TORONTO — Following the historic first NHL broadcast in Plains Cree last season in conjunction with Rogers Hometown Hockey’s visit to Enoch Cree Nation, Sportsnet and APTN are expanding their partnership to deliver more NHL games over the next three seasons, the companies announced Monday.
In total, a minimum of six NHL games per year will be broadcast on APTN in Plains Cree, with the first Cree-language broadcast of the 2019-20 NHL season featuring the Winnipeg Jets vs. Chicago Blackhawks on Sunday, January 19 at 6:30 p.m. ET/3:30 p.m. PT.
Sportsnet will continue to deliver the broadcast production, which will feature exclusive Cree-language commentary and analysis from APTN broadcasters for fans across the country. Broadcaster Clarence Iron will have the play-by-play call for APTN, while Juno Award-winning musician Earl Wood will host the studio show alongside influential Cree-language promoter Jason Chamakese, with game analysis from NHL alum John Chabot.
“Last year we partnered with APTN to deliver the first-ever NHL game in Plains Cree and saw first-hand the positive impact it had uniting hockey fans across the country,” said Rob Corte, vice-president, Sportsnet & NHL Productions, in the news release. “We know that Canada’s Indigenous communities have a great passion for hockey and we are excited to grow our partnership with APTN to deliver more games over the next three years.”
This season’s Cree-language broadcast schedule also features a special Rogers Hometown Hockey stop as the tour visits Peguis First Nation in Manitoba on Sunday, March 1 where Ron MacLean and Tara Slone will host a live broadcast of the same game on Sportsnet.
“By teaming up with Sportsnet and broadcasting more games in Plains Cree, we can connect with Canadian hockey fans and share the beauty of Indigenous languages and cultures,” says Jean La Rose, outgoing CEO of APTN, in the news release. “We are very excited to know we will soon hear more cries of kociw osihew, pihtokwahew! — he shoots, he scores! — across the country.”
2019-20 Cree-Language NHL Broadcast Schedule from Sportsnet on APTN:
- Sunday, January 19 — Winnipeg Jets vs. Chicago Blackhawks (6:30 p.m. ET / 3:30 p.m. PT)
- Sunday, February 9 — Winnipeg Jets vs. Chicago Blackhawks (6:30 p.m. ET / 3:30 p.m. PT)
- Sunday, February 23 — Calgary Flames vs. Detroit Red Wings (6:30 p.m. ET / 3:30 p.m. PT)
- Sunday, March 1 — Vancouver Canucks vs. Columbus Blue Jackets (6:30 p.m. ET / 3:30 p.m. PT)
- Sunday, March 15 — Winnipeg Jets vs. Vancouver Canucks (7:30 p.m. ET / 4:30 p.m. PT)
- Sunday, March 29 — Anaheim Ducks vs. Edmonton Oilers (7:30 p.m. ET / 4:30 p.m. PT)
In addition to an expanded commitment to delivering Cree-language NHL broadcasts to Canadians, Sportsnet also contributes to the national production of Hockey Night in Canada: Punjabi Edition on OMNI Television.
