According to figures from Numeris, Canada’s broadcast measurement firm, Hockey Night in Canada took an immediate hit in the wake of Cherry’s firing and has never recovered.
According to the Toronto Sun, on Cherry’s last broadcast on November 9 when the game featured the Leafs playing the Philadelphia Flyers the average minute audience stood at 1.027 million.
Cherry was fired as host of Coach’s Corner on November 11 in a move that was met with outrage in some corners and cheers in others.
Yet in the two weeks following Cherry’s dismissal the eastern broadcast of Hockey Night in Canada failed to make the Top 30 TV shows ranked by Numeris.
Cherry was fired after 35 years on Coach’s Corner after comments about people not wearing poppies on Remembrance Day that some claimed were racist.
Speaking about how he sees fewer people wearing poppies in the lead up to Remembrance Day, Cherry went on a rant.
“You people that come here, whatever it is, you love our way of life, you love our milk and honey, at least you could pay a couple of bucks for a poppy. These guys paid for your way of life that you enjoy in Canada,” Cherry said.
More on Don Cherry and HNIC Ratings from the Toronto sun
By Jon Sorensen
That’s great news. You can’t watch broadcasts which are openly against freedom of speech.
That’s not what free speech is. If you tell your boss to pack sand, it isn’t a violation of the first amendment when you get fired.
You’re a dumbass that’s exactly what free speech is there are white Supremacists who go around saying horrible things and yea it’s Shitty but there protected by freedom of speech . And all he said was “you people” as in immigrants aka anyone from literally from any country , whether is Asian white Hispanic black it doesn’t matter what race and in no ways does it single out any group of people
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Don was absolutely right. And anyone who disagrees should get out of Canada. If you don’t respect the people who gave their lives for this country…..go to a different country. And fire everyone who wanted to fire DonCherry!!!!!