From the hockey-obsessed streets of Montreal’s Notre-Dame-de-Grâce to his current role covering the Ottawa Senators for The Athletic, Julian McKenzie’s journey in sports journalism is a masterclass in perseverance and passion. Born to immigrant parents from Trinidad and Tobago and Jamaica, McKenzie’s love for sports started young—ball hockey with friends, Montreal Expos games with his father, and early mornings spent snagging the Montreal Gazette off the front stoop. By six years old, he was already scribbling game recaps in his grandfather’s accounting notebooks, an early glimpse of the tenacity that would define his career.
After studying journalism at Concordia University, McKenzie’s hustle earned him the nickname JulianTheIntern, as he juggled roles across CBC, CTV, TSN, and the Montreal Gazette. Whether filling in as a weather presenter, freelancing as a sports stringer, or podcasting on The Scrum Podcast—which earned a Gala Dynastie Award—McKenzie made versatility his trademark. He navigated a whirlwind of jobs: live-blogging Canadiens games, producing at TSN 690, calling play-by-play for McGill Athletics, and contributing to outlets like FiveThirtyEight, Yahoo Sports, and WatchMojo. His break at The Athletic came when Arpon Basu entrusted him with French-to-English translations, leading to the Canadiens beat during their 2021 Stanley Cup run and, eventually, reporting stints in Calgary and Ottawa.
Now a fixture in Ottawa’s sports scene, McKenzie brings sharp insights, an unmistakable work ethic, and a love for storytelling to his coverage of the Senators. With over 300 episodes of The Chris Johnston Show under his belt, McKenzie’s journey remains a testament to aspiring journalists: work hard, say yes to opportunities, and never lose sight of the dream that started it all.
Tell us about your childhood. Was hockey a big part of it?
Growing up in Montreal where hockey is a religion, you don’t have a choice—it feels like it’s everything. I never played ice hockey, but I loved playing street hockey with friends or ball hockey in the gym. I got hockey sticks for Christmas and birthdays—a Sherwood PMP 6030 Jr. wooden stick and a Bauer Junior Flex 52 were my first ones. I also played soccer, rugby, and even touch football in high school. Baseball was a big one, too.
When did you know you wanted to pursue a career in journalism?
When I was six years old. My grandfather, who was an accountant, had these empty copy books, and I’d write sports stories in them. I’d play video games like Triple Play 99 and NHL 2000 and document stats or write game recaps. My grandfather even got me a Montreal Gazette subscription. I’d wake up so early to read the sports section that I’d meet the delivery guy at the door.
In high school, I started blogging about sports and music and sharing posts on Facebook. I wrote for The Papercut, the Marianopolis CEGEP newspaper. Then at Concordia, I studied multiplatform journalism, was a sports editor for The Link, and hosted a sports show at CJLO 1690 AM, the campus radio station.
Tell me about how you got your start and the early years of your career.
I had so many internships my friends joked I’d be an intern for life—at one point, my Twitter handle was JulianTheIntern. I started at the Montreal Community Contact under Egbert Gaye, who I miss dearly. I also interned with TSN Radio, CTV Montreal, and CBC. When I wanted an on-air gig at CTV Montreal, Jed Kahane asked if I’d try weather. I said yes, even though I had no idea what it took. That turned into reporting and, eventually, sports coverage. I learned so much during that time.
You’ve worked across so many mediums—TV, radio, writing, and podcasts. What was that like?
At one point, I was juggling six or seven jobs. I was doing weather and reporting for CTV Montreal, producing at TSN 690, live-blogging Canadiens games for the Gazette, calling games for McGill, and freelancing for FiveThirtyEight, Yahoo Sports, and WatchMojo. I even co-hosted my own sports podcast, The Scrum Podcast, which won a Gala Dynastie Award—huge for an English podcast in Quebec.
Who were the key people who helped you along the way?
There are so many. Egbert Gaye, Michelle Richardson, Dave Peters, Arpon Basu—who got me in at The Athletic—Chris Bury, Mathew Wood, and Ashkan Karbafooshan, who I’d wanted to work with for years. Each of them opened doors and trusted me to deliver.
Why did you move to Ottawa? What do you love about the city?
When Ian Mendes left us at The Athletic, he called me and asked if I’d be interested in having his old job. I loved being in Calgary and covering the Flames. But being closer made sense for so many personal and professional reasons. I was also familiar with the Senators because I sometimes watched them growing up on television, in addition to the Leafs and Canadiens.
The city’s nice. The people are nice. A lot of people are quick to say that it’s boring and it’s not as fun as Toronto or Montreal. I don’t think it’s fair to make that comparison. Ottawa has its charm and I like it here. And being closer to home is a plus.
How long have you known Chris Johnston, and how did the idea for the Chris Johnston podcast come together?
In the fall of 2020, I got a text from Adam Wylde about a secret project he was working on. He wanted me involved but he couldn’t tell me about it at first. He just wanted to know if I was in.
I said yes. A few weeks later, he told me it was an opportunity to host CJ’s show. I was all in.
After that, we thought the show would start in January 2021. But a few logistics kept that from happening. All the while, we kept in touch. We finally met in August of 2021 over a few drinks and it was awesome. A couple of weeks later, we started for real. We haven’t looked back since. 300-plus episodes together.
What have you learned most from him during your time working together?
CJ is one of the hardest-working people in our business. He is well respected, super knowledgeable and well-connected. But he still thinks of himself as a bottom-six forward scraping for every minute he can get. I’m trying to follow that model for myself. But seeing an established journalist embody that as they’re much further along in their career was eye-opening for me.
How would you grade the job that Head Coach Travis Green has done so far, as well as the work that GM Steve Staios has done since he took over?
I’d give them both a C+. We’ve seen the Senators have some success in the identity they’ve tried to play. But the team has struggled to play it consistently. And while I think Staios had the right thinking in mind with Linus Ullmark, he still needs another home run move to take his team from playoff aspirant to contender.
What advice would you give to someone who wants to get into sports journalism/ What is the biggest lesson you’ve learned so far?
If you want to be in sports media, create content and find people who want to be in the same spaces you’re in. Networking is important, whether through your peers or other people who are more senior or established than you. Finally, being yourself in this media space is so worth it. At a time when people crave authenticity more than ever, lean into what makes you who you are. Don’t try to be someone you’re not. Be you.
