Hockey Night in Canada broadcaster Scott Oake retiring

Longtime Hockey Night in Canada and CBC Sports sports broadcaster Scott Oake will be hanging up his headset and retiring at the end of this year's Stanley Cup playoffs. 

The veteran sports journalist announced his retirement during the After Hours post-game program on Saturday. 

"As I've said to more than a few people, '50-plus years in this business is more than anyone should have to take of me.' And frankly, ladies and gentlemen, it's just about all I can take of myself," Oake said on Saturday. 

"And so, it's time," he said, adding he is leaving on his own terms. 

Oake said he will host his final After Hours show on April 11 for the last Saturday of the NHL's regular season schedule. 

"I hope you can be with us one week [from] tonight for my last chance to get it right," he said.

After starting out as a journalist in St. John's, N.L., Oake moved to Winnipeg to become a sports broadcaster in the late 1970s. He joined the Hockey Night in Canada team about a decade later and has been a rinkside staple for Canadian hockey fans ever since. 

Outside the arena, the Winnipeg-based broadcaster has been a vocal advocate for addiction recovery and supports since losing his 25-year-old son to an accidental overdose in 2011.  

Oake is a member of the Order of Manitoba and the Order of Canada. He was inducted into the Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame in 2015. 

In a statement, Sportsnet congratulated Oake on his "extraordinary career" as one of Canada's leading sports broadcasters. 

"Scott has been a trusted voice and steady presence on Hockey Night in Canada for more than three decades, earning the respect of viewers, colleagues and athletes alike. Through his thoughtful reporting, genuine compassion, and unwavering professionalism, he