Remembering beloved Jeopardy! host and hockey fanatic Alex Trebek

The world lost one of the best in Alex Trebek on Sunday.

Alex Trebek, who was the beloved host of the hugely-popular gameshow Jeopardy! for 36 years, died of Stage 4 Pancreatic Cancer on Sunday. He was 80.

It was a crushing blow to so many throughout America and, indeed throughout the world, with Trebek a huge staple of many people’s lives.

He was the one constant for so many people, someone you could always rely upon to deliver a smile upon your face no matter the circumstances or no matter what was going on in the world.

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Alex Trebek was a true warming comfort.

He offered us stability even throughout the most troubling and uncertain of times, giving us all something to look forward to every single week night, from New York to LA, from Detroit to Texas.

That was the case since 1984 and Trebek was a source of inspiration and courage for so many across so many different and varied walks of life.

Watching Trebek do what he did best in hosting the iconic gameshow Jeopardy! was like watching  Picasso at work – it was artistry at its very best.

You could go as far as to say that it almost felt like we were tuning in to watch our dear friend or even our favorite uncle every single night.

And Trebek’s impact stretched across to the hockey world too, where he had a lasting and profound impact on the National Hockey League.

From growing up a Detroit Red Wings and Geordie Howe fan before switching allegiances to the Montreal Canadiens, Trebek was a hockey fanatic through and through.

He simply loved the greatest sport on the planet and that pure affection for the game of hockey was on display at all times.

From posing for a picture with the great Tie Domi to being present at NHL Award ceremonies and even handing out trophies, Trebek was a huge part of the hockey community.

He was family.

You could always be confident of seeing the NHL represented in some way shape or form on Jeopardy!, while that incredible image of seeing Alex Trebek announce the Ottawa Senators’ pick of German center Tim Stuetzle with the No.3 overall pick at the 2020 NHL Entry Draft will live long in the memory.

And that moment will always be poignant given that it will now go down as Trebek’s last act with the NHL, with everyone’s favorite Gameshow host putting up a long, public and incredibly brave fight against Pancreatic Cancer.

Trebek’s courage to keep on doing what he loved despite fighting one of life’s biggest battles should be a lesson to all of us, and his impact on the game of hockey and his love for the NHL will never be forgotten.

Losing Alex Trebek stung because he felt like a friend you could always rely on, could always depend on and he will be dearly missed by everyone, including the hockey family.

He was the GOAT of gameshow hosting, the GOAT of hockey fanship but, more importantly, the GOAT of life.

RIP, Alex Trebek.