Hockey Night in Canada Punjabi Canceled After 18 Seasons Following Sportsnet Cuts
“Hockey Night in Canada: Punjabi Edition” has been officially canceled after an 18-year broadcast run, Sportsnet announced on August 14, 2026. Distributed via OMNI Television, the multilingual Saturday night show became a cultural cornerstone and launched viral announcer Harnarayan Singh into international fame before fading due to unsustainable audience metrics.
Fantasy & Market Impact
The End of an 18-Year Broadcast Pioneer
The announcement arrived via social media on a Friday in August 2026, marking the conclusion of a revolutionary era in Canadian sports broadcasting. According to Sportsnet, audience levels simply were not strong enough to sustain the production long-term. The program initially launched on CBC in 2008 before migrating to Rogers-owned OMNI when broadcast rights shifted. Over nearly two decades, the show brought communities closer to the game by broadcasting NHL matchups in Punjabi every Saturday night.
The program gained global notoriety for the exuberant calls of announcers like Harnarayan Singh. His legendary “Bonino! Bonino! Bonino!” call of Pittsburgh Penguins center Nick Bonino’s game-winning goal in Game 1 of the 2016 Stanley Cup Final against the San Jose Sharks cemented the show’s place in hockey lore. Alongside Singh, host Randip Janda broke barriers as a prominent voice, later working with Sportsnet on Vancouver Canucks game broadcasts as the first full-time radio commentator of South Asian descent in NHL history.
Broadcasting Landscape Shifts Under Rogers and CBC
This cancellation represents only the latest seismic shift for the overarching Hockey Night in Canada brand. In June, Sportsnet and the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) confirmed that the public broadcaster would no longer carry traditional NHL broadcasts—a partnership that began back in 1952. Rogers Communications had signed a massive 12-year, $5.2 billion exclusive deal with the NHL in 2013, sublicensing weekly games back to CBC to maintain the legacy HNIC brand.
With that sublicensing agreement expiring, CBC retains ownership of the Hockey Night in Canada trademark and plans to transition it into new formats going forward, according to CBC head of public affairs Chuck Thompson. Meanwhile, Rogers is preparing to launch a fresh 12-year national broadcasting agreement this fall, which includes Amazon Prime Video picking up Wednesday night games and select Stanley Cup playoff matchups.
| Era / Milestone | Key Stakeholders | Broadcast Impact |
|---|---|---|
| 1952 – 2024 | CBC & Sportsnet | Traditional Saturday night broadcasts anchoring Canadian hockey culture. |
| 2008 – 2026 | HNIC Punjabi (OMNI / Sportsnet) | Provided accessible Punjabi-language NHL coverage for 18 seasons. |
| Fall 2026 & Beyond | Rogers, Amazon Prime Video, CBC | New 12-year national television and streaming landscape takes effect. |
Community Legacy and Executive Reflections
The impact of the Punjabi broadcast extended far beyond standard television metrics, particularly in a nation home to over 900,000 residents of Punjabi origin. The production team released an emotional statement acknowledging that shared journey: “For 18 years, this show brought our community closer to the game we love. It shared the stories of South Asian players and families and created a space that was truly unique in Canadian sports.”
Reflecting on the closure, Randip Janda posted to X that it is difficult to put into words what the program meant to him and the broader community. Sportsnet echoed this sentiment in its official statement, expressing gratitude to the on-air team, production staff, and loyal viewers who supported the show across nearly two decades of hockey history.
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