Sportsnet's 'Saturday Night Hockey' debuts Oct. 3, season opens with Oilers game
The rebrand ends a 12-year sublicensing deal that had put NHL games on CBC, though CBC keeps the 'Hockey Night in Canada' name.
Why it matters
The season opener puts the Edmonton Oilers in the national spotlight as Sportsnet takes over full national NHL broadcasting from CBC.
Sportsnet has named its new flagship broadcast 'Saturday Night Hockey,' replacing 'Hockey Night in Canada' after ending a 12-year sublicensing agreement with CBC that put NHL games on the public broadcaster. CBC retains rights to the 'Hockey Night in Canada' brand, but will no longer air the games.
The new show debuts Oct. 3, hosted by Ron MacLean with panellists Kevin Bieksa, Elliotte Friedman and Colby Armstrong. Longtime panellists Kelly Hrudey and Jennifer Botterill are not part of the new lineup; Hrudey said last month his contract was not renewed. The Saturday broadcast will run a weekly doubleheader featuring at least one Canadian team, with the Oct. 3 debut showcasing all seven Canadian teams across four games.
Sportsnet also released its full 2026-27 NHL schedule, covering more than 550 games and lifting 150 regional blackouts. 'Monday Night Hockey' returns Oct. 5 on Sportsnet+, hosted by David Amber with analysts Luke Gazdic and Justin Williams. The regular season opens Sept. 29 with a doubleheader of Montreal at Toronto followed by Vancouver at Edmonton.
Sportsnet will also broadcast the NHL's marquee events, including the Heritage Classic, Winter Classic, All-Star Weekend and Stadium Series, along with the Stanley Cup playoffs — except for three early-round series set to stream exclusively on Prime Video.
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