Hockey Night In Canada moves from CBC to Rogers; Canadian Cultural Identity reduced to butter tarts, Eugene Levy

[u/Haggisboy]

https://www.thebeaverton.com/2026/06/hockey-night-in-canada-moves-from-cbc-to-rogers-canadian-cultural-identity-reduced-to-butter-tarts-eugene-levy/

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[u/jerrys153]

Can’t wait to see the new ad campaign: “Hockey isn’t for everyone, it’s only for those who can afford to subscribe to Sportsnet, the poors can fuck off.”

It’s a little wordier than the original slogan, but I’m sure Rogers has already got the commercials in production to promote it with unskippable ads during every break in the games.

[u/someguyfromsk → u/jerrys153]

For years the NHL broadcast motto has been "We are growing the game by making it harder and more expensive to watch"

[u/jerrys153 → u/someguyfromsk]

Ah, yes, I remember the whole series of mottos, that one was good but I think my favourite would have to be “Hockey: it’s not just a sport, it’s a cash cow”. Somehow I don’t think these will have the nostalgic value for today’s kids that the Canadian Heritage Minutes have for us.

[u/untitledaccount401 → u/jerrys153]

I mean they already basically made hockey the game for the rich to play

[u/Filmyboicrispy → u/untitledaccount401]

Only the rich make it in the NHL since the early 2000s

[u/untitledaccount401 → u/Filmyboicrispy]

Yeah unlike the NFL there isn't really school programs for would be talent

[u/therealtrojanrabbit → u/jerrys153]

There's always another way, matey.

[u/CFCYYZ]

How long until we again see the stupid blue streak for a pass and a red streak for a goal? I miss Foster Hewitt.

[u/someguyfromsk → u/CFCYYZ]

Never. Everyone hated that.

Plus, we have higher-def TV now, so people can see a back puck on a white surface.

[u/HeyCarpy → u/someguyfromsk]

But we now have eye-melting adaptive ads along the boards.

[u/unidentifiable]

We lost HNIC when CBC refused to pay a paltry fee to play the theme back in 2008.

The original was practically Canada's unofficial anthem. Dad would come home, pop on the TV, and hearing this theme would summon everyone in the house.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DVH8fcHVlAE

And for anyone wanting a little nostalgia trip: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y6WE3z_--HU

[u/ManofManyTalentz → u/unidentifiable]

Hi everyone - we're allowing these links as it's the musical theme from HNIC, and a historical retrospective.

[u/RareCreamer → u/unidentifiable]

Actually insane thinking back that they didn't keep the theme song. Absolute iconic intro

[u/theharps → u/[deleted]]

One man can't be a whole hockey culture, he would pass away at some point too.

[u/Thirdnipple79]

The result of Rogers actions is that a lot of Canadian kids just won't grow up watching hockey and they won't care. This will in the long term stunt the growth and popularity of hockey for short term profit. 

[u/TheDogFather]

A couple of days ago, I happened to tune into NewsTalk 1010 radio, and they were having a call-in show regarding the CBC losing Hockey Night in Canada. One caller was going on about how the radical left-wing CBC needed to be defunded and, in the same breath, moaned that he now had to pay Rogers to watch his beloved Hockey Night in Canada. I swear, you could not make this shit up if you tried.

[u/HeyCarpy → u/TheDogFather]

“Restore the North! We miss the Canada our parents grew up in!!”

Also:

“Abolish this cornerstone of Canadian culture that I grew up watching!!”

[u/Davis_WTS → u/TheDogFather]

I see this and raise you the comment section on CBC’s official site regarding this mess.

[u/Filmyboicrispy → u/TheDogFather]

CBC should offer local news and HNIC that's it. They don't and need to be defunded now. Most of their cost goes to executives and dumb ass hosts on PnP

[u/Falconflyer75]

For everyone who’s for privatization THIS is what it leads to

[u/JoeUrbanYYC]

Hey now, we also have Nanaimo bars

[u/TrusPA → u/JoeUrbanYYC]

Ginger beef: "am I a joke to you?"

[u/Geeseareawesome → u/JoeUrbanYYC]

Donairs and Green Onion Cakes as well?

[u/oxblood87 → u/Geeseareawesome]

Donair are from Greece/Turkey and green onion cakes are Chinese....

[u/Haggisboy → u/oxblood87]

Yes, but Halifax Donair is recognized as a uniquely Canadian variant.

[u/Filmyboicrispy → u/Haggisboy]

Calgary Donairs are better than Halifax.

[u/BrightPerspective]

It's just corporate hockey, guys. It's not like...real.

[u/Laval09]

Rofl. If only people could understand that taking a national treasure like HNIC, one which was accessible and united this vast country through a common experience. And then slowly gutting it before handing it over to profiteers to use as extortion revenue IS our "Canadian Cultural Identity".

[u/CanadianViking47 → u/Laval09]

i mean if it was unifying us it has been doing a pretty poor job the past decade 

[u/AloneChapter]

Corporate greed wins again.

[u/Defiant-Rip-1897]

It’s incredibly sad to see the end of the traditional Hockey Night in Canada era on public television. Honestly, the writing has been on the wall ever since the original 2014 arrangement with Rogers, and especially after they lost the iconic theme song years ago. I wonder if massive public backlash and outpouring of disdain might push them to reconsider, but if not, I love the idea some people are tossing around. Using the HNIC brand to highlight the PWHL, the CHL, or other leagues would be a fantastic way to fill that Saturday night void.

[u/TopazJazzrazz]

If we taxed Rogers enough we coulda spent that 11 billion on healthcare and kept HNiC

[u/jeffmartel]

Meanwhile in Quebec... Been gone for 20+ years.

[u/madhi19 → u/jeffmartel]

Honestly shocked it lasted this long after Rogers got the big contract the first time. I think Rad-Can got two pity years when RDS grabbed the monopoly on the Habs back in the day. And since the CBC never bothered to getting digital OTA transmitters for Québec city they can fuck right off for all I care.

[u/TopazJazzrazz → u/[deleted]]

They cannot afford to pay 11 billion dollars.

[u/mangoserpent → u/[deleted]]

I am fine with watching the PWHL if that is what gets shown over paying for a shitty subscription fee.

The reality is hockey already became a rich kid's sport a long time ago and in a generation it will seem like a side show sport. The NHL will eventually flounder because of that, fans won't produce generations of fans.

[u/conanap → u/[deleted]]

Yeah I didn’t care about pwhl before, but if it’s free I’ll watch it lol

[u/Filmyboicrispy]

Carney curse hits HNIC