By: Izzy Cheung, Staff Writer & Isabella Urbani, Sports Editor
The Botchford Project is a media mentorship program that helps budding sports journalists in the Lower Mainland. This opportunity was created in honour of Jason Botchford, a member of Vancouver’s sports journalism scene, who sadly passed away in 2019. The project, which is now in its fifth year of operation, acts as a way of continuing his legacy through the next generations of sports media professionals. It’s overseen by Jason’s wife, Kathryn, and several Vancouver Canucks media members.
Chosen participants are tasked with pitching a story they will then gather information on by attending a Canucks morning skate, interviewing a player, and watching a game from the press box. From there, participants will write, edit, and submit their stories to the Canucks, who will then publish it on their website as part of the project. The Peak has had two writers partake in this amazing opportunity — here are their stories.
Izzy’s Project
My Botchford Project experience started at 11:00 p.m. on a Thursday night, when I first got the selection email from a Canucks communications department representative. From there, it was a frantic dash into my dad’s room to give him the news. The rest of the preparation came in the following days through storyboarding calls, emails, and DMs on X.
The day of the project was a rainy one; it was also the day of a matchup that pitted the Vancouver Canucks against the Carolina Hurricanes. By the time I was making my morning coffee and fretting over whether I should wear lace-up boots or Blundstones, I’d already drafted up the premise of my story.
Once at the arena, I met my fellow Botchford compatriots as well as our mentors outside the media entrance. Walking through the empty concourse was a vast difference from the hustle and bustle that I’d usually experience in Rogers Arena. If anything, that made it more jarring.
We only ended up spending around 20 minutes watching the practice before we were shepherded down to the media room, where Canucks head coach Rick Tocchet held his pre-and-post game media. From there, we were brought to the Canucks locker room. The player I was set to interview, Nils Höglander, was already available to chat, so one of our mentors brought me over to him and introduced us. Five questions and five minutes later, my phone’s voice memos app was filled with potential quotes, and I was all set to start writing.
After all our interviews were done, we sat through Coach Tocchet’s pregame media availability. The first part of the day concluded with a brief tour of the press box, where we were shown the seats that we would be occupying during the game.
With the practice happening mid-morning and the game not taking place until 7:00 p.m., my project partners and I had a stretch of time in which we could grab lunch. We ended up finding a nearby cafe and grabbed coffee while sharing our respective life stories. Our curiosity eventually got the best of us, and we headed back to the arena very early in hopes of taking in more of the press box.
Our early entrance into the press box was a fortunate one. We ended up being able to meet Al Murdoch, the Canucks’ PA announcer. As media members began to filter in, we were introduced to more people. Seeing as it was Hockey Night in Canada, the press box was relatively busy, crowded with media professionals from other cities. We got to eat dinner alongside media members before another gentle request resulted in us meeting the current voices of the Vancouver Canucks, John Shorthouse and Dave Tomlinson.
The game was a nailbiter, ending with a 4–3 win for Vancouver. We got to see a particularly noticeable goal created off a hardworking shift from Brock Boeser and Nils Höglander. We also spotted a Sedin (the three of us were trying to guess whether it was Daniel or Henrik) sitting a couple boxes down from where we were.
After the game, we were guided back toward the elevators in hopes of being some of the first to arrive at the media room for postgame coverage. With the help of media members, each of my project partners and I got to ask a question during the media session, culminating in a fantastic end to the day.
Isabella’s Project
I don’t remember my project with the same details as Izzy. It was two years ago, which with the way time has been moving, could have been five years ago for all I know. What I do remember was being in complete and utter awe, and being called Isabelle throughout the night. I’ll never forget that.
I also rocked a custom t-shirt that had “Bro. Do your dekes.” on it, which was the phrase Jason coined when referring to Pettersson’s nifty moves during his first NHL game against the Calgary Flames. He eventually printed it out on a shirt and wore it, so I did my due diligence to match the font as best as I could, and wear it during pregame skate to pay tribute. My fellow participants and I also visited Jason’s bench outside of the arena prior to the game, and left him his favourite drink, root beer flavoured Beaver Buzz Energy.
The night itself was a balancing act. I tried to soak it all in, without forgetting to relish the moment. I did my best to not feel like a fish out of water, without appearing as though I wasn’t appreciative — I most certainly was. I tried to contain myself in my seat as the Canucks scored, while media members nonchalantly leaned back in their chairs. I felt rather embarrassed when I had to halt myself mid-stand up from celebrating. Thankfully, I wasn’t at the point of near return where my knees had locked and I was fully upright. Then, I’d owe a shy and probably clumsy apology to the people behind me.
Frankly, I never thought I could make a career out of writing about sports. I had wanted to so desperately. Call me naïve, but I just didn’t think it existed. I didn’t have the media in mind when I rushed to finish all my homework so I could be worry free when I turned in to watch the broadcast at 7:00 p.m. in the living room. But when the idea came to combine my passion for sports and writing, the first person whose work I read was Jason’s.
Jason never made media feel imposing for any young journalist. He was an individual without a bone of jealousy or a breath of ignorance. He was someone who was truly happy to be of assistance. I aim to find that level of sureness in myself and my career.
That night, the Canucks won — which wasn’t my overall highlight, but a blessing nonetheless, as I had to wait until after the game to speak to the subject of my article. Goaltender Thatcher Demko was just as tall and dialed-in post-game as you’d expect. As lovely as he was for my first interview with a professional hockey player, the true highlight of my night, by a country mile, was removing my name tag from the table to reveal that I was sitting in Jason’s coveted spot. To this day, I get goosebumps on my arms and tears well in my eyes when I think about this very moment. There’s simply no words. Just an overwhelming warmth in my heart.
In my application, I admittingly told Kathryn that I was looking for some validation at this point in my career — a sign that I hadn’t hastily jumped into this decision because I happened to love sports. It sounds a little silly, as it’s the perfect criteria for the job. But, I felt like I was never going to live up to what I had envisioned for myself. I later wrote in a message to Kathryn that the Botchford Project was the validation I needed.
I knew there would be hardships following that night, and oh boy, were there more than I care to admit. Sports, especially hockey, is still very much a boy’s club, and hostile to women who don’t get the same luxuries or affordances. The moral of the story is life moves on, and so do I, with a vengeance. But true to what I said that night, I already had my validation. I had the strength; I had the nod of support. I’m forever indebted to Jason and his family because that vote of confidence did wonders.
Applications for the project open up each November and close at the end of the month. Alongside the application, which will ask you a few questions about yourself, the opportunity, and any ideas you have, candidates will need to provide some samples of their work. These articles don’t need to come from a publication — they can be written on the fly, as well. For anyone who’s interested in applying, especially those who don’t have any media experience, don’t be afraid! That’s the aim of the entire project. Based on my experience, your passion for sports and willingness to learn is far more important than your past job descriptions — even if you’re not majoring or have majored in journalism or a parallel field of work.
