Cherry disappointed with MacLean's apology: 'He buried me'

Don Cherry isn't happy with former Hockey Night in Canada partner Ron MacLean.

MacLean publicly apologized Sunday for Cherry's offensive comments from the night prior.

Cherry, who was fired by Sportsnet on Monday, said MacLean "buried" him with his response.

"Very disappointing," Cherry told Global News on Tuesday. "We're still friends, but I was very disappointed in the way he handled it. I don't want to go and condemn him or anything like that, but I was very disappointed."

MacLean initially apologized on Twitter for Cherry's remarks and followed that by issuing a second apology during Sunday's broadcast, calling the comments "hurtful," "discriminatory," and "flat-out wrong." MacLean admitted he "sat there, did not catch it, (and) did not respond."

Cherry's comments came just days before Canada's recognition of Remembrance Day.

"You people that come here, you love our way of life, you love our milk and honey, at least you can pay a couple of bucks for poppies or something like that," he said.

Cherry, who refused to accept any wrongdoing Monday after being dismissed by the network, said he intended to apologize on the next edition of "Coach's Corner."

"I was ready to apologize," he said Tuesday, according to Global News' Morganne Campbell and Andrew Russell. "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."

The 85-year-old admitted he should have chosen his language more carefully.

"I think the closest I'll come to apologizing is I wish I had used different words," he said. "I should have said 'everybody.' If I had to do it over again, I would have said 'everybody.'"

Cherry has worked as a broadcaster for nearly 40 years following a career as an NHL player and head coach.