Hockey Night in Canada
Hockey Night in Canada: A Canadian Saturday night cultural fixture from 1931 to the present.
Hockey Night in Canada (often abbreviated Hockey Night or HNiC) is a long-running program which broadcasts ice hockey play-by-play coverage of National Hockey League games on radio and then television in Canada from 1931 to the present, with no known end date. Its roots are pioneering hockey coverage that was carried on local private radio stations as early as 1923. The national radio broadcast began in 1931 as the General Motors Hockey Broadcast, featuring the Toronto Maple Leafs, and by 1933 was also broadcasting Montreal games in Quebec. The broadcast gained its long-standing name shortly after becoming one of the founding programs of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) when it was formed in 1936.
- Network
- CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation)
- Primary Role
- National Weekly Hockey Broadcast
- Key Era Coverage
- Oilers Dynasty (1980s) to Present
- Signature Music
- The Hockey Theme by Harry Freedman
- Broadcast Scope
- Nationwide across Canada
Lore & Background
With the launch of CBC Television in 1952, the program became a Canadian Saturday night cultural fixture and was an exclusive mainstay of CBC Sports through the 2013–14 NHL season. Hockey Night in Canada continued to be simulcast on CBC Radio until 1965. On television, it expanded to several other outlets in a cross-licensing arrangement following Rogers Media's acquisition of exclusive NHL television rights in Canada beginning in 2014–15; the CBC maintains ownership of the Hockey Night in Canada brand itself. Saturday NHL broadcasts began in 1931 on the CNR Radio network, and debuted on television in 1952. Doubleheader games debuted in 1995 at 7:30 pm and 10:30 pm (ET) start times. From 1998 onward, the games began at 7:00 pm and 10:00 pm (ET). The broadcast features various segments during the intermissions and between games, as well as pre-game and post-game coverage of games that day, and player interviews. It also shows the hosts' opinions on news and issues occurring in the league. Ahead of the 2014–15 season, Rogers Media secured exclusive national multimedia rights to NHL games and would sub-license Saturday night and playoff games to the CBC. In addition, the HNiC brand would be licensed to Rogers for Sportsnet-produced Saturday NHL broadcasts airing on CBC Television, as well as the Rogers-owned Citytv and Sportsnet outlets. This sub-license agreement runs through the end of the Rogers deal with the NHL.
In Their Own Story
The air in Northlands Coliseum hummed with a distinct electricity, a vibration that traveled through the floorboards and up the legs of the players. It was a crisp Saturday night in February, and the familiar strains of Harry Freedman's theme echoed from the speakers, signaling to millions across the country that the Oilers were about to take the ice. In the stands, families clad in orange and blue leaned forward as the puck dropped, united not just by geography but by the shared anticipation of a national broadcast.
Reader's Guide
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Did You Know?
- The program began broadcasting Saturday-night Toronto Maple Leafs games on November 12, 1931, over the Canadian National Railway radio network.
- Instant replay made its world debut on a 1956 HNIC broadcast, according to the CBC.
- The Vancouver Canucks joined the NHL in 1970–71, increasing the number of HNIC venues from two to three.
- During the 197
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