CALGARY -- Clark Robertson is also known as ‘That Don Cherry Guy.’

He impersonates the former broadcaster who offered hockey wisdom on the Hockey Night in Canada airwaves for nearly 40 years on Coach's Corner, a five-minute-long segment during the first period intermission that became - thanks mostly to Cherry - one of the most-watched five minutes of Canadian television ever.

Partly that was because Cherry knew the game and had a flair for pithy puck lessons - and partly because he had a tendency to spout whatever popped into his head, and worry about the political fallout later.

“There’s always going to be people that hate the Don, there’s people that love the Don,” said Robertson.

Don Cherry

Wednesday will mark one year since Cherry was fired from Sportsnet after his infamous Remembrance Day ‘you people’ rant, which was perceived as a racial slur directed at Canadian newcomers.

“You people, that come here, whatever it is, you love our way of life, you love our milk and honey, at least you can pay a couple bucks for a poppy or something like that," said Cherry, on a broadcast two nights before Remembrance Day last year.

"These guys paid for your way of life that you enjoy in Canada, these guys paid the biggest price."

Robertson might be biased, but he thinks the comment was not intended to offend.

"With Don, if you look back at his career, he has said 'you people' 3,000 times," he said. "And he's never talking about a specific group of people, he's talking about Canadians: you people, wear a poppy."

Stolen plate

It was that rant that sparked the idea for a new license plate after Robertson's old one -  it said DCHERRY - was stolen.

Robertson went to a local registry office to get a new plate, while mulling over what to get on it.

“I’m standing in lineup at the registry there and I said to myself ‘I don’t want a G29 742, I need something that talks to me, talks to the people!’” said Robertson.

That's when he started to count letters and experienced an 'aha' moment fit for a segment of Coach's Corner.

“‘I’m sitting there going seven letters?" Robertson said.  "UPEOPLE,’ boom there it is right there!”

Clark Robertson

Guidelines

The province says there are specific guidelines for personalized license plates, that all people must adhere to, including:

●     no ethnic slurs

●     no religious slurs

●     no foul language

●     no sexual connotations

●     no political slurs

●     no illegal acts

●     no words when translated are offensive.

●     no reference to alcohol or drugs

Robertson says he had no issues when asking for the personalized plate at the registry.

“The girl goes you have to put down what it means and I go I don’t know, she says 'just put down Don Cherry saying' so I did, (and) there we go,” said Robertson.

Robertson, who has a Don Cherry studio in his basement is typically hired for events, parties and other gatherings.

He says this year has been tough due to the pandemic.

“It’s been tough, there have been no gigs, the corporate world has shut down, there’s no trade shows, no golf tournaments there’s been nothing, “ he said.

Robertson says he was continuing to fly across the country for gigs, even after Cherry’s firing, until the pandemic halted all travel in March.

Cherry was let go on Remembrance Day, the one day on the calendar that Cherry - an amateur war historian - has always revered more than any other.

His support for veterans and Canadian troops has never wavered or been called into question.

Don Cherry

'Nobody wears a poppy anymore'

On ‘The Don Cherry Grapevine podcast on Sunday, Cherry reiterated what he said on air last year.

“Nobody wears a poppy anymore,” said Cherry.

Every Saturday before Remembrance Day, Cherry would hit the airwaves dedicating a portion of his Coach’s Corner segment to pay tribute to Canada’s fallen soldiers and veterans.

“That’s why we’re the best troops of all, we were shock troops,” said Cherry.

“Shock troops were the people they sent in first.”