Fans Criticize Sportsnet's 'Saturday Night Hockey' Rebrand
Sportsnet debuted 'Saturday Night Hockey' on the first Saturday of the NHL season, replacing the Hockey Night in Canada branding. CBC did not air an NHL game on a Saturday night for the first time since 1952, showing cricket instead. Many fans expressed disappointment and nostalgia over the change.
The switch followed a June breakdown in sublicensing talks between Rogers and CBC. NHL games moved off CBC, while CBC retained the Hockey Night in Canada trademark. Sportsnet’s first Saturday Night Hockey slate on Oct. 3 included four games: Ottawa at Toronto, Montreal at Pittsburgh, Seattle at Edmonton, and Calgary at Vancouver.
CBC filled the former 7 p.m. ET NHL window with Canada Super60 Cricket League. Meanwhile, CBC has revived Hockey Night in Canada for PWHL coverage, with eight Saturday primetime games beginning Dec. 5, when Montreal Victoire host PWHL Hamilton. Rogers is in the first season of a 12-year, $11 billion national NHL rights agreement.
The rebrand could unsettle longtime Canadian NHL viewers who tied Saturday broadcasts to family routines and national identity. Sportsnet may face pressure to retain familiar presentation elements, while CBC’s cricket broadcast might introduce some viewers to a different sport. The PWHL’s use of the Hockey Night in Canada name may also draw new attention to women’s hockey. Overall, the change may gradually reshape how younger fans associate Saturday nights with hockey, though nostalgia could keep the old branding culturally powerful.