Don Cherry. Tom Szczerbowski-Imagn Images

Don Cherry confirms a return to NHL Media in 2024-25 season

Originally posted on Oilers Daily | By Liam McCormick | Last updated Oct 11, 2024 12:48 AM ET

Infamous Canadian hockey personality Don Cherry has announced that he'll be returning to cover the NHL in the 2024-25 season.

Now 90 years old, Cherry was a major part of the hockey media landscape for decades on Hockey Night in Canada for his Coach's Corner segment with Ron MacLean. However, Cherry's television career ended in controversy when he made offensive comments on air.

Cherry is finding a way to get to an audience without television using his podcast, the Don Cherry Podcast. Given by his announcement, it seems he'll focus on eastern original six teams, the Boston Bruins, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Montreal Canadiens.

Fans are of course wondering if Ron MacLean will ever make an appearance, after it seemed like their relationship soured upon Cherry's departure. The two were separated for years until last year, when MacLean visited Cherry for his birthday. At this point, it doesn't look like the pair will ever reunite for another show.

Cherry will have a long way to go to earn the trust of the community after his offensive comments, and not only that, he will have the challenge to produce engaging content at the age of 90. He should own up to his past mistakes entirely, and adopt a new outlook for talking about hockey. The league isn't exactly rock'em, sock'em hockey anymore.

Nevertheless, it will be interesting to see what an iconic figure like Cherry has to say about the state of hockey.

This article first appeared on Oilers Daily and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: