#FIRSTLOOK: PWHL CANADIAN PRIMETIME SEASON OPENER ON CBC’S “HOCKEY NIGHT IN CANADA”

The first women’s game to be featured on CBC’s Hockey Night in Canada, the longest-running sports program in the world returning for its 90th season this fall, will be the PWHL’s Canadian primetime season opener in Montreal vs. Hamilton on Saturday, December 5, 2026.

Radio-Canada has acquired exclusive radio broadcast rights for all Montréal Victoire games in Canada during the 2026-27 season.

New weekly Saturday show CBC Sports Primetime hosted by Andi Petrillo premieres October 3 and Radio-Canada’s new weekly Sunday show Rendez-vous Podium hosted by Jacinthe Taillon debuts October 18.

Canada’s national public broadcaster today announced exclusive new sports coverage including the return of CBC’s Hockey Night in Canada for its 90th consecutive season and Radio-Canada’s radio broadcast of all Montréal Victoire games across Canada, in partnership with the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL). The first women’s hockey game to be featured on the iconic Saturday night broadcast will be the PWHL’s 2026-27 Canadian primetime season opener on Saturday, December 5, when the reigning Walter Cup champion Montréal Victoire face off against expansion team PWHL Hamilton. This announcement is part of CBC/Radio-Canada’s expanded commitment to Canadian sports coverage detailed in June 2026.

“Our partnership with the PWHL opens a new chapter in sports history. We are proud to announce the return of the iconic Hockey Night in Canada brand, building on this beloved Canadian tradition with the PWHL’s growing fanbase and providing audiences across the country with free access to world-class hockey,” said Chris Wilson, Executive Director, Sports and Olympics, CBC. “We’re delivering on our commitment to equal coverage of women’s sports across our platforms and look forward to elevating the athletes and stories at the heart of the game.”

“Hockey Night in Canada is a fixture in Canadian sports culture, and its Saturday night schedule has ritually captivated hockey fans for nearly a century,” said Amy Scheer, PWHL Executive Vice President of Business Operations. “Our partnership with CBC has been instrumental in the accessibility and growth of the league, and the opportunity to be part of this iconic brand represents another groundbreaking step for the PWHL to connect with our fans and forge new traditions together.”

​​”Women’s hockey captivates fans across the country as we saw the incredible excitement following the Montréal Victoire’s Walter Cup win last May. Radio-Canada is proud to make the PWHL even more accessible by adding radio coverage of all of the Victoire’s games in Canada to our TV coverage and bring together fans of our national sport,” said Sophie Morasse, Executive Director of Entertainment, Sports, and TOU.TV.

CBC’s Hockey Night in Canada will return as part of CBC Sports Primetime, CBC’s new weekly Saturday night sports show hosted by veteran broadcaster Andi Petrillo. Launching Saturday, October 3 on CBC TV and CBC Gem with the Canada Super60 Cricket League, the weekend show will feature major sporting events, professional women’s sports and unmatched coverage of Canada’s high performance athletes as they compete at home and around the world, in Olympic and Paralympic sport. Featured events in October include the Grand Slam of Curling and ISU Figure Skating Grand Prix.

CBC’s Hockey Night in Canada will provide comprehensive coverage for eight primetime PWHL games starting on December 5, including pre- and post-game panel analysis and accompanying digital content on cbcsports.ca and social media. Staying true to tradition, each Hockey Night in Canada game will feature a Canadian-based team. The full PWHL schedule including all CBC and Radio-Canada games will be announced on Friday, October 2.

Adding to PWHL TV coverage and a selection of Montréal Victoire games and PWHL All-Star on ICI TÉLÉ and ICI TOU.TV, Radio-Canada has acquired exclusive audio broadcast rights for all Montréal Victoire games in Canada during the 2026-27 season and will release more details regarding the broadcast on ICI PREMIÈRE and Radio-Canada Ohdio later this fall.

Radio-Canada’s Rendez-vous Podium, a brand-new weekly show combining athletic performances with human stories, premieres Sunday, October 18. Hosted by Jacinthe Taillon, the series will be available on ICI TÉLÉ and ICI TOU.TV Sunday afternoons, bringing live events and stories about the people making a difference on the elite and amateur levels. Both CBC Sports Primetime and Rendez-vous Podium will provide opportunities to catch up with athletes on their journeys toward LA 2028.

Since 2019, CBC/Radio-Canada has been a world leader with a commitment to equal coverage of women’s and men’s sports across all platforms. As rights holders of the PWHL, NSL and hundreds of hours of women’s sport content, this commitment continues to grow as part of the expanded coverage of Canada’s athletes and high-performance sport. The return of Hockey Night in Canada with the PWHL is a reflection of this commitment.

About CBC’s Hockey Night in Canada

The world’s longest-running sports program, CBC’s Hockey Night in Canada has broadcast play-by-play coverage of professional ice hockey on radio and television for 90 consecutive seasons. Canada’s first national hockey radio broadcast launched in 1931 as the General Motors Hockey Broadcast. The broadcast was given the iconic Hockey Night in Canada name as one of the founding programs of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation when the national public broadcaster was formed in 1936. When CBC Television was launched in 1952, the program became a Saturday night viewing tradition for hockey lovers across Canada. Hockey Night in Canada was simulcast on CBC Radio until 1965.

About CBC/Radio-Canada

CBC/Radio-Canada is Canada’s national public broadcaster. Through our mandate to inform, enlighten and entertain, we play a central role in strengthening Canadian culture. As Canada’s trusted news source, we offer a uniquely Canadian perspective on news, current affairs and world affairs. Our distinctively homegrown entertainment and sports programming draws audiences from across the country. Deeply rooted in communities, CBC/Radio-Canada offers diverse content in English, French and eight Indigenous languages: Dëne Sųłıné, Dene Kǝdǝ́, Dene Zhatıé, Eastern Cree, Dinjii Zhuʼ Ginjik, Inuktitut, Inuvialuktun and Tłı̨chǫ. We also deliver content in Spanish, Arabic, Chinese, Punjabi and Tagalog, as well as both official languages, through Radio Canada International (RCI). We are leading the transformation to meet the needs of Canadians in a digital world.