Puck dropped: Parliamentarians decry loss of ‘Hockey Night in Canada’ on CBC

Hello Canada, and hockey fans in the United States and Newfoundland. That’s how Foster Hewitt, the first host of ‘Hockey Night in Canada’ on CBC, welcomed radio listeners when the program first flowed on the public broadcaster’s airwaves in the 1930s. In and of itself, the greeting is a testament to the show’s longevity. Not only was Hewitt broadcasting before televisions became commonplace across the country, but he intentionally chose to greet hockey fans from ‘The Rock.’ Why would he do that? Because Newfoundland didn’t join the federation until 1949. ‘Hockey Night in Canada’ has become an institution for generations of sports fans, with Hewitt, Danny Gallivan, Bob Cole, and Chris Cuthbert bringing one of Canada’s national games directly to people’s living rooms for nearly a century. But the show’s longstanding relationship with the public broadcaster recently made national headlines when Rogers Communications Inc. and CBC/Radio-Canada revealed a deal was not reached to extend the NHL broadcast’s lifespan on the CBC. For context, Rogers acquired the exclusive rights to broadcast NHL games in Canada in 2014 for $5.2 billion, though it allowed CBC to continue showing games on Saturday night under the ‘Hockey Night in Canada’ banner for the last 12 years. Moving forwards, ‘Hockey Night in Canada’ will continue to be owned by the CBC, but it will no longer show NHL games, meaning Game 6 of the recent Stanley Cup Final, which saw the Carolina Hurricanes secure the sport’s ultimate prize, will be the last broadcast of its kind. The national mourning extended to the halls of Parliament Hill, where hockey fans of all political stripes expressed concern that lower-income Canadians who rely on over-the-air television broadcasts to watch NHL games will be left behind. And, not to mention, parliamentarians grieved the loss of a show that provides nostalgic comfort to so many who grew up with ‘Hockey Night in Canada.’ “As a hockey player and a hockey fan, it’s disappointing,” said Conservative Sen. David Wells, a Newfoundlander who grew up in the immediate aftermath of his homeland’s decision to become a province. “Ever since I can remember, I’ve been watching ‘Hockey Night in Canada’ on the CBC, until recently when the market forces have taken over.” “It’s a shame that Canada’s national game is not freely available to all Canadians.” The outcry stemming from the announcement also fosters a unique situation for Ottawa’s powerbrokers, as it’s a public concern that extends beyond the grip of policymakers. Liberal MP Mark Gerretsen (Kingston and the Islands, Ont.) said “somebody needs to look into it and reverse that.” “It’s horrible,” he told The Wire Report on Wednesday. “How long has it been going on? 74 years? 75 years?” “They need to come to a deal.” But, as is rarely the case, the federal government’s toolbox is empty. Rogers has the sole broadcasting rights and the Canadian telecom giant has full autonomy in deciding whether to allow the CBC to simulcast games. “I don’t have direct responsibility over CBC and I’m not aware of what the commercial terms and negotiations were,” said Canadian Identity Minister Marc Miller (Ville-Marie—Le Sud-Ouest—Île-des-Sœurs, Que.), whose portfolio is responsible for the public broadcaster. “It’s really disappointing they couldn’t get to a deal.” “People like me shouldn’t be involved in that negotiation directly, but I’m pretty disappointed.” Miller, a Montreal-area MP who told The Wire Report he has always preferred the French-language broadcast, acknowledged that ‘Hockey Night in Canada’ and its iconic Dolores Claman theme — which the CBC lost in 2008 — have been “part of many Canadians’ childhood.” “ this ship started to sail 11 years ago with the Rogers/Sportsnet deal,” he said. For NDP MP Heather McPherson (Edmonton Strathcona, Alta.), the program’s loss is a result of billion-dollar corporations making sure the public broadcaster is priced out of the sports media industry — which is to the detriment of all Canadians. “This isn’t just about hockey. It’s about what happens when a public good gets swallowed by a private monopoly,” McPherson, the New Democrat culture and sport critic, said in a statement. “Now, even CBC can’t get a seat at the table for the game we all love.” “Working families will need a Sportsnet subscription to watch their team. Lower income Canadians and folks in remote communities won’t be able to afford or access Rogers. This is not a broadcasting decision: it’s an affordability and accessibility decision. And it’s wrong.” After the initial $5.2 billion deal in 2014, Rogers recently agreed to pay $11 billion to extend its broadcasting rights window through the 2037-38 NHL season. In comparison, the entirety of CBC/Radio-Canada was allocated $1.38 billion in funding for the 2026-27 fiscal year under the government’s most recent spending plans. “It seems to be what’s going in that direction in terms of sports and cable, and maximizing the amount of revenue, so I’m not surprised,” said Liberal MP Chris Bittle (St. Catharines, Ont.). “I’m a bad Canadian I’m not the biggest hockey fan, but I know a lot of Canadians will be disappointed to see this.” Similarly, Liberal MP Lisa Hepfner (Hamilton Mountain, Ont.), who chairs the House heritage committee, called ‘Hockey Night in Canada’ a “tradition,” and said the whole ordeal is “sad.” “I think it means less access to hockey for people who particularly live in rural and remote areas of Canada,” she told The Wire Report. When asked if it’s an issue that could warrant study from the heritage committee, Hepfner said she wasn’t sure, and that she’ll “leave that to members.” Radio-Canada lost the French-language rights to ‘La Soirée du hockey’ to BCE Inc. property Réseau des sports after a 52-year run in 2004, but New Brunswick Sen. René Cormier suggested NHL broadcasts helps “bring people together” and create “cohesion in Canada,” adding that the end of the English-language program is a “regret.” Other parliamentarians offered a different perspective. Hockey is still hockey, they said, regardless of what channel you find it on. “Both CBC and ‘Hockey Night in Canada’ matter to me,” said Liberal MP Rob Oliphant (Don Valley West, Ont.). “If they’re married, that’s better. But I’m going to watch hockey , if it’s divorced, I keep my friendship with both parties.” Meanwhile, Alberta MP Corey Hogan (Calgary Confederation, Alta.) said the change is a testament to evolving viewing habits. “People aren’t getting antenna transmissions of TV, by and large, and people aren’t even getting cable,” he said. “We’re all accessing these things differently. It changes and it’s sad and we’re nostalgic for it, but we still got our hockey.” CBC has said it intends to keep the ‘Hockey Night in Canada’ brand alive, even if it will no longer underpin NHL broadcasts. “We’ll have more to say about how we do that over the summer,” said Chuck Thompson, who heads public affairs for the Crown corporation. The CBC did not respond to questions about whether it could use ‘Hockey Night in Canada’ to support future broadcasts of Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) games, which are expected to continue next season. dlegree@thewirereport.ca

Puck dropped: Parliamentarians decry loss of ‘Hockey Night in Canada’ on CBC

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By Davis Legree
|June 18, 2026

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Puck dropped: Parliamentarians decry loss of ‘Hockey Night in Canada’ on CBC

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