Former Hockey Night in Canada panelist lands new role after Sportsnet firing

Jennifer Botterill is changing the channel this season, and it has nothing to do with retirement.

The Hockey Hall of Famer and three time Olympic champion spent more than half a decade as the lone woman on Hockey Night in Canada's studio panel, but she will not be part of Sportsnet's rebuilt lineup this fall.

When the network unveiled its newly rebranded Saturday Night Hockey show on Sept. 9, Colby Armstrong had taken her seat alongside Kevin Bieksa, Elliotte Friedman and Ron MacLean, with the new doubleheader format set to debut Oct. 3.

Botterill never publicly addressed her exit the way former colleague Kelly Hrudey did back in August, when he revealed his 28 year run on the show had quietly ended in June.

Her departure only became clear once the new panel was announced, adding another name to a broadcast that has also said goodbye to Scott Oake and the long running Hockey Night in Canada Punjabi telecast this year.

Fortunately for Botterill, she did not stay unemployed for long.

According to The Globe and Mail's Rachel Brady, Botterill has confirmed she is joining NHL on TNT for the upcoming season, though her role is shifting.

Instead of splitting time between the studio and the booth like she has in years past, Botterill said she will primarily call games from the booth going forward.

TNT is expected to lay out its full broadcast plans later this week, but Botterill will not have to wait to get started.

Botterill is set to work TNT's first preseason broadcast this Friday, when the Dallas Stars visit the Minnesota Wild at 8 p.m. ET on TNT, truTV and HBO Max.

She will be joined by play by play voice John Forslund, reporter Lauren Jbara and, once again, Armstrong, who beat her out for that Sportsnet chair just weeks ago.

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