Beloved Canadian sports broadcaster steps down from TSN after 25 years

One of the most iconic voices in TSN history is calling it a career.

After 25 years working for the network, John Lu is officially retired from the sports media scene.

TSN's James Duthie shared the news on the network's free agency special.

"We will miss his insight, his fashion, and we'll just miss a really good guy in John Lu. We wish John Lu the best in his retirement," Duthie said.

Wishing @JohnLuTSNWpg all the best in his retirement, after 25 great years at TSN! pic.twitter.com/5VmMi5hJNT

— TSN Hockey (@TSNHockey) July 1, 2025

Lu, who was born in Vancouver to Chinese immigrant parents, has often been seen as a trailblazer for Asian Canadians in the sports media industry.

"If my time in the media on the national stage, trying to be as good a professional as I can, if that means something to people who look like me, who come from similar backgrounds and might want to pursue a career in the same vein, then that’s a good shift for me, you know?" Lu said in a 2024 interview with CFL.ca's Don Landry.

Growing up in Manitoba, Lu actually began his career with Bell Media as a general assignment reporter with CTV Winnipeg back in 2000, after graduating from Red River College Polytechnic with a communications diploma in journalism.

From there, he worked for TSN on Toronto Maple Leafs coverage from 2000-2007, before making the move to Quebec in 2007 to cover the Montreal Canadiens.

Lu's career came to a halt in 2020 following an intense bout with COVID-19 that resulted in his hospitalization.

"It really forced me to live in the moment and not think any further than the next day. I appreciate it that much more because of what I've gone through over the last eight months," Lu told us in 2021 after returning to the job.

In 2022, he departed his new home in Montreal for his home province, closing out the final three years of his career in Winnipeg on the Jets and Blue Bombers beat.