Scott Oake | |
|---|---|
 Scott Oake pictured in 2012 | |
| Born | 1952 or 1953 Sydney,Nova Scotia, Canada |
| Alma mater | Memorial University of Newfoundland |
| Occupation | Sports broadcaster |
| Employer | CBC Sports |
| Spouse | [1] |
| Children | 2[1] |
| Awards | Gemini Award (2003) Order of Manitoba (2020) Order of Canada (2024) |
Scott OakeCM OM (born 1952 or 1953) is aGemini Award-winning Canadiansportscaster forCBC Sports,Sportsnet, andHockey Night in Canada.[2]
Oake was born in 1952 or 1953[notes 1] inSydney,Nova Scotia, and raised in Sydney's "Shipyards" neighbourhood until the age of 14, when his family relocated toNewfoundland.[4] Oake's father was employed as a steelworker atSydney Steel Corporation.[5] As apre-medical student atMemorial University of Newfoundland, Oake volunteered at thecampus radio station, which was his introduction to broadcasting. This quickly became his passion, and he decided to pursue a career in the radio and television field.
Afterpart-time work atCBC St. John's, he was hiredfull-time by the network in 1974, and has been employed by CBC to this day. Upon being hired full-time by the CBC, Oake proceeded to drop out of Memorial University in St. John's, a decision his father did not support.[5]
Oake relocated toWinnipeg, and became the sports anchor onCBWT's24Hours from 1979 until about 1989. From there, Oake was hired byHockey Night in Canada, the CBC'sflagship television program broadcastingNational Hockey League (NHL) games to a national audience.[citation needed] In 1996, he was named to the roll of honour of the Manitoba Sportswriters and Sportscasters Association.[6]
Oake is probably best known as a regular contributor toHockey Night in Canada. Since the2003–04 season, he has hosted the second game ofHNIC's Saturday night double-headers, first alongsideKelly Hrudey, then withMarc Crawford, then withKevin Weekes, then Hrudey again, and now withLouie DeBrusk. Even though Oake remains with the CBC afterRogers Communications, the owners ofSportsnet networks bought the sole national rights for the2014–15 season, Oake joined theSportsnet's national NHL coverage in June 2014.
Along with hockey, he has covered many important sporting events including theOlympics,Commonwealth Games,CFL football, and many other sports. He won the 2003 "Best Host or Interviewer in a Sports Program or Sportscast" Gemini Award. In 2004, he hosted the hockey docudramaMaking the Cut.[7]
During his career, Oake has covered a total of 12 Olympic games for the CBC, including the 2008 Beijing Games where he did play-by-play for flatwater canoeing and rowing events.[8] Oake has covereddownhill skiing at every Winter Olympics fromCalgary in 1988 toSochi in 2014.[5]
Oake currently lives inWinnipeg,Manitoba. He was married to Anne on May 31, 1980, and has a son,Darcy, who is an illusionist.[9][10] Darcy appeared in the 2014 edition ofBritain's Got Talent, advancing to the semi-finals and final, but he lost the competition to the singing groupCollabro.[11] Their first son Bruce died on March 28, 2011, at the age of 25 of adrug overdose, and they later named a recovery centre after him in Winnipeg called the Bruce Oake Recovery Centre.[12][13] His wife, Anne, died on September 6, 2021, from an autoimmune liver condition.[9][14]
Oake was appointed a Member of theOrder of Manitoba in September 2020.[15] In December 2024, he was appointed a Member to theOrder of Canada.[16]
