Hockey Night in Canada returns... but with no NHL

For nearly a century, Saturday nights in Canada have meant one thing: hockey on CBC. It's been a ritual passed down through generations, from the radio days of the 1930s to the television era that kicked off in 1952. But after the sublicensing deal between CBC and Rogers Communications expired following last spring's NHL playoffs, the future of the iconic "Hockey Night in Canada" brand was left hanging in the balance. Now we know what's next, and it's not exactly what most fans expected.

The PWHL is taking over the Saturday night spotlight on CBC.

A New Era for an Iconic Brand

The Professional Women's Hockey League and CBC jointly announced on Monday that eight prime-time PWHL games will air under the Hockey Night in Canada banner this season. The first broadcast will feature the reigning champion Montreal Victoire hosting the expansion Hamilton franchise on December 5, kicking off what both sides are calling a groundbreaking chapter for the sport.

While CBC held onto the "Hockey Night in Canada" name after its split with Rogers, the network no longer has access to NHL content. That left a gaping hole in its programming, one that the rapidly growing PWHL is now stepping in to fill. CBC Sports executive director Chris Wilson framed the move as a natural evolution rather than a consolation prize.

"Hockey is more than the NHL now," Wilson said. "For us to take the brand and spread it right now onto the PWHL for this coming season and maybe to other areas down the road, we're really optimistic that it will breathe life into the brand for the long term."

The broadcasts will feature the full treatment fans have come to expect from Hockey Night: pre-game and post-game panel analysis, plus digital content on the CBC Sports website. Staying true to tradition, every game aired will feature at least one Canadian-based team. The games will also be part of CBC Sports Primetime, a new weekly Saturday night sports show launching this weekend that will cover athletes across hockey, cricket, figure skating, and curling.

The PWHL's Expanding Footprint

This broadcasting deal comes at a pivotal moment for the PWHL, which is entering its fourth season with a significantly larger footprint. The league has ballooned from its original roster to 12 teams, adding four expansion franchises in Detroit, Las Vegas, San Jose, and Hamilton. The season opens December 5 with three games, headlined by the Seattle Torrent visiting the Vancouver Goldeneyes in a rematch of last season's opener between the league's 2025 expansion clubs.

The remaining six teams get underway December 6, with matchups including Ottawa vs. Toronto, New York vs. Boston, and an all-expansion clash between Las Vegas and Detroit. The regular season is set to run through April, though the league hasn't yet confirmed how many games each team will play following the expansion. The full schedule drops Friday.

PWHL executive VP of business operations Amy Scheer called the CBC partnership "another groundbreaking step" for the league, emphasizing the significance of being associated with the Hockey Night in Canada brand that has "ritually captivated hockey fans for nearly a century."

Academics and hockey historians seem to agree this could be a turning point. Michael McKinley, author of "Hockey Night in Canada: 60 Seasons," pointed out that CBC essentially invented the NHL broadcast as we know it, and now has the chance to be pioneers once again with women's hockey. Brock University sport management professor Mike Naraine predicted a significant boost in viewership simply from the prime-time Saturday night slot on a national broadcaster.

Radio-Canada has also picked up exclusive radio broadcast rights for all Victoire games in Canada this season, adding another layer of coverage. The PWHL will continue to be available across TSN, Sportsnet, and Amazon Prime as well, so the CBC deal is additive rather than exclusive.

Whether Saturday night hockey on CBC hits the same way without Connor McDavid and Sidney Crosby remains to be seen. But with women's hockey riding a wave of momentum and the league doubling in size, this is clearly more than just a stopgap measure. The PWHL isn't borrowing the Hockey Night in Canada brand. It's trying to earn it.