Here's what I can share based on the latest available reporting:
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Alain Crête, a longtime CBC/RDS hockey broadcaster in Quebec, announced his retirement in April 2026, ending more than 30 years with RDS. His final Canadiens game aired mid-April 2026, with remaining duties including the IIHF World Championship before concluding his on-air tenure. [Source coverage includes Dose.ca and Yardbarker reports from April 2026][1][2]
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Reports note that Andrée-Anne Barbeau was slated to replace Crête as the Canadiens game announcer for the broadcast on RDS, with Crête’s last regular-season game and his World Championship assignments marking the transition.[2][6]
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The retirement marks a notable turning point for RDS as it shifts to a newer on-air team while continuing Canadiens coverage under a new TV contract framework.[4][2]
If you’d like, I can pull more details about his career highlights, retirement ceremony mentions, or a quick timeline of dates in April–May 2026. I can also look for additional outlets or local commentary from Maltese or Canadian outlets if you want broader context.
Sources
It's official. Alain Crête, who has been hosting the Canadiens' games (pre-game and intermission segments on RDS) for a long time, has confirmed that he is retiring.
www.yardbarker.comMontréal, le 9 avril 2026. – RDS annonce aujourd’hui qu’Alain Crête prend sa retraite au terme d’une carrière remarquable de plus de 30 ans au sein du Réseau des sports. Alain animera un dernier match des Canadiens de Montréal le mardi 14 avril. Ce printemps, il animera également certains matchs du championnat mondial masculin de l’IIHF; le dimanche 31 mai, le match pour la médaille d’or de ce tournoi sera sa dernière affectation à RDS. « Pendant plus de...
www.bellmedia.caalain crête is nearing a career-ending moment that lands at a notable inflection point for RDS and for viewers who have followed his long run on hockey coverage. The network said Thursday that he will retire after more than 30 years with the Réseau des sports, closing a chapter that has stretched across generations of …
www.el-balad.comTonight, the Canadiens play their final game of the regular season. It's also their final game of the season broadcast on RDS… and, as a result, it's also Alain Crête's last game as a play-by-play announcer.
www.yardbarker.comIt’s official. Alain Crête, who has been hosting the Canadiens’ games (pre-game and intermission segments on RDS) for a long time, has confirmed that he is retiring. The game on April 14 against the Flyers will be his last covering the Canadiens—and tonight will be his final home game. He will also cover World Championship […]
dose.ca