OKOTOKS, Alta. (Jan. 27, 2026) — Les Lazaruk, the longtime play-by-play voice of the WHL’s Saskatoon Blades, will receive the Bob Ridley Golden Microphone Honourarium at the 2026 Wall of Honour induction banquet, the Western Canada Professional Hockey Scouts Foundation announced today.
This award, presented annually by the non-profit foundation, recognizes a member of the print or broadcasting profession for their dedicated years of service at the major junior level. It carries with it an honourarium to be donated to an individual or charity of their choosing.
“I am shocked . . . thrilled . . . and honoured,” Lazaruk said when informed that he was to receive the Golden Microphone. “Are you sure you couldn’t find someone more deserving?”
No, Les, we couldn’t.
The award is named in honour of Ridley, who called more than 4,000 Medicine Hat Tigers games and also drove the team bus a lot of the time before retiring in August 2022.
“I couldn’t be more thrilled in Les being selected,” said Ridley, who is a member of the selection committee. “Les and I worked side-by-side in broadcast booths for many years and he has always been an outstanding talent and a credit to his occupation and community. I am just so happy to see Les receive this honourarium.”
Lazaruk has been the radio voice of Blades’ games since the start of the 1994-95 season. Now in his 32nd season, he has called more than 2,300 regular-season and playoff games.
“I have known Les for a long time,” said Gregg Drinnan, the Foundation’s editor and historian. “He personifies exactly the terms of this honour. If you are at all familiar with his work in covering and calling games involving the Blades, you know that no one is more dedicated to or more passionate about major junior hockey.”
Born and raised in Winnipeg, Lazaruk first got into the media when he worked with the student newspaper at the U of Manitoba. Later, he interned at the Winnipeg Free Press before joining the Winnipeg Tribune sports department. He was at The Trib when it folded on Aug. 25, 1980.
Two months later, he was the sports director at radio station CKLQ in Brandon, where he stayed until May 1983. He spent the next 10-plus years, through January 1994, at CJOB in Winnipeg where he was heavily involved in coverage of the Winnipeg Jets.
He has been the Saskatoon Media Group’s sports director since September 1994. He made his Blades’ debut on Sept. 23, 1994, as Saskatoon beat the host Regina Pats, 8-3.
Lazaruk will be presented with the Golden Microphone award at the foundation’s third annual Wall of Honour induction dinner in Okotoks on Aug. 28.
He is the second recipient of the award, after Dean (Scooter) Vrooman, the retired radio voice of the Portland Winterhawks.
Follow the WCPHS Foundation at its website — hockeyscoutsfoundation.com.
For further information, contact:
Garth Malarchuk
WCPHSF chairman of the board
GMalarchuk@torontomapleleafs.com
Gregg Drinnan
WCPHSF editor/historian
greggdrinnan@gmail.com
TAKING NOTE 