- CBC made it official Monday, bringing back Hockey Night in Canada with the PWHL
- The Montreal Victoire host PWHL Hamilton in the first HNIC game on Dec. 5
- Read below for how many games CBC will air, the full opening weekend and the video teaser
Hockey Night in Canada is back on CBC. The NHL just isn’t part of it anymore.
CBC/Radio-Canada announced Monday morning that the Saturday night institution will return this season in partnership with the PWHL. The network will air eight primetime PWHL games on Saturdays, complete with pre- and post-game panel coverage.
The first one goes Dec. 5. The defending Walter Cup champion Montreal Victoire host expansion side PWHL Hamilton at Place Bell at 7 p.m. ET.
Check out the league’s announcement:
Justin Levine reported last week that a Hockey Night revival with the PWHL was on the way. The league used its Hockey Hall of Fame event on Thursday to announce its first-ever All-Star Game instead, and the broadcast news landed Monday.
CBC hasn’t carried an NHL game since June. The public broadcaster announced on June 16 that it would stop airing NHL hockey after it and Rogers Sportsnet couldn’t agree on a new sublicensing deal, ending a run of NHL games on CBC that started in 1952. CBC kept the Hockey Night in Canada trademark, though, and now it has something to put under it.
Keeping with tradition, every HNIC game will feature a Canadian-based team.
Chris Wilson, CBC’s executive director of Sports and Olympics, talked about bringing the brand back.
“Our partnership with the PWHL opens a new chapter in sports history,” Wilson said. “We are proud to announce the return of the iconic Hockey Night in Canada brand, building on this beloved Canadian tradition with the PWHL’s growing fanbase and providing audiences across the country with free access to world-class hockey.”
PWHL executive vice-president of business operations Amy Scheer spoke about what the name means for her league.
“Hockey Night in Canada is a fixture in Canadian sports culture, and its Saturday night schedule has ritually captivated hockey fans for nearly a century,” Scheer said. “The opportunity to be part of this iconic brand represents another groundbreaking step for the PWHL to connect with our fans and forge new traditions together.”
Take a look at the PWHL’s teaser video:
The league now has 12 teams after adding Detroit, Las Vegas, San Jose and Hamilton, and every one of them plays on opening weekend. Here’s how it shakes out:
- Dec. 5: Seattle Torrent at Vancouver Goldeneyes
- Dec. 5: PWHL Hamilton at Montreal Victoire (Hockey Night in Canada, 7 p.m. ET)
- Dec. 5: Minnesota Frost at San Jose
- Dec. 6: Toronto Sceptres at Ottawa Charge
- Dec. 6: Boston Fleet at New York Sirens
- Dec. 6: Detroit at Las Vegas
CBC also picked up exclusive audio rights for every Victoire game in Canada this season. On top of that, the network is launching CBC Sports Primetime, a new weekly Saturday show hosted by Andi Petrillo, on Oct. 3.
Here’s CBC Sports with the news:
The rest of the PWHL schedule, including the other seven Hockey Night dates, drops Friday.
