Ex-broadcaster Jim Hughson exposes Maple Leafs fans

Legendary broadcaster Jim Hughson decided to call it a career in September of 2021 after years on the job that included Hockey Night in Canada and Sportsnet broadcasts from 2005 to 2021 as well as lending his voice to EA Sports' NHL franchise from 1997 to 2009. He also served as a Vancouver Canucks broadcaster before being tapped as the principle replacement for Bob Cole on Hockey Night in Canada. 

However, there was one particular negative aspect about his work with Hockey Night in Canada with regard to calling games of the Toronto Maple Leafs. In his words, Leafs fans didn't view him as a big enough "fan" of their team during broadcasts. 

"One downside of having the top chair on Hockey Night in Canada is you basically become a Toronto Maple Leafs broadcaster," Hughson said. "Everyone in a local fanbase expects their broadcasters to be like them. It’s hard to win."

"Local people didn’t think I was a big enough fan, and others thought I was too much of a fan," he recalled. "When I broadcasted the Maple Leafs, fans wanted me to be just like them, and if I wasn’t, they assumed I hated the team."

He then went on to explain how the advent and growth of social media had a considerable impact on broadcasting, especially as it immediately changed his proximity to fans.

"As the years have gone by, I’ve noticed a real change in fandom. Part of it is social media, but it's just the way local fans expect their broadcasters to be like them," he said. "Now, you get judged every minute on social media, which has changed broadcasting entirely."

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