Sportsnet now under fire over new NHL broadcast lineup

Just days after Sportsnet generated positive buzz by confirming the return of fan favorites Elliotte Friedman and Kevin Bieksa to a revamped Saturday night broadcast, the network is drawing scrutiny for a very different reason. Not a single woman will appear on its NHL studio panels when the 2026-27 season gets underway.

The issue became clear when Sportsnet unveiled its full broadcast lineups this week. The newly branded Saturday Night Hockey show will feature Friedman, Bieksa, Colby Armstrong, and longtime host Ron MacLean. Monday Night Hockey, which will stream exclusively on Sportsnet+, will be hosted by David Amber alongside analysts Luke Gazdic and Justin Williams.

Conspicuously missing from both panels is Jennifer Botterill, the three-time Olympic gold medalist and recent Hockey Hall of Fame inductee who had served as a studio analyst on Hockey Night in Canada and other Sportsnet telecasts for more than five years.

Her departure reportedly came as no surprise to those following the situation closely. Rumors had circulated for some time that her contract would not be renewed.

Friedman acknowledged the changes on the 32 Thoughts Podcast, expressing genuine sentiment about the departures of several colleagues. "I've worked with Kelly and Scott for 20-plus years," Friedman said, referring to Kelly Hrudey and the retiring Scott Oake. "It's going to be weird without them. Jennifer, we worked together for, I think, six years now. It's going to be very weird not to work with her. I'll miss all of them."

Caroline Cameron, who previously hosted Wednesday Night Hockey for the network, was also absent from the announcement. While Cameron remains under contract with Sportsnet, she is currently on maternity leave and will not be part of broadcasts when the season begins. Wednesday NHL games have since moved to Prime Video.

The result is a broadcast operation that, at least to start the season, will not feature a single woman in a studio or rinkside role across its NHL programming.

The optics are particularly striking given the broader push across professional sports media to diversify on-air talent. Sportsnet's announcement about lifting 150 regional blackouts and offering more than 550 nationally available games was meant to signal an ambitious new era for the network's hockey coverage.

While the excitement around Friedman and Bieksa's return has been genuine, it has been partially overshadowed by questions about what the all-male panels say about Sportsnet's direction, and whether the network plans to address the gap as the season progresses.