Elliotte Friedman and Kevin Bieksa both rumored to be leaving Sportsnet

Ron MacLean will return to Sportsnet for the 2026-27 NHL season, extending one of the longest and most recognizable broadcasting careers in Canadian hockey history.

Jonah Siegel of the Toronto Star reports today that while Rogers Sportsnet has yet to negotiate contracts for the likes of Elliotte Friedman and Kevin Bieksa, that MacLean will indeed be back on the Sportsnet hockey panel.

Interestingly enough, Siegel reports that neither Friedman nor Bieksa have deals for the upcoming season and he even mentions Amazon Prime as an option for the two popular analysts.

I mean...

If Sportsnet is putting their stock in MacLean over Friedman and Bieksa, I think that says everything you need to know about how they handle their business. MacLean is, obviously, a legend of Canadian broadcasting but his popularity has waned in recent years, particularly since the messy and highly publicized end of his partnership with Don Cherry.

Meanwhile, Friedman has established himself as the sport's undisputed #1 insider and Bieksa has taken the media world by storm since retiring from the NHL in 2018.

Nothing has been finalized, and it would be premature to suggest either man is definitely leaving Sportsnet, but the possibility is particularly intriguing given that Prime Video is beginning a new 12-year agreement to exclusively carry Wednesday Night Hockey in Canada and selected playoff series starting in 2026-27.

Friedman, of course, brings decades of broadcasting experience to the table. He began his career in sports media in the 1990s, worked across radio and television, and spent 11 seasons with CBC's Hockey Night in Canada before joining Sportsnet in 2014. Since then, he has become arguably the most connected and influential NHL insider in the business, combining breaking news and trade reporting with his regular 32 Thoughts work and a unique ability to turn even the smallest league rumour into compelling television.

Bieksa took a much different route to the television studio. The former NHL defenseman spent more than a decade playing in the league, most notably becoming a key member of the Vancouver Canucks teams that reached the Stanley Cup Final in 2011. But while many former players have tried their hand at broadcasting after retirement, Bieksa quickly proved to be something different. He brought the perspective of a recently retired player, but also a sharp sense of humour, a willingness to challenge conventional thinking and, perhaps most importantly, absolutely no fear of saying what he thinks.

That is where his chemistry with Friedman has become so valuable to Sportsnet. Friedman can be analytical, cautious and deliberately vague when protecting sources or discussing a developing story. Bieksa, meanwhile, is often the perfect counterweight: blunt, skeptical and more than willing to interrupt Friedman with a sarcastic jab when the insider starts wandering too deeply into one of his famously elaborate explanations.

Their relationship feels natural because neither appears to be trying too hard to manufacture television chemistry. Bieksa pokes fun at Friedman's quirks, Friedman plays along, and the two can move seamlessly from serious hockey analysis to playful arguments and back again. In many ways, they represent the modern Sportsnet panel at its best: one brings the information, the other brings the player's perspective, and both bring enough personality to make an intermission segment feel less rehearsed.

That is why the latest contract uncertainty is worth watching. Losing either Friedman or Bieksa would be significant for Sportsnet, but losing both would fundamentally change the personality of its NHL coverage. And if Amazon Prime Video can lure one or both into its expanding hockey operation, Canadian viewers may soon discover that the Friedman-Bieksa double act is valuable enough to follow wherever it goes. For now, however, the key word is still uncertainty: reports indicate discussions and possible interest in Amazon work, but no deal with either Sportsnet or Amazon has been announced.