Saturday Night Hockey’s cuts persist in a different format.
It has already been a summer of significant changes to how you watch hockey in Canada, and it appears that even more adjustments are on the way.
On Sunday, reports began to surface that Jennifer Botterill, a panelist for Hockey Night in Canada, would not be returning for the 2026–27 National Hockey League regular season, a decision that would mark the conclusion of her 6-season tenure on the panel. Early indications suggest Botterill will leave the show, just like her ex-co-host Kelly Hrudey, who officially confirmed his departure earlier this summer, even though the report has not yet been formally verified.
But even more startling is the reality that Elliotte Friedman and Kevin Bieksa’s futures are uncertain. Friedman and Bieksa are far more crucial to the broadcast, and it would be a horrible mistake to lose either of them, with all due respect to Hrudey and Botterill.
Perhaps the most well-known insider in the National Hockey League, Friedman is highlighted on radio shows throughout the hockey media landscape and is the main personality on the incredibly popular 32 Thoughts podcast.
However, Bieksa has successfully made the transition from his NHL playing career and is currently one of the most esteemed on-air hockey experts in the business.
Watch for further information on this rapidly unfolding tale.
