It’s rare to meet a hockey-crazed Canadian who began life in a non-traditional hockey environment like the Middle East.But such is the story of Sportsnet 650 Radio host and Canucks TV analyst, Satiar Shah. “My parents fl ed Iran in 1985, during the height of the Iran/Iraq war and wanted a better life for them and me,” he says of his early life. “It was not only because of the confl ict, but the Draconian rules brought on by the new Iranian regime at that time. So we moved to Sweden when I was just over a year old and lived there until 1996.”
It was there young ‘Sat’ would quickly develop a passion for Canada’s game.“In Sweden; hockey and soccer is King, so I grew up playing soccer in the spring and summer and playing hockey in the fall and winter,” says Shah. “I just fell in love with the sport as a kid and it didn’t take long for me to become a big fan of professional hockey in Sweden, but also the NHL.”That was where Shah became enthralled with the Vancouver Canucks most exciting player, ever, “The Russian Rocket.” “First time I saw Pavel Bure play a game made me an instant fan,” he says.
“My dad had a satellite dish at our home so I was able to watch NHL games as a kid and when I saw Bure play, all I could think about was how much better – and diff erent – he was than anyone else. It was like Bure was from the future so I became a Canucks fan from afar.”His love for the Vancouver Canucks prompted him to learn about their home environment. “I started learning more about the city and how it was renowned for its natural beauty. When my parents told me we’re moving to Canada in the mid 1990s, I pleaded with them to settle in Vancouver,” says Shah.
“Even though we fi rst moved to Toronto in 1996, a few months later we picked up and went to Vancouver after my dad came to the Lower Mainland to scope out the city.“He fell in love with this city and the rest is history.”Holding down the afternoon time slot where he co-hosts “Canucks Central,” alongside Dan Riccio on Vancouver’s Sportsnet 650, Shah possesses a broad knowledge of sports. Despite being on the fl agship radio station and broadcast rights holder of the Vancouver Canucks, the daily talk content exceeds well beyond the ice.
“As much as I love hockey, I’d defi nitely classify myself a sports nut,” he admits. “I love watching and following football, soccer, basketball and baseball, while also maintaining signifi cant interest in golf, tennis and Formula 1. My favorite teams in other sports are the Browns, Lakers, Blue Jays and Chelsea FC.” Playing sports as a youth, Shah came to the inescapable conclusion that being a professional athlete wasn’t in the cards for him.“Once I realized I wasn’t good enough,
I knew I still wanted to be involved in sports in some capacity as an adult,” says Shah.“I always thought to myself, if I can’t play professionally, I’d love to either be a sports broadcaster or work in some sort of sports management capacity
“ I always thought to myself, if I can’t play professionally, I’d love to either be a sports broadcaster or work in some sort of sports management capacity. ”
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“I toyed with the idea of becoming a sports agent, going as far as taking the law school administration test and applying to law schools. But the pull to go to sports broadcasting was greater.” The radio bug eventually bit in 2006, and following stints at Z95, Rock 101 and TSN 1040, Shah joined the ranks of Sportsnet in 2017. The media roles have increased accordingly, as have the accolades that follow his journey in broadcasting. That praise includes veteran sports journalist and elder statesmen, Greg Douglas, “Dr. Sport.”
“At a time when the sports media industry is in a downcast state, the presence of Satiar Shah on radio and television off ers renewed inspiration for aspiring young broadcasters,” says Douglas. “Satiar was determined to work his way up the ladder in the Vancouver market and he did when his name became prominent during the early days of TSN 1040 Radio as a producer for both the Bro Jake morning show and David Pratt afternoon show.”
Douglas notes, today Shah has become a respected personality.“I have met and dealt with Sat through all levels of his career and he has never changed, something that certainly cannot be said about so many others who have come and gone in the industry,” says Douglas. “Sat is a ‘people person,’
and I have watched him at various functions converse with sports celebrities and regular fans on an equal level. The ego game is simply not part of his makeup.”While seeing his beloved childhood favourite Vancouver Canucks lose the Stanley Cup both in 1994 and 2011, mark his most disappointing sports memories, there are similarly two occasions that he ranks as the best.
“ I just fell in love with the sport as a kid and it didn’t take long for me to become a big fan of professional hockey in Sweden, but also the NHL.”
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“ Watching Sidney Crosby score the golden goal at the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics, was by far the biggest sports thrill I’ve experienced.”
“The two biggest thrills I’ve had as a sports fan as a kid, was watching Sweden win the Gold Medal at the Olympics in Lillehammer in 1994 and beating Canada in the Gold Medal game,” he says. “The other big thrill was also in 1994, when Sweden won Bronze at the World Cup of Soccer.”Both pale in comparison to what Sat ranks as the best sports moment ever. “Watching Sidney Crosby score the golden goal at the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics, was by far the biggest sports thrill I’ve experienced.”
