Hockey Night in Canada Is Changing—and the PWHL Is Taking Center Stage
For generations of Canadian hockey fans, Saturday night has been synonymous with Hockey Night in Canada.
The tradition stretches back decades, beginning with radio broadcasts in the 1930s before moving to television in 1952. But following the end of the CBC-Rogers sublicensing arrangement after last season’s NHL playoffs, the future of the iconic brand entered unfamiliar territory.
Now, its next chapter has been revealed.
And it will look very different.
PWHL Takes Over Saturday Night on CBC
The Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) and CBC announced Monday that eight prime-time games will be broadcast under the Hockey Night in Canada banner during the upcoming season.
The first broadcast is scheduled for December 5, when the defending champion Montreal Victoire hosts the expansion Hamilton team.
For CBC, the agreement provides a new way to keep one of Canada’s most recognizable sports brands connected to hockey despite no longer carrying NHL games.
CBC retained the Hockey Night in Canada name after its NHL relationship with Rogers ended, but the loss of NHL broadcasts left the network needing a new direction for the Saturday-night franchise.
The PWHL is now filling that space.
CBC Wants to Expand the Meaning of Hockey
CBC Sports executive director Chris Wilson described the move as part of a broader evolution for the brand.
The network’s position is that Canadian hockey culture extends beyond the NHL, and bringing women’s professional hockey into the Hockey Night in Canada presentation gives the brand an opportunity to reach a new audience while maintaining its connection to the sport.
Fans can still expect much of the familiar presentation.
The eight broadcasts will include pre-game and post-game analysis, while additional digital coverage will be available through CBC Sports.
There is also a nod to tradition: every PWHL game selected for the Hockey Night in Canada package will feature at least one Canadian-based team.
The broadcasts will also be incorporated into CBC Sports Primetime, a new Saturday-night program covering multiple sports, including hockey, cricket, figure skating and curling.
A Major Moment for the PWHL
The agreement arrives as the PWHL continues to expand.
The league is entering its fourth season and has grown to 12 teams, following the addition of franchises in Detroit, Las Vegas, San Jose and Hamilton.
The new campaign begins December 5 with three games on the schedule, including a meeting between the Seattle Torrent and Vancouver Goldeneyes—a rematch of last season’s opening-day matchup between the league’s two 2025 expansion teams.
For CBC, this represents a major change to one of Canada’s longest-running sports traditions.
For the PWHL, it provides a prominent national platform.
And for hockey fans, Saturday nights in Canada are about to look noticeably different.
