Sportsnet quietly fires fan-favorite analyst from NHL panel - and fans are furious

Sportsnet officially said goodbye to the Hockey Night in Canada name this week, unveiling Saturday Night Hockey as its replacement for the 2026-27 season.

The new panel brings back Ron MacLean, Elliotte Friedman and Kevin Bieksa, with Colby Armstrong stepping into a full-time role alongside them.

Left off the list entirely were Kelly Hrudey and Jennifer Botterill, two longtime fixtures of the Saturday night broadcast.

Botterill spent years building a reputation as one of the most respected voices in hockey television, a Hockey Hall of Fame inductee who also works south of the border for NHL on TNT.

Her absence from the new lineup has not gone unnoticed among fans and media voices who track the sport closely off the ice, especially given how much attention the network put into promoting its expanded schedule and fresh branding this week.

Howard Berger pointed out that no obvious move was made to bring in another female analyst once Botterill was left off the panel.

He noted that TSN still has Cheryl Pounder in its lineup and that Sportsnet chose to go with Armstrong instead of adding a new female voice of its own.

Berger's post picked up traction quickly among Canadians and hockey fans who have followed the network shuffle since the Hockey Night in Canada branding officially ended after 95 years tied to the league.

Saturday Night Hockey debuts October 3 with a four game slate involving all seven Canadian teams, part of a broader push that includes more than 550 national broadcasts and 150 fewer regional blackouts this season.

Whether Sportsnet adds another analyst before puck drop remains to be seen, but for now the panel looks noticeably different heading into the new season.

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