OTTAWA, ON – On Tuesday, May 28th at Lansdowne Park’s Horticulture Building, the Ottawa Sport Hall of Fame is inducting five new members to our local sports shrine – Dr. Mark Aubry (Builder – Medical), Mike Bullard (Athlete – Hockey), James Duthie (Builder – Media), Lyndon Hooper (Athlete – Soccer) and Luke Richardson (Athlete – Hockey), while a pair of teams will be honoured for their milestone national championship victories – the 1974 Ottawa Sooners and 1999 Ottawa 67’s. Each Tuesday and Thursday until the event, the Sport Hall will post an article on an aspect of the event. Today’s article is on 2024 Inductee, James Duthie.

2024 SPORT HALL INDUCTEE – JAMES DUTHIE:

Sidney Crosby’s Golden Goal, the Toronto Raptors’ NBA title, the Ottawa Redblacks’ long-awaited Grey Cup triumph. They are among the iconic moments where fans will ask, “where were you when…”?

And if you ask James Duthie, the answer would be right in the middle of it, broadcasting national sports history to Canadians’ homes live on TSN.

Duthie’s entertaining and sharp-witted style has long made him a fan favourite across Canada. He’s also a master of self-deprecation. The one-time Gloucester Gators high school football player will share that his undersized body that moved at average speed was better suited for the armchair than the gridiron.

Duthie got his start at CJOH in Ottawa before moving to TSN in 1998. The Carleton University grad has served as the long-time host of TSN’s extensive and award-winning hockey coverage, and he’s covered plenty more pinnacle events, including Grey Cups, Super Bowls, The Masters and multiple Olympic Games.

He’s been recognized numerous times by the Gemini Awards, Sports Media Canada and the Canadian Screen Awards. That includes honours for Best Sports Host and Best Sports Feature Segment for his 2016 piece called The Butterfly Child about Jonathan Pitre’s rare genetic skin condition, mixed in with his love for the Ottawa Senators. In 2022, the City of Ottawa presented Duthie with a Key to the City.

Duthie has also authored several books. Among them is They Call Me Killer, on coaching legend Brian Kilrea, who was inducted into the Ottawa Sport Hall of Fame himself in 1990.

“It means a tonne,” Duthie said of being called to the Hall in a TSN 1200 interview. “It’s weird and a little awkward quite frankly when you’re going in with (top) athletes and your own athletic career was limited – flag football exploits and Blackburn Stingers, mostly house league hockey, kind of thing.

“It does feel strange and a little humbling, but it’s incredibly cool.”

Listen to an interview with upcoming inductee James Duthie on TSN 1200’s The Drive show:

MAY 28 OTTAWA SPORT HALL OF FAME INDUCTION EVENING

Tickets for the Tuesday, May 28th Induction Ceremony are available for purchase now!

In the lead-up to the banquet, full-length features on each of the inductees will be posted on the Hall’s website at OttawaSportHall.ca and shared through the Ottawa Sports Pages.

Event tickets are $125 per person or $1,200 for a table of 10, while premium tables go for $2,000 and additional sponsorship opportunities are available. See OttawaSportHall.ca for more details.

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Contacts:

Dave Best
Chair, Ottawa Sport Hall of Fame
Chair@OttawaSportHall.ca

About the Ottawa Sport Hall of Fame:

The Ottawa Sport Hall of Fame is a non-profit organization, which documents, curates and celebrates outstanding achievement in local sport heritage. The Sport Hall is overseen by a volunteer Board of Directors to maintain and preserve our rich sporting legacies. Each year, the Hall of Fame Board receives nominations from the public and selects new inductees to be honoured in the Hall.