Curt Keilback
Inducted 2026
Primary Outlet
CKY Radio
Curt Keilback knew what he wanted to be from Day 1. He wanted to be a hockey broadcaster, just like his dad.
"I'd gone to the rink with Dad many times and saw how much he enjoyed what he did. It was contagious, Keilback said of his father, Jim. "Then when I was 11, my dad had me call one period of a Yorkton Terriers senior hockey game. I was hooked."
Keilback even had his own radio show called "Minor Sports Corner" on CJGX in Yorkton when he was 13.
His professional career began at the same station in 1970 as its sports director, a position that also gave him the opportunity to do play-by-play for those Yorkton Terriers of the Saskatchewan Senior Hockey League.
In 1972, he left to CKCK radio and television in Regina. He did play-by-play for the Western Hockey League's Regina Pats and the Canadian Junior Football League's powerhouse Regina Rams, which lost and won a national final while he was behind the mic.
He returned to Yorkton two years later, this time at CKOS TV.
"I was the Swiss army knife," Keilback said. "I did sports, news, even weather sometimes. And I did thousands of commercials, including a series where I dressed as a Mexican and hauled my burro through snow banks to trade him in on a Ford truck."
After five years at the station, Keilback got the call he had long dreamed of an offer to move to Winnipeg and provide colour commentary for the Winnipeg Jets' National Hockey League radio broadcasts on CJOB.
"I was recommended by my dad's former broadcast partner, the legendary "Cactus" Jack Wells," said Keilback, who was born in Brandon.
After three years as colour man alongside Ken "Friar" Nicolson, the radio rights were moved to CKY Radio. At that point, Keilback was installed as the play-by-play man.
He called more than 1,600 Jets games on radio and TV.
"Those were the greatest days of my career," he said.
When the Jets were sold and moved to Arizona in 1996, Keilback went with them and called another 800 games for the Phoenix Coyotes on radio and television through the 2006-07 season.
"It was a living, but never felt like a job," said Keilback, who was inducted into the Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame in 2011.
"I enjoy hockey more when I'm behind the mic than when I'm in the stands. I was watching the greatest players in the world play my favourite sport and I was getting paid for it!"
"I saw more Winnipeg Jets hockey than anybody in the world. From the appearance and dominance of an 18-year-old in 1981 (Dale Hawerchuk), to the thrill of calling every minute of Teemu Selanne's unmatched rookie season. It was great! I'd recommend it to anyone."
He's appeared in 10 movies or TV shows, four that were hockey themed: Goon, Goon 2, Mr. Hockey: The Gordie Howe story and Don Cherry 2. He also wrote the book Two Minutes for Talking to Myself, which features 200 anecdotes from his 27 years as an NHL broadcaster.
Keilback and his wife of 52 years, Linda, live in Winnipeg and are parents to sons Warren and Luke and have one granddaughter and two grandsons.
Curt Keilback was inducted into the Manitoba Sportswriters and Sportscasters Association Media Roll of Honour in 2026.
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"I'd gone to the rink with Dad many times and saw how much he enjoyed what he did. It was contagious, Keilback said of his father, Jim. "Then when I was 11, my dad had me call one period of a Yorkton Terriers senior hockey game. I was hooked."
Keilback even had his own radio show called "Minor Sports Corner" on CJGX in Yorkton when he was 13.
His professional career began at the same station in 1970 as its sports director, a position that also gave him the opportunity to do play-by-play for those Yorkton Terriers of the Saskatchewan Senior Hockey League.
In 1972, he left to CKCK radio and television in Regina. He did play-by-play for the Western Hockey League's Regina Pats and the Canadian Junior Football League's powerhouse Regina Rams, which lost and won a national final while he was behind the mic.
He returned to Yorkton two years later, this time at CKOS TV.
"I was the Swiss army knife," Keilback said. "I did sports, news, even weather sometimes. And I did thousands of commercials, including a series where I dressed as a Mexican and hauled my burro through snow banks to trade him in on a Ford truck."
After five years at the station, Keilback got the call he had long dreamed of an offer to move to Winnipeg and provide colour commentary for the Winnipeg Jets' National Hockey League radio broadcasts on CJOB.
"I was recommended by my dad's former broadcast partner, the legendary "Cactus" Jack Wells," said Keilback, who was born in Brandon.
After three years as colour man alongside Ken "Friar" Nicolson, the radio rights were moved to CKY Radio. At that point, Keilback was installed as the play-by-play man.
He called more than 1,600 Jets games on radio and TV.
"Those were the greatest days of my career," he said.
When the Jets were sold and moved to Arizona in 1996, Keilback went with them and called another 800 games for the Phoenix Coyotes on radio and television through the 2006-07 season.
"It was a living, but never felt like a job," said Keilback, who was inducted into the Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame in 2011.
"I enjoy hockey more when I'm behind the mic than when I'm in the stands. I was watching the greatest players in the world play my favourite sport and I was getting paid for it!"
"I saw more Winnipeg Jets hockey than anybody in the world. From the appearance and dominance of an 18-year-old in 1981 (Dale Hawerchuk), to the thrill of calling every minute of Teemu Selanne's unmatched rookie season. It was great! I'd recommend it to anyone."
He's appeared in 10 movies or TV shows, four that were hockey themed: Goon, Goon 2, Mr. Hockey: The Gordie Howe story and Don Cherry 2. He also wrote the book Two Minutes for Talking to Myself, which features 200 anecdotes from his 27 years as an NHL broadcaster.
Keilback and his wife of 52 years, Linda, live in Winnipeg and are parents to sons Warren and Luke and have one granddaughter and two grandsons.
Curt Keilback was inducted into the Manitoba Sportswriters and Sportscasters Association Media Roll of Honour in 2026.
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