Jacques Doucet, the legendary broadcaster who was the “Voice of the Expos” for 33 seasons, has died at the age of 86. On Oct. 3, 2004, Marc Griffin, Doucet’s longtime broadcast partner, delivered the final radio broadcast in Montreal Expos history. At the end of the broadcast, Griffin said: “The final score: 1969-2004.” Now, with Doucet’s death, the numbers could read: 1940-2026. Doucet’s daughter Martine confirmed the news on social media Friday. The cause of death was not disclosed, but Doucet revealed in 2024 that he had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. Born March 8, 1940, in Montreal, Doucet began his career as a sports journalist in 1959 at The Canadian Press and covered the Expos’ inaugural season in 1969 for the daily newspaper La Presse. He became the voice of Expos baseball in 1969, the Montreal club’s first season in Major League Baseball. After initially calling about one game a week, he moved to the broadcast booth full time in 1972 and remained there until the club left Montreal in 2004. Doucet called more than 5,500 games during his illustrious career, including Dennis Martinez’s perfect game on July 28, 1991, as well as numerous playoff games and World Series contests. Just when he thought his broadcasting career was over, Doucet received a surprise call from the Quebec Capitales of the Can-Am League, who invited him to become their play-by-play announcer. He held the position from 2006 to 2011. He then accepted an offer from TVA Sports, where he called Toronto Blue Jays games as well as Major League Baseball playoff games until September 2022. That was when he took the air for the final innings of his career alongside his longtime colleagues Rodger Brulotte, who died last March, and Denis Casavant. Doucet was inducted into the Baseball Quebec Hall of Fame in 2002, followed by the Expos Hall of Fame a year later. In 2004, he received the Jack Graney Award, presented annually by the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame to a member of the media who has made a special contribution to baseball in Canada over the course of their career. Doucet also received the National Assembly of Quebec’s Medal of Honour in 2011. He was finally inducted into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame in 2020. The COVID-19 pandemic, followed by health problems, delayed his official induction ceremony in St. Mary’s until 2023. This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on Aug. 28, 2026.
