Eric Duhatschek hangs up his hat after 46 years as a journalist

After 46 years of writing and meeting deadlines, Eric Duhatschek has decided to call it a career.

He's hanging up his journalistic hat and says it's been a great ride, but it's time.

"It was an unexpectedly long run," the 69-year-old said.

"If you'd told a 15-year-old version of me that wanted to do this that this is how his career would turn out, I wouldn't have believed it."

First big break

Duhatschek got his first big break in the newspaper industry back in 1978.

He was offered the chance to come to Calgary and work for the Albertan and says his job was to cover Ken Read and the Crazy Canucks.

"It was a dream come true to get this offer," Duhatschek said.

"I packed up everything that I owned in my car and drove out to Calgary thinking it would be the first stop on a career that would eventually get back to Toronto. After a few months, I realized I'm not leaving. I love the city."

Covered many big events

Duhatschek covered the Crazy Canucks at the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, New York.

It was there that he also covered one of the greatest sporting events in history: the Miracle on Ice, when the Americans shocked the world by winning hockey gold.

"You got the sense that this is a big story, but if you had asked me at that time would it resonate the way it has over time in terms of American hockey, I would not have believed it," he said.

"I was there as a 24-year-old and still have the credential for that event, and it was remarkable how I got to cover that so early in my career."

Hockey Hall of Famer

Duhatschek would go on to report on the National Hockey League and became one of Canada's most trusted journalists.

He's received many awards, but the one that means the most is winning the Elmer Ferguson Memorial Award.

The Hockey Hall of Fame presents it to a print columnist or reporter in recognition of their achievements covering the game of hockey.

"In 2001, I was fortunate enough to be chosen," Duhatschek said.

"What matters and what I like about it is it's a peer award. So, it's the members of our association that vote for it."