Signage and a display feature are photographed at the Sportsnet office in Toronto on Sept. 30, 2019. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Tijana Martin
October 03, 2026 - 1:00 AM
TORONTO — A new-look Saturday night hockey broadcast will make its debut for Canadian viewers tonight.
With the NHL not returning to CBC's "Hockey Night in Canada," Sportsnet is pivoting to a new title, "Saturday Night Hockey," for its marquee Saturday night broadcast.
The four-game opening slate has Ottawa visiting Toronto, Montreal at Pittsburgh, Seattle at Edmonton and Calgary at Vancouver. Ron MacLean will host the "Saturday Night Hockey" panel alongside Kevin Bieksa, Elliotte Friedman and Colby Armstrong.
Domestic rights-holder Rogers Communications and the CBC did not renew their sublicensing agreement for this season. Sportsnet is part of Rogers Sports & Media, which is a subsidiary of Rogers Communications.
The CBC plans to broadcast Professional Women's Hockey League games on "Hockey Night in Canada" this season.
When Rogers secured a 12-year deal with the NHL that started in 2014, it partnered with the CBC to continue Hockey Night. The current campaign is the first season of Rogers' new 12-year, $11-billion deal with the league.
The CBC first aired "Hockey Night in Canada" on television in 1952. The program has been a Saturday-night mainstay for generations of hockey fans.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 3, 2026.
News from © The Canadian Press, 2026