After nearly 75 years, the final horn has sounded on CBC’s iconic Hockey Night in Canada program. The recent decision by CBC and Rogers Communications to end the sub-licensing deal that allowed CBC to air National Hockey League games has been met with a mix of anger, regret, disappointment and sadness.

Some called for defunding the national public broadcaster and others bemoaned the failures of successive federal governments to properly invest in the CBC. Many other Canadians, however, mourned the loss while simultaneously breathing a sigh of relief when the CBC finally handed over NHL broadcasting rights to private, for-profit networks.

It’s certainly a good time to reminisce and reflect on the significance of this cherished tradition of Canadian culture.

But a more fulsome discussion moves beyond emotion and nostalgia for a bygone era. It recognizes the historical relationship between CBC and Canada’s game, how the NHL and the media landscape have fundamentally changed and considers the opportunities that may lie ahead.

The ‘Hockey Night in Canada’ tradition

What developed into a time-honoured tradition uniting hockey fans across the country originated in the 1920s with the first radio broadcasts. Radio broadcaster Foster Hewitt’s greeting — “Hello Canada and hockey fans in the United........

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