After 18 years on the air, “Hockey Night in Canada: Punjabi Edition” has been canceled, as announced by the show on Friday. The Punjabi-language sportscast expressed gratitude for bringing the community closer to the beloved game since its inception in 2008. The show was commended for sharing the stories of South Asian players and families, creating a distinctive space in Canadian sports.
Rogers Sportsnet, the national NHL games rights-holder, described the decision to cancel the show as challenging. Despite acknowledging the significant impact on Punjabi-speaking hockey fans, the company stated that audience levels were not sufficient to sustain the production long-term.
Jagraj Lalli, a commentator on the show since the fall, expressed shock at the cancellation, emphasizing the lasting impact of the show’s mission. He vowed to ensure the connection and diversity brought by the show will continue indefinitely. Lalli highlighted the representation the show provided for up-and-coming Punjabi broadcasters and shared his emotional experience making his debut, fulfilling a childhood dream.
Fans lamented the cancellation online, expressing their fond memories and appreciation for the show’s representation. Despite the disappointment, many acknowledged the show’s role as a trailblazer for the South Asian diaspora in hockey. The final season of the show averaged just 1,500 viewers overall, with a majority of games attracting fewer than 1,000 viewers.
Reflecting on his time with the show, Bhupinder Singh Hundal, an alumnus, credited “Hockey Night Punjabi” for opening doors in his career and showcasing Punjabi language, culture, and community on a national platform. The cancellation of the show follows CBC’s decision in June to discontinue broadcasting “Hockey Night in Canada,” marking the end of a long-standing tradition due to the inability to reach a new sublicensing agreement with Sportsnet. Rogers Sports and Media also shut down Vancouver’s Sportsnet 650 radio station in July after nearly a decade on the air.
