One of Canada’s earliest hockey customs was recently removed by CBC and Ron MacLean.
That’s the true blow here. Saturday nights on CBC free over-the-air are going away, but Hockey Night in Canada isn’t.
The NHL will no longer be broadcast on CBC, Sportsnet said on Tuesday, putting an end to the cross-licensing arrangement that aired certain games on both networks.
Beginning in 2026-27, all Saturday games will be televised by Sportsnet as part of the new 12-year NHL rights agreement.
The mood of Saturday night hockey in Canada immediately shifts as a result of that. Many supporters considered CBC to be more than just another channel. It was the main entry.
On television, Hockey Night in Canada was initially shown on CBC in 1952, and the channel had exclusive rights to Saturday night broadcasts up until the 2013–14 season.
Where this was going has been evident for the previous twelve years. The old setup still made the tradition apparent on public television, even if CBC broadcast the games and Sportsnet oversaw production.
For this reason, this isn’t merely a press release. That signifies the tradition lives on while the atmosphere surrounding it changes forever, as it is the official conclusion of the CBC version of Hockey Night in Canada.
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