Sports Broadcaster Michael Whalen Has Died

The sports world is in mourning.

Broadcaster Michael Whalen died at 82 on Tuesday, Dec. 9, according to TSN.

Born in Saint-Paul-L’Ermite on Dec. 22, 1942, Whalen graduated from Loyola University in 1966 and briefly taught high school. According to his obituary, he began working for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) in 1968, initially starting out as a freelance radio music reporter, interviewing musical legends such as Bob Marley. He was also one of the few reporters who interviewed John Lennon and Yoko Ono during their “Bed-in for Peace” at Montreal’s Queen Elizabeth Hotel in 1969.

Whalen later moved on to co-hosting local shows and was also the medical reporter for CTV News Montreal. In, he transitioned to the then-fledgling TSN, where he was their on-camera correspondent for all Quebec sports until he retired in 2012. While at TSN, he covered the Montreal Canadiens and their 1993 Stanley Cup victory, the Montreal Expos, Grand Prix races, and much more. Following his retirement, he served on the board of the Hudson Film Society.

When Whalen joined TSN, he was the network’s first permanent bureau reporter outside of Toronto. Among his many coverages was the closing of the Forum and opening of the then-named Molson Centre, as well as the infamous Patrick Roy trade. In the summer, he covered the Montreal Expos through the franchise’s move to Washington, D.C. For CFL, Whalen covered the demise and return of the Montreal Alouettes, including their 2002 Grey Cup championship.

A cause of death for Michael Whalen has not been given, and at this time, a memorial service is being planned for the spring of 2026, but additional information has not been shared, per his obituary. He is survived by his beloved wife of 45 years, Michèle Devlin; his daughter Leah Whalen, her husband, Will Kilbreth, and their children, Lucy and Sophie Kilbreth; his stepson, Nicolas Parson; and countless dear friends and colleagues.