the “Hockey Night in Canada” host on Tuesday night.

David Pulombo, the vice-chair of the executive board of the You Can Play Project, says they “discussed language going beyond two-way communication and (how) others hearing language without context may think differently than intended.”

Pulombo says MacLean’s comment “is something we should move on from.”

During an intermission segment as part of a Sportsnet television broadcast of a Toronto Maple Leafs-Montreal Canadiens game on Tuesday night, analyst Kevin Bieksa said he was the most positive member of the four-person panel that also featured MacLean, Jennifer Botterill and Kelly Hrudey. 

Bieksa, who was part of the segment from an off-site location via video, had a photo sitting on a shelf in the background behind him that included one man without a shirt. 

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Appearing to make a joke in response to Bieksa, MacLean said: “You have a photo of a guy with his tarp off, you’re definitely positive for something.”

Botterill then gave MacLean a quick glance before turning back to face the camera with a puzzled look on her face.

In the aftermath of the comment, MacLean became a trending topic on Twitter with some posters calling his words homophobic and others saying he was referring to drugs and partying.

MacLean did not immediately respond to an interview request from The Canadian Press.

Pulombo says MacLean “has always been a great ally to the LGBTQ community and I don’t expect that to change.”

The 61-year-old MacLean, who grew up in Alberta, first joined “Hockey Night in Canada” in 1986 when it was produced by CBC.

MacLean was the longtime sidekick for Don Cherry on the Coach’s Corner segment before the latter was fired in 2019 following on-air comments which many felt were critical of immigrants for not wearing Remembrance Day poppies.

After the segment, MacLean issued an apology for not challenging Cherry’s remarks.

MacLean moved to Rogers Media when it acquired “Hockey Night in Canada” rights in 2014. He was out of the host’s chair for two years, but returned in 2016 after the departure of George Stroumboulopoulos.

— With files from Lori Ewing and Gregory Strong.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 26, 2021.

The Canadian Press