If you’ve been listening to Canucks games on TSN 1040 this season, chances are you’ve heard a new voice (with a familiar name). That voice belongs to Jon Abbott, a newly adopted British Columbian who is living his childhood dream as a hockey play-by-play announcer.

J. Bowman: Obviously you weren’t covering the Canucks last year. What was the outside perspective of the last Canucks season?

Jon Abbott: Surprising might be the best word. In a lot of ways actually. Surprising to see Torts start a fight with the Flames. Surprising to see some of the struggles that the team incurred, surprising to see the club not make the playoffs, especially now knowing that there are so many talented players I’ve been watching this year that were part of that season.

JB: How did you feel when you found out you’d be coming to Vancouver to cover the Canucks?

JA: Well, it happened very quick. I thought I was heading to London, Ontario, to do the Leafs rookie camp, then I ended up on a plane to Vancouver then in a car with Dave Tomlinson to Penticton. I was thrilled to get the job.

JB: How has the welcoming been?

JA: Between John Shorthouse and Tomlinson and the Canucks staff and people I would meet, everyone was so positive, both with being welcoming and with the direction the hockey team was going. It just was an unbelievable place to be right away; so I was excited.

JB: Was that car ride with Dave Tomlinson the first time you had ever met him?

JA: Well, I met him when I was interviewed, so that was a quick one-off there, but we had a good bonding experience on the way up to Penticton. And I found out Dave Tomlinson likes to … drive fast (laughs).

JB: So we’ve got John Shorthouse. We got John Garrett and now we have Jon Abbott. Is there a secret Jo (h) n invasion in Canucks broadcasting? Should Dave be worried?

JA: Oddly enough Shorty is an ex-goalie, which is what I played as well. And of course Garrett takes the cake because he played it for a living.

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