DON CHERRY: “I wish I had used different words”

“I think the closest I’ll come to apologizing is I wish I had used different words,” Cherry told Global News.

Cherry said, “I should have said everybody. If I had to do it over again, I would have said everybody.”

Cherry was fired from his Sportsnet segment after he made comments saying “you people that come here” don’t support Canada’s soldiers. Many immigrant-Canadians took offence at him singling them out.

“You people that come here… whatever it is, you love our way of life, you love our milk and honey, at least you could pay a couple of bucks for a poppy,” he said on Saturday.

Cherry further commented, “I do believe to this day that everybody in Canada should have a poppy on out of honour and respect of the fallen soldiers that have fallen in the Second World War, Korea and the whole deal.”

“Those people who gave their lives, at least we can buy a poppy,” he added.

He said his comments weren’t directed at minorities and “It was picked up the way it was picked up.”

Cherry said he was planning to apologize on this week’s upcoming Hockey Night in Canada, but was never given the chance.

“I was ready to apologize,” Cherry said. “I was gonna put out a tweet, or whatever they do, saying I was wrong and I think it could have smoothed over pretty good. But that’s the way they wanted it and that’s the way it goes.”