A new era in Canadian NHL broadcasting kicked off Saturday night on Sportsnet with a new show title, a splashy introduction, and the familiar presence of longtime host Ron MacLean.
asserted
era → kick → MacLean
Its replacement – “Saturday Night Hockey” – has arrived in its place after Rogers Communications and the CBC did not renew their sublicensing agreement.
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Communications → arrive → agreement
The first Saturday of the NHL season felt much like previous broadcasts in the marquee time-slot.
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Saturday → feel → slot
The show began with a montage of highlights, vintage clips and fan shots.
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show → begin → highlights
The Backstreet Boys’ 1997 hit “Everybody (Backstreet’s Back)” provided the soundtrack.
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hit → provide → soundtrack
MacLean and panellists Kevin Bieksa, Elliotte Friedman and newcomer Colby Armstrong discussed the matchups before rinkside host Kyle Bukauskas touched on the evening’s transition ahead of the Toronto Maple Leafs’ home game against the Ottawa Senators.
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Bukauskas → discuss → Senators
“A Saturday night from coast to coast to coast, this night will always belong to Canada with hockey being the conduit,” he said.
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he → belong → Canada
Slick graphics were accompanied by a new show logo that featured the title in big block letters.
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that → accompany → letters
A Rogers logo sat at the top and an NHL logo was at the bottom.
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logo → sit → bottom
MacLean made a single “Hockey Night” reference in the pre-game portion of the program after the panellists discussed how some players were settling in to the new campaign.
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players → make → campaign
“And that’s Saturday,” MacLean said.
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MacLean → ’ → ?
“It’s kind of like a trial balloon.
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It → ’ → balloon
You use these games on “Hockey Night in Canada” as it was called and now Rogers “Saturday Night Hockey” to test your playoff mettle.
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it → use → mettle
We’re early on.”
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We → ’re → ?
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The four-game slate also included Montreal at Pittsburgh, Seattle at Edmonton and Calgary at Vancouver.
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slate → get → Vancouver
The CBC plans to broadcast Professional Women’s Hockey League games on “Hockey Night in Canada” this season.
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CBC → plan → Canada
When Rogers secured a 12-year deal with the NHL that started in 2014, it partnered with the CBC to continue Hockey Night.
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it → secure → Night
“Saturday Night Hockey” will feature an NHL doubleheader each Saturday with at least one Canada-based team in each matchup.
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Hockey → feature → matchup
A number of significant changes were announced in the off-season on the Canadian NHL broadcasting front.
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number → announce → front
Sportsnet lifted 150 regional blackouts and now has a national schedule in Canada of more than 550 games.
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Sportsnet → lift → games
Monday Night Hockey games will stream exclusively on Sportsnet+, the network said, noting service subscribers would get that content as part of their package.
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subscribers → stream → package
Rogers added three new digital channels with the exclusive content to Rogers Xfinity TV packages that have Sportsnet.
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that → add → Sportsnet
However, for those who subscribe to Sportsnet through other TV providers, they’ll have to shell out an additional $12.99 per month for an add-on package.
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they → subscribe → package
Bell Media’s TSN/RDS will still broadcast some regional games this season and the Amazon Prime Monday Night package has shifted to Wednesdays.
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package → broadcast → Wednesdays
TVA Sports also secured French-language rights for 12 years via a sub-licensing deal between Rogers and Quebecor.
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Sports → secure → Rogers
Sportsnet also cancelled “Hockey Night in Canada: Punjabi Edition” after an 18-year run.
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Sportsnet → cancel → run
The Friends of Canadian Media organization has started a “Write Your MP” campaign to support a policy direction to the CRTC to explore anti-siphoning regulations in Canada.
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organization → start → Canada
“Canadians are increasingly losing free or affordable access to major cultural and sporting events as global streaming platforms and private broadcasters secure exclusive rights,” the opening of the group’s template letter reads.
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opening → lose → letter
“Events that once united us like the Stanley Cup Finals are moving behind paywalls.”
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that → unite → paywalls
A Dec. 5 matchup between the Montreal Victoire and expansion PWHL Hamilton side will be the first women’s hockey game to be featured on “Hockey Night in Canada.”
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matchup → feature → Canada
“Yes, it’s going to be different,” CBC Sports executive director Chris Wilson said in an interview this week.
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Wilson → go → interview
“But it’s going to be really exciting, really inclusive and really accessible to a large number of Canadians.”
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it → go → Canadians
Hockey Night will return as part of CBC Sports Primetime, CBC’s new weekly Saturday night sports show that launched this weekend.
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that → return → Primetime
“It’s so cool to put women’s hockey on the map and especially on that big of a platform,” Vancouver Goldeneyes defender Caroline (KK) Harvey said Friday at a PWHL media day.
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Harvey → ’ → day
“It’s going to be unbelievable.”
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It → go → ?
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 3, 2026.
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report → publish → Press
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