CBC’s 74-Year NHL Broadcast Era Concludes as Rogers Deal Reshapes Canadian Hockey Coverage

Tuesday marks the end of a significant chapter in Canadian sports broadcasting as the CBC announced it will no longer carry NHL games on its channels.

Sportsnet and CBC confirmed in a joint statement that, following a 12-year partnership and ahead of Rogers’ new media rights agreement with the NHL, the public broadcaster is pivoting to a new programming strategy centered on Olympic sports for Saturday nights.

The move was widely anticipated since Sportsnet assumed production of Hockey Night in Canada over a decade ago, yet it remains a poignant moment for Canadians who will no longer have access to the NHL’s premier moments on the national broadcaster.

We can now reflect on 74 years of NHL hockey on CBC Television with nostalgia. For generations, hockey served as a cultural connective tissue, and its presence on the national broadcaster felt like the natural order of things.

In earlier decades, televised games were scarce, making Saturday night broadcasts the sole opportunity for many Canadians to watch their favorite teams. For this writer, growing up in Toronto required only an antenna to catch the Maple Leafs each week. While the Harold Ballard era may not have delivered the success Toronto craved, the shared experience of watching alongside the rest of the country carried profound weight, holding its own even against the in-person spectacle.

The Wayne Gretzky-era Edmonton Oilers also stand out in the collective memory, with The Great One’s ascent to greatness unfolding on Hockey Night in Canada during the sport’s most celebrated moments.

The CBC’s broadcast standard was undeniable. From legendary voices like Danny Gallivan and Foster Hewitt to Bob Cole and Chris Cuthbert, Hockey Night in Canada consistently featured generational talent that elevated the art of sports commentary across the board.

Since 1952, geographic location or subscription tier were irrelevant; Canadians from coast to coast watched the same games simultaneously in real time. That shared viewing experience functioned effectively as a nation-building exercise.

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It is regrettable that the CBC and Sportsnet could not structure a financially viable arrangement to keep NHL games on the public network. Over the past 12 years, Sportsnet handled production and advertising sales, leaving the CBC primarily to extend the broadcast’s reach and cross-promote its own programming in pursuit of ancillary revenue.

The NHL will undoubtedly continue to command massive ratings in Canada. Fans have demonstrated remarkable adaptability, following the game from the Pacific to the Arctic to the Atlantic across an evolving media landscape, even if that requires navigating multiple streaming platforms. Regional games remain on Sportsnet and TSN, while Prime Video has also entered the market.

However, accessing NHL hockey for free in Canada is becoming increasingly difficult. One hopes this shift does not impede efforts to grow the game, placing greater onus on these networks to remain accessible to the broadest possible audience.

Sportsnet will persist as the modern home of the NHL and a steward of Canadian pride and storytelling. Yet the CBC will inevitably feel less like a unifying force for hockey fans moving forward.

Hockey has long been a great equalizer for Canadian sports fans, a role the CBC facilitated for nearly three-quarters of a century—longer still if one includes its radio heritage.

Make no mistake: this outcome was inevitable. Rogers and Sportsnet made a strategic decision in 2013 with the sublicensing agreement for English-language broadcasts, and the inability to reach a new accord for the upcoming 12-year cycle is understandable. Hockey fans have always adapted, and they will continue to do so.

The impact on the CBC’s financial bottom line remains to be seen as it shifts focus to a primetime Olympic sports showcase on Saturdays. But the emotional cost is considerable, and Canadians will miss what hockey brought into their lives through the national broadcaster.

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