Ralph Mellanby, a long-time pioneer in Canadian sports broadcasting, has died at the age 87.
Mellanby, who was CBC’s executive producer for Hockey Night in Canada from 1966 to 1985, was the creative force behind Hockey Night in Canada.
Mellanby’s Saturday night broadcast brought many innovations to sports broadcasting including new camera angles in arenas and slow motion replay, telestrators, and on-air graphics.
He also created the iconic Peter Puck cartoon for NBC’s coverage of hockey in the 1970s, and the Coach’s Corner during CBC intermissions together with Don Cherry.
During Mellanby’s 20-year tenure on Hockey Night, many sports broadcasters were household names, including Dan Kelly and Dave Hodge.
He also produced memorable broadcasts at many high-profile sporting events including the Miracle on Ice at the Winter Olympic Games at Lake Placid, 1980, and the Calgary Games, 1988.
Scott, Scott’s son, played more than 1,400 NHL games and was most recently assistant general manger of the Montreal Canadiens.
