Mike McIntyre

Sports columnist

Mike McIntyre grew up wanting to be a professional wrestler. But when that dream fizzled, he put all his brawn into becoming a professional writer.

He’s been body-slamming the competition ever since joining the Free Press in 1997. It’s been quite a journey so far.

Mike spent nearly two decades covering the justice beat for the paper, with a front-row seat to some of the worst society has to offer. Whether it was meeting with a grieving victim’s family or a criminal behind bars at Stony Mountain, Mike has always strived to hear every side of a story.

He also authored six books on cases he’s covered, and he produced and hosted a nationally syndicated radio show from 2003 to 2017 on the Corus network.

Mike left his life of crime behind in the summer of 2016 to pursue a new passion, joining the Free Press sports team at the paper and fulfilling a dream he’s had since the day he started writing.

He covered back-to-back championships for the Winnipeg Goldeyes in 2016 and 2017, and is now focused on the Winnipeg Jets as one of the paper’s dedicated hockey writers.

Mike is a frequent public speaker and remains passionate about the great city of Winnipeg, where he was born and raised. He is a vocal advocate of the Creative Communications program at Red River College. He graduated from the program in 1995 and was honoured to receive their first-ever Alumni Award of Achievement in 2011.

Mike credits his wife Chassity for being his biggest supporter. He’s also a proud parent of two, a rescue dog owner and a community volunteer, including 10 years of coaching minor hockey in the city.

All told, Mike is enjoying a career he wouldn’t trade for anything – not even the wild life of a professional wrestler.