CBC’s Hockey Night in Canada is returning for a 90th season this fall after all.
But instead of six-plus months of NHL action, the longest-running sports program in the world will air eight prime time Professional Women’s Hockey League games on Saturday nights, the CBC announced Monday morning.
Beginning Dec. 5, with the defending Walter Cup champion Montreal Victoire hosting Hamilton’s expansion team, HNIC will provide comprehensive coverage, including pre- and post-game panel analysis and accompanying digital content on CBCSports.ca and social media.
On June 16, the CBC announced it would no longer broadcast NHL games after it and national rights-holder Rogers Sportsnet were unable to come to agreement on a new sublicensing deal.
Canada’s national public broadcaster retained the Hockey Night in Canada trademark should it wish to incorporate the brand into future coverage.
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“Our partnership with the PWHL opens a new chapter in sports history,” Chris Wilson, CBC’s executive director of Sports and Olympics, said. “We are proud to announce the return of the iconic Hockey Night in Canada brand, building on this beloved Canadian tradition with the PWHL’s growing fanbase and providing audiences across the country with free access to world-class hockey.”
The PWHL is expected to launch its fourth season in late November or early December, and now boasts 12 teams after adding expansion teams in Detroit, Las Vegas, San Jose, and Hamilton for the upcoming season. The full PWHL season schedule will be unveiled this Friday.
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Keeping with tradition, each HNIC game will feature a Canadian-based team.
Amy Scheer, PWHL executive vice-president of business operations, said the partnership with CBC has been instrumental in the accessibility and growth of the league.
“Hockey Night in Canada is a fixture in Canadian sports culture, and its Saturday night schedule has ritually captivated hockey fans for nearly a century,” she said. “The opportunity to be part of this iconic brand represents another groundbreaking step for the PWHL to connect with our fans and forge new traditions together.”
Beyond airing eight Saturday games, CBC/Radio-Canada has acquired exclusive audio broadcast rights for all Victoire games in Canada during the 2026-27 season.
CBC Sports Primetime, a new weekly Saturday show hosted by Andi Petrillo, will premiere Oct. 3. Radio-Canada’s new weekly Sunday show, Rendez-vous Podium, follows with an Oct. 18 debut, hosted by Jacinthe Taillon.
Primetime, airing on CBC and streaming on CBC Gem, will launch with the Canada Super60 cricket league. It will feature major sporting events, professional women’s sports and unmatched coverage of Canada’s high performance as they compete at home and around the world, in Olympic and Paralympic sport.
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The October broadcast schedule will include the Grand Slam of Curling and ISU Figure Skating Grand Prix.
“We’re delivering on our commitment to equal coverage of women’s sports across our platforms and look forward to elevating the athletes and stories at the heart of the game,” Wilson said.
Radio-Canada’s Rendez-vous Podium will combine athletic performances with human stories and be available on ICI Tele, the French-language general television network, on Sunday afternoons along with the ICI TOU. TV French streaming service.
The series will combine live events and stories about people making a difference at the elite and amateur levels, allowing the viewer to catch up with athletes and follow their journey to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
