For the first time in nearly three‑quarters of a century, Hockey Night in Canada will not air on CBC when the NHL season begins this fall. CBC confirmed the change after its sublicensing agreement with Rogers Sportsnet expired at the end of the Stanley Cup Playoffs — and was not renewed.
The move marks a major shift in Canadian broadcasting. Hockey Night in Canada has aired on CBC since the 1950s, becoming one of the most recognizable and enduring programs in the country’s media landscape. But under the NHL’s national rights deal, Rogers owns the broadcast rights — including the Hockey Night in Canada brand — and has chosen to keep all games on its own platforms going forward.
CBC had been carrying Saturday‑night national games and all four playoff rounds under the previous arrangement, even though it no longer held the rights. That window has now closed.
Rogers begins a new phase of its long‑term NHL rights cycle this fall, and the company says consolidating broadcasts under the Sportsnet umbrella is part of that strategy.
For viewers, the change means CBC will no longer air any NHL games, and Saturday nights will look very different on the public broadcaster. Rogers has not yet announced any major format changes to Hockey Night in Canada itself, only that it will now be exclusive to Sportsnet channels and streaming platforms.
More updates are expected as networks finalize their fall schedules.
