Hockey Central | |
---|---|
Also known as | Hockey Central Saturday |
Genre | Hockey news |
Presented by | Tuesday-Friday: David Amber Saturday: Ron MacLean |
Theme music composer | Tuesday-Friday: Ubiquitous Synergy Seeker Saturday: Shawnee Kish and Jane’s Party |
Opening theme | Tuesday-Friday: "Never Stop" Saturday: "Saturday Night" |
Country of origin | Canada |
Production | |
Production locations | Rogers Building, Toronto |
Running time | 22–26 minutes |
Original release | |
Network | Sportsnet CBC (Saturday) Citytv (Saturday) |
Related | |
NHL on Sportsnet , Hockey Night in Canada |
Hockey Central is the brand used for programs and segments covering hockey (particularly the National Hockey League) on the Canadian sports channel Sportsnet. The Hockey Central name encompasses several programs, including segments aired during Sportsnet Central , pre-game reports for Hockey Night in Canada and other NHL telecasts on Sportsnet, CBC, Citytv, and the Sportsnet 590 radio show Hockey Central at Noon.
The typical format of Hockey Central's segments during Sportsnet Central and the Saturday show is a four-person panel of former NHL players, coaches, and GMs alongside hockey reporters and broadcasters. The members of the panel vary from day to day, but are usually from the same small pool of regulars. The show is known for (and often promotes) its sometimes fiery debates between Bill Watters and Nick Kypreos.
In the summer of 2006, host Darren Dreger left Sportsnet to join TSN and in 2018, Daren Millard left the network, and in 2021, Jeff Marek moved to an NHL insider role. Caroline Cameron and David Amber are the current hosts of most of the Hockey Central segments appearing on Sportsnet.
As of Rogers' 2014-15 rights deal, Hockey Central Saturday replaced Scotiabank Hockey Tonight as the pre-game show for Hockey Night in Canada , airing in simulcast with Sportsnet and CBC Television. [1] [2]
During the 2013 Stanley Cup Playoffs, The Score (after its purchase by Rogers) aired a nightly Hockey Central Playoff Xtra. [3] [4]
Sportsnet's radio stations also air hockey-oriented programs under the same or similar titles, often with a focus on news and analysis relating to their local teams.
Rogers' Toronto radio station CJCL broadcasts a radio version of the show, initially known as Hockey Central at Noon, which is simulcast by Sportsnet 360. It is currently hosted by Jeff Marek and features Anthony Stewart as an analyst. David Amber fills in for Marek on Wednesdays.
The program was originally hosted by Daren Millard. Between August 2010 and March 2011, it was hosted by Greg Brady, who worked the noon to 3pm shift. In March 2011, Brady was reassigned to the morning show and Millard returned as host. Jeff Marek replaced Daren Millard as host in 2018. [5] When Brady was unable to host Hockey Central at Noon, Doug Farraway served as fill-in host. During the summer (from mid-June until September) during Millard's first hosting stint, Farraway took over the hosting duties from him, with Howard Berger serving as fill-in for Farraway.
In October 2019 as part of changes to CJCL's lineup, the program expanded to two hours. [6]
The program has a national focus; CJCL airs a Toronto Maple Leafs-focused program immediately before Hockey Central, the Leafs Hour, with Ben Ennis and JD Bunkis.
CFAC in Calgary broadcasts Hockey Central 960, which is hosted by Kelly Kirch and Peter Klein. The program primarily focuses on coverage of the Calgary Flames.
CISL in Vancouver broadcasts Canucks Central at Noon, which is hosted by Scott Rintoul and Bik Nizzar, and focuses on the Vancouver Canucks.
CBC Television has aired National Hockey League (NHL) broadcasts under the Hockey Night in Canada brand that is primarily associated with its Saturday night NHL broadcasts throughout its history in various platforms. The brand is owned by the CBC and was exclusively used by CBC Sports through the end of the 2013–14 NHL season.
Sportsnet is a Canadian English-language discretionary sports specialty channel owned by Rogers Sports & Media. It was established in 1998 as CTV Sportsnet, a joint venture between CTV, Liberty Media, and Rogers Media. CTV parent Bell Globemedia then was required to divest its stake in the network following its 2001 acquisition of competing network TSN. Rogers then became the sole owner of Sportsnet in 2004 after it bought the remaining minority stake that was held by Fox.
