In a heartfelt moment that bridged generations of Montreal sports broadcasting, Sportsnet play-by-play announcer John Bartlett delivered a poignant tribute to the late Rodger Brulotte during a recent Montreal Canadiens game. The emotional homage occurred as Bartlett called Cole Caufield's hat-trick goal, intentionally echoing Brulotte's legendary "Bonsoir!" home-run call from his days with the Montreal Expos.
A Fitting Tribute to a Broadcasting Legend
Rodger Brulotte, the beloved voice of baseball in Quebec, passed away on Friday at age 79 after battling cancer. His death sent waves of grief through Montreal's sports community, where he had been a fixture for over five decades. The Canadiens organization honored Brulotte with a pregame tribute on the giant screen at Bell Centre on Saturday night, setting the emotional tone for the evening's events.
"First of all, I think that the mood and the tone was set beautifully by the Canadiens with a wonderful tribute before the game," Bartlett explained in a phone interview. "That's Paul Gallant and his team with the Canadiens—the absolute best in the league at doing that. When you have a ceremony like that, I think it really drew on a lot of emotions for people."
The Perfect Moment Unfolds
As the game progressed, Cole Caufield found himself on the verge of a hat trick with just 5:51 remaining in the third period. The young Canadiens star had already scored two goals that Saturday night, continuing his remarkable season performance. When Caufield completed his hat trick with his 43rd goal of the season, Bartlett saw the perfect opportunity to honor Brulotte.
"The power play starts and Caufield and Juraj Slafkovsky, both sitting on two goals, and I thought: Geez, they're both out there on the power play," Bartlett recalled. "This would be something—a hat trick for one of them, especially Cole the way he's going on Saturday nights. I guess scoring a hat trick is kind of like hitting a home run or maybe a grand slam and the moment just kind of hit."
With the crowd roaring, Bartlett delivered his now-famous call: "Bonsoir! Bonsoir! Bonsoir! ... Cole Caufield hat trick!" The triple "Bonsoir" directly referenced Brulotte's signature home-run call of "Bonsoir! Elle est partie!" that had thrilled Expos fans for years.
A Career That Defined Montreal Sports
Brulotte's connection to Montreal sports ran deep and spanned multiple roles. He began working for the Expos in 1969 in the scouting department, where he helped sign future stars like Gary Carter, Steve Rogers, and Larry Parrish. His career with the organization evolved through public relations, marketing, and even serving as the Expos' traveling secretary for two seasons.
Perhaps one of his most enduring contributions was helping create the beloved mascot Youppi!, who held a photo of Brulotte during the pregame ceremony. After leaving the Expos organization in 2001, Brulotte moved to full-time broadcasting with RDS, calling Expos games alongside Denis Casavant. He later joined TVA Sports in 2011, where he continued calling Toronto Blue Jays games while writing a column for Le Journal de Montréal.
Social Media Response and Legacy
The tribute resonated powerfully across social media platforms, with many praising Bartlett's thoughtful gesture. Former Hockey Night in Canada host Dave Hodge noted on X: "Bob Cole was one of a kind. It is high praise to say that Bartlett also evoked the memory of hockey's biggest voice in describing Cole's big night."
Bartlett, who got to know Brulotte during his three seasons living in Montreal while calling Canadiens games for TSN 690 Radio, expressed humility about the attention. "Rodger was such a wonderful man," Bartlett reflected. "Oh, gosh, was he ever nice to talk to. With the pregame ceremony and everything, you knew how much he meant to so many people in Montreal, to so many people in Quebec—both languages—and really in many ways a big part of the heart of the Expos."
The front page of Saturday's Journal de Montréal captured the community's sentiment with the headline: "BONSOIR JE SUIS PARTI" alongside a photo of Brulotte waving from Olympic Stadium. The newspaper devoted a 16-page special section to Brulotte with the main headline reading: "Merci RODGER!"
A City Mourns More Than One Loss
As former Gazette and Sports Illustrated columnist Michael Farber poignantly observed on social media: "Montreal mourns the loss of Rodger Brulotte, the voice and champion of baseball in Quebec, but it also—again—grieves the death of the Expos and, in a larger sense, the city that once was."
Brulotte represented a bridge to Montreal's sporting golden era—a time when the city hosted Major League Baseball and celebrated French-English bilingualism in its sports coverage. His electric personality and genuine warmth made everyone feel like a close friend, whether he was speaking English or French.
For Bartlett, the tribute was ultimately about honoring a man who meant so much to so many. "That was a tribute to all the great calls that Rodger had over his days with the Expos with Larry Walker and Dennis Martinez and Vladdy Guerrero," Bartlett said. "It was just one of those moments. It was about Rodger."
In a city that treasures its sports history, John Bartlett's "Bonsoir" call served as both a farewell to a broadcasting legend and a reminder of the enduring connections that make Montreal's sports community unique. The triple call echoed through Bell Centre not just as a description of a hat-trick goal, but as a loving tribute to a man whose voice had once declared so many Expos home runs with the same joyful enthusiasm.
