Biography

Playing career

Originally selected in the 1971 NHL Entry Draft by the St. Louis Blues, Garrett played one year for the Blues' Central Hockey League affiliate before joining the Portland Buccaroos of the Western Hockey League for half a season and then moving on to the Richmond Robins of the American Hockey League. He signed with the Minnesota Fighting Saints of the World Hockey Association in 1973-74. He would play with the Fighting Saints until leaving the team Feb. 25, 1976. He then signed with the Toronto Toros, and would follow the Toros franchise when it relocated to Birmingham. In the final WHA season, Garrett was traded to the New England Whalers, and would remain with the franchise when it entered the NHL. He holds the record for the most wins by any goalie in WHA history. Garrett would also play for the Quebec Nordiques and Vancouver Canucks of the NHL before retiring at the start of the 85-86 season.

John Garrett was involved in one of the oddest scenarios in the history of the NHL All-Star Game. Replacing an injured Richard Brodeur, the Vancouver Canucks only representative at the 1983 All-Star game that year, John Garrett was voted the game's MVP before the end of the game. After Wayne Gretzky scored four times in the last ten minutes, a re-vote was held and Gretzky was named the All-Star Game MVP.

Broadcasting career

Garrett retired at the start of the 85-86 season and worked that season as the Vancouver Canucks assistant general manager. He then began his broadcasting career in 1986-87. He worked as a colour commentator on CBC's Hockey Night in Canada. Within a few years, he was considered a valuable member of the team and was assigned his first conference final in 1991—his first of eight in a row. During that time, he was also a colour commentator on Edmonton Oilers local telecasts, working along with Bruce Buchanan. He left CBC in 1998 to join the fledgling CTV Sportsnet (now Rogers Sportsnet). He worked as a studio analyst on national broadcasts, as well as the colour commentator for the Calgary Flames games on Sportsnet West. During the 1994 NHL Lockout, he briefly worked for United Parcel Service of Canada in Vancouver.

Since the 2002-03 season, Garrett has served as the colour commentator for Canucks games on Sportsnet Pacific, first being partnered with Jim Hughson and later John Shorthouse. He also had occasional network assignments on HNIC and, since Rogers acquired the Canadian national contract for the NHL in 2014, he sometimes gets network assignments on either Sportsnet or City.

Nicknames

After the 1984-85 season Garrett earned the nickname "Lotto" because his high goals against average of 6.49 was the same as Canada's national lottery, Lotto 6/49.

Garrett picked up his Cheech nickname from teammate Rick Smith in the mid seventies. His afro haircut and moustache made him resemble Cheech from comedy-duo Cheech and Chong.

Career statistics

Regular season

Season	Team	League		GP	W	L	T	MIN	GA	SO	GAA	SV%
1969-70	Peterborough Petes	OHA-Jr.		48	—	—	—	2850	142	3	2.99	—
1970-71	Peterborough Petes	OHA-Jr.		51	—	—	—	3062	151	5	2.96	—
1971-72	Kansas City Blues	CHL		35	13	14	7	2041	121	3	3.55	—
1972-73	Portland Buckaroos	WHL		17	6	8	2	951	52	2	3.28	.899
1972-73	Richmond Robins	AHL		37	—	—	—	2138	117	0	3.26	—
1973-74	Minnesota Fighting Saints	WHA		40	21	18	0	2290	137	1	3.59	.903
1974-75	Minnesota Fighting Saints	WHA		58	30	23	2	3294	180	2	3.28	.905
1975-76	Minnesota Fighting Saints	WHA		52	26	22	4	3179	177	2	3.34	.898
1975-76	Toronto Toros	WHA		9	3	6	0	551	33	1	3.59	.905
1976-77	Birmingham Bulls	WHA		65	24	34	4	3803	224	4	3.53	.899
1977-78	Birmingham Bulls	WHA		58	24	31	1	3306	210	2	3.81	.877
1978-79	New England Whalers	WHA		41	20	17	4	2496	149	2	3.58	.874
1979-80	Hartford Whalers	NHL		52	16	24	11	3046	202	0	3.98	.865
1980-81	Hartford Whalers	NHL		54	15	27	12	3152	241	0	4.59	.870
1981-82	Hartford Whalers	NHL		16	5	6	4	898	63	0	4.21	.872
1981-82	Quebec Nordiques	NHL		12	4	5	3	720	62	0	5.17	.837
1982-83	Quebec Nordiques	NHL		17	6	8	2	953	64	0	4.03	.874
1982-83	Vancouver Canucks	NHL		17	7	6	3	934	48	1	3.08	.905
1983-84	Vancouver Canucks	NHL		29	14	10	2	1653	113	0	4.10	.851
1984-85	Vancouver Canucks	NHL		10	1	5	0	407	44	0	6.49	.819
1985-86	Fredericton Express	AHL		3	2	1	0	179	9	0	3.02	.894
WHA totals				323	148	151	15	18,919	1110	14	3.52	.894
NHL totals				207	68	91	37	11,763	837	1	4.27	.866

Playoffs

Season	Team	League		GP	W	L	T	MIN	GA	SO	GAA	SV%
1969-70	Peterborough Petes	OHA-Jr.		6	2	4	0	360	21	0	3.50	—
1969-70	Montreal Jr. Canadiens	M-Cup		9	7	1	—	371	19	0	3.07	—
1970-71	Peterborough Petes	OHA-Jr.		5	0	3	2	298	22	0	4.43	—
1972-73	Richmond Robins	AHL		3	0	3	—	123	17	0	8.29	—
1973-74	Minnesota Fighting Saints	WHA		7	4	2	—	372	25	0	4.03	.902
1974-75	Minnesota Fighting Saints	WHA		12	6	6	—	726	41	1	3.39	.899
1977-78	Birmingham Bulls	WHA		5	1	4	—	271	26	0	5.76	—
1978-79	New England Whalers	WHA		8	4	3	—	447	32	0	4.30	—
1979-80	Hartford Whalers	NHL		1	0	1	—	60	8	0	8.00	.800
1981-82	Quebec Nordiques	NHL		5	3	2	—	323	21	0	3.90	.866
1982-83	Vancouver Canucks	NHL		1	1	0	—	60	4	0	4.00	.867
1983-84	Vancouver Canucks	NHL		2	0	0	—	18	0	0	0.00	1.000
WHA totals				32	15	15	—	1816	124	1	4.10	—
NHL totals				9	4	3	—	461	33	0	4.30	.858

[ Source: Wikipedia ]