Réseau des sports (RDS) is a Canadian French language discretionary specialty channel oriented towards sports and sport-related shows. It is available in 2.5 million homes, and is owned by CTV Specialty Television Inc.. Its full name translates as "The Sports Network", the name of its Anglophone counterpart, TSN.
NHL Network was a Canadian English language Category B specialty television channel broadcasting ice hockey programming. The channel's primary focus was on the National Hockey League (NHL), although it occasionally aired games from other leagues, such as minor league and international circuits, to fill its schedule.
CJCL is a Canadian sports radio station in Toronto, Ontario. Owned and operated by Rogers Radio, a division of Rogers Sports & Media since 2002, CJCL's studios are located at the Rogers Building at Bloor and Jarvis in downtown Toronto, while its transmitters are located near Grimsby atop the Niagara Escarpment. It is the flagship station for the Toronto Blue Jays, and also airs games from the Toronto Raptors, Toronto Maple Leafs, Buffalo Bisons and Buffalo Bills. CJCL is a CBS Sports Radio affiliate.
CFIQ is a commercial radio station licensed to Richmond Hill, Ontario, and serving Greater Toronto, Southern Ontario and Western New York with a talk format known as "640 Toronto". Owned by Corus Entertainment, CFIQ's studios are located at the Corus Quay Building in Toronto; despite the station's city of licence being a suburban community north of the city, the transmitter is located in the Niagara Region town of Lincoln, 60 kilometres southwest of Toronto.
Sportsnet 360 (SN360) is a Canadian discretionary specialty channel owned by Rogers Media.
Kelly Hrudey is a Canadian former ice hockey goaltender. He is a current hockey broadcaster with Sportsnet as a studio analyst for Hockey Night in Canada and colour commentator for Calgary Flames regional broadcasts. During his playing career, Hrudey played in the National Hockey League for the New York Islanders, Los Angeles Kings, and San Jose Sharks from 1983 to 1998.
Nikos "Nick" Kypreos is a Canadian former professional ice hockey left winger who played eight seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Hartford Whalers, Washington Capitals, New York Rangers and Toronto Maple Leafs. He is currently a hockey analyst on the Sportsnet cable television network in Canada.
Prime Time Sports was a sports radio talk show produced from the studios of CJCL, Sportsnet 590 The Fan, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The show was hosted by Bob McCown until June 21, 2019, when McCown left the show. After his departure, the show was hosted by Jeff Blair, with Stephen Brunt or Richard Deitsch serving as co-hosts until its final show on October 11, 2019.
James Douglas MacLean is a Canadian sportscaster working for Rogers Media's Sportsnet and former ice hockey coach and general manager. He is the former president/general manager and head coach of the National Hockey League's Columbus Blue Jackets and was also the head coach of the Florida Panthers. He is affectionately known as "Prince Eddy" due to his affinity to Prince Edward Island.
Jeffrey James Marek is a television personality and radio host for properties originating from Stouffville, Ontario, Canada. Jeff has hosted Live Audio Wrestling, Leafs Lunch and The Jeff Marek Show, as well as making notable television appearances on TSN Off The Record and Leafs TV After the Horn. On October 1, 2007, he started as the host of Hockey Night in Canada Radio, signing a one-year contract with Sirius Satellite Radio in mid-August, 2007. From 2011-2024, Marek worked with Sportsnet, before being dismissed due to leaking NHL draft selections to a friend while part of the broadcasting panel. He was the host of Hockey Central and also hosts The CHL on Sportsnet. Between 2014 and 2016 he occasionally hosted Hockey Night in Canada games that were played in the morning.
Greg Brady is a Canadian radio host. He currently hosts the morning drive show Toronto Today on Global News Radio 640 in Toronto. Previously, he was a sports radio host with Sportsnet 590 The FAN from 2010 to 2019.
Daren Millard is a Canadian sportscaster.
National Hockey League broadcasts are held by Canadian media corporation Rogers Communications, showing on its television channel Sportsnet and other networks owned by or affiliated with its Rogers Sports & Media division, as well as the Sportsnet Radio chain under the NHL on Sportsnet brand which serves as a blanket title. Sportsnet previously held the national cable rights for NHL regular season and playoff games from 1998 to 2002.
John Shannon is a Canadian sportscaster, television producer, and former panelist on Rogers Sportsnet's Hockey Central. In 2003, he won a Sports Emmy Award for Outstanding Live Sports Special for his work on NBC's broadcast of the XIX Olympic Winter Games in Salt Lake City.
Tim & Friends is a sports