After 18 years on the air, “Hockey Night in Canada: Punjabi Edition” has been canceled, as announced on Friday. The Punjabi-language sportscast expressed how the show had brought the community closer to the beloved game since its launch in 2008. It highlighted the stories of South Asian players and families, creating a unique space in Canadian sports. Rogers Sportsnet, the national NHL rights-holder, described the cancellation as a tough decision due to insufficient audience levels to sustain long-term production.
Jagraj Lalli, a commentator on the show since the fall, shared his shock upon learning about the cancellation. He had cherished the role as his dream job since childhood, even pretending to call play-by-plays in his parents’ living room. Lalli emphasized that the show’s mission and connections would endure, ensuring that the bond between Punjabi language, community, and North American sports remains unbroken.
Fans expressed disappointment online following the cancellation, remembering the show with fondness. They appreciated the representation it provided for the South Asian diaspora in the sport of hockey. Despite the cancellation, the impact and legacy of “Hockey Night in Canada: Punjabi Edition” are set to endure, resonating with fans and aspiring broadcasters from the Punjabi community.
The final season of the show saw an average audience of just 1,500 viewers, with over half of the games averaging fewer than 1,000 viewers, according to Sportsnet. Alumni like Bhupinder Singh Hundal also reflected online, expressing gratitude for the doors the show opened and the pride it brought to the Punjabi language, culture, and community on a national platform.
This news follows CBC’s decision in June to cease broadcasting “Hockey Night in Canada” after almost a century, due to the inability to reach a new sublicensing deal with Sportsnet. Rogers also shut down Vancouver’s sports radio station, Sportsnet 650, in July after nearly a decade on the air.
