The sports media landscape in Quebec has lost in Pierre Rinfret, who died of complications from cancer at the age of 72, a strong and authentic voice who was not afraid to publicly reveal the substance of his thoughts.
Having collaborated for the past seven years with the radio channel 91.9 Sports, which confirmed his departure Friday morning, Mr. Rinfret is an important figure in the history of the media in the province, his career of nearly 55 years bearing witness to this well. Some Montreal Canadiens fans remember his emotional descriptions during the team’s games on the TVA network in the 1980s and, many years later, on CKAC 730 radio. Others still remember his oratorical jousting on the defunct TQS “110%” show during the 2000s.
Among those saddened by the news, there is the host and columnist of the “Journal de Montréal” Jean-Charles Lajoie, who considers himself privileged and lucky to have known the one who also worked at TVA Sports.
“He was a man of great loyalty and sincerity. With him, there was no filter. He was true in friendship, in business, in all phases of the game. He was a loyal friend who might always be counted on. His friends needed him, and vice versa, he mentioned in a telephone interview. He was a lover of life and on this level, he was able to take me very far.
“He wasn’t a ‘calculating’ guy. But when he said out loud to someone what he was thinking, he had already spoken to the person in question, ”he added, emphasizing the frankness of his ally.
Because yes, Pierre Rinfret and Jean-Charles Lajoie have become accomplices over the years, they who got to know each other better on the set of the show “Les Quilles à TQS”, “around 2006-2007 in a living room Rose Bowl”, according to the second. Therefollowing, much like the good guys and the bad guys in wrestling, they traded blow for blow – on television, during “110%” – before sometimes finding themselves away from the cameras to have more friendly discussions around a good beer.
“We had a lot of fun […] we might chat in the car following confronting each other [en ondes]. He was fundamentally a good person who, however, needed to make a shell to protect himself from his sensitivity, because he was afraid of hurting every three minutes, “said Lajoie.
And the most beautiful memory he has of Mr. Rinfret reflects what he will retain above all.
“He had invited me to accompany him to the funeral of René Angélil [en 2016]. They were friends, tight together, and I understood several things at that time. All social classes were represented, but despite that, there was no judgment. Where you came from didn’t matter. Everyone felt respected with him, because basically, we all eat through one mouth and we all “shit” through a fart hole,” he said.
In addition, the Habs reacted to the news of the death on his Twitter account with these few lines: “The organization of the Montreal Canadiens wishes to offer its most sincere condolences to the family and loved ones of Mr. Pierre Rinfret. Pierre had an illustrious career spanning more than 50 years in the sports media landscape in Quebec. […] Our thoughts are with you in these difficult times.”