Sportsnet president addresses significant changes and Don Cherry rumour

​So much happened at the network during the course of the summer…

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HockeyFeed
Published 4 years ago
Sportsnet president addresses significant changes and Don Cherry rumour
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It was a tough summer for fans and employees of Sportsnet with a string of high-profile departures and lineup shuffles taking place before the 2019-20 season got under way. 

Nick Kypreos, who had been with the network since it launched back in 1998, announced his departure in August. Reporter John Shannon and veteran journalist Scott Morrison also left, along with Doug MacLean who parted ways, too. Bob McCown, the long-time afternoon drive host with Sportsnet 590 The Fan, signed off in June. And that on top of several soccer analysts who parted ways as well. 

We finally got some answers from Sportsnet president Bart Yabsley to why it happened and if more victims were to come - yes, we mean Don Cherry

Many wonder if the Coach would be back after he addressed speculation Sportsnet was not planning to bring him back for another season on “Hockey Night in Canada.”, adding he had no intention to retire his familiar seat on Coach’s Corner.

Sportsnet president Bart Yabsley made it clear to Sean Fitz-Gerald of The Athletic on Wednesday: Cherry isn’t going anywhere.

“Don’s a Canadian icon,” Yabsley said on Monday. “There’s just no question about it.”

Would he be back on air this season?

“A hundred percent,” he said. “Absolutely. He’s back.”

He said “there was really never any question” Cherry would return this year.

As for the departures and significant changes on the air, Yabsley explained they were about “trying to set the business for the future.”

“We’re in tremendous shape,” he said. “We’ve got rights that, really, would be the envy of any sports network in the world. We’ve got some amazing people who work here.”
“We’re evolving as a business,” he added. “It’s not about this summer. It’s not about this season. It’s about the next five, 10, 15 years.”

It seems like there is no regret here…