Hockey fans know James Duthie as the informed and often wry host of TSN's NHL broadcasts. But he's also a writer, filing a decade's worth of mostly humorous weekly columns on TSN's website.

Now, he's also an author — with two books on the shelves. One is They Call Me Killer, which he co-wrote with legendary junior hockey coach Brian (Killer) Kilrea. The other is The Day I (Almost) Killed Two Gretzkys, a compilation of his columns.

They're an eclectic mix of everything from hockey to dogs to kids — as well as a significant golf presence.

The title refers to the day he almost hit both Wayne and Walter on the golf course. The book also details a chance meeting with Tiger Woods in an Augusta National washroom with unexpected results — a hilarious comeback line from Tiger.

But most of the hilarity belongs to Duthie. The Star sat down with him to discuss his book and his career.

Was Tiger Woods the most memorable figure you've met?

Well, I don't know how memorable but there were certainly some strange moments. After the urinal incident, I managed to weasel my way into an interview after he won 2005 British Open. We were setting up and I congratulated him and he said, “Thanks, Homeslice.” I hadn't heard that since A Different World. That's when I knew Tiger wasn't really as cool as he was made out to be, though I guess it worked with the Perkins waitresses.

What was your toughest interview?


    I think it was at the Vancouver Olympics with Evgeni Plushenko.

    He came over to the broadcast centre to do a bunch of interviews after he won the silver. I had spent the day talking with judges and stuff in trying to figure out what happened because he thought he should have won because he was the only one who landed the quad. But all the judges and experts, except Elvis Stojko, said he should have lost. He's a really nice guy and I think he thought it was going to be really lovey-dovey. It's not like I grilled him, but I questioned his premise.

    I could tell he was getting more and more uncomfortable. He left the building and didn't do any of the other interviews that night.

    Can you explain the golf outfit you're wearing on the cover?

    They originally shot me in a suit, but they wanted something that would stand out on the shelves. I guess they were counting on the fact that after having a monkey on my shoulder and some of the other things I've done, I don't really have any shame.

    Speaking of monkeys, what's your relationship with Maggie, the hockey-forecasting macaque?

    It was a great idea at first to poke fun at predictions, but I figured it was going to be a one-year thing. By the end it was pathetic. The poor monkey was so old and fat she couldn't spin the wheel more than a few clicks.


      I was glad when it was over. She'd do all sorts of awful animal things in the studio.

      What about the lemur?

      That's when it reached its low point. They brought in a lemur to spice things up, Jacques Lemur, who was supposed to be the monkey's manager. Lemurs stand all the time, so this thing was standing on my head, digging its claws into my scalp and I could feel this slow trickle of blood running under my hair. That was the moment that my life with the monkey jumped the shark. It was time to move on.

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      Which of the 75 columns in the book is your favourite?

      The ones about my kids. They were the most personal for me. The hardest to write was the one about my dog. I'm a baby and I was crying when I wrote that.

      What was your most memorable moment?

      The Vancouver Olympics, every minute of it.

      What did it feel like to win a Gemini over Ron MacLean last year?

      I think he withdrew because he ran out of room to store his. He has 7,421 of them. He hangs his clothes off them.

      If you could erase something from your career, what would it be?

      Anything involving the monkey. Those tapes will curse my family for generations to come.

      What's your greatest fear?

      That I'll end up on the cover of some book in a purple sweater and plaid pants. Oh wait. Crap.

      The Day I (Almost) Killed Two Gretzkys

      is published by John Wiley & Sons Canada, Ltd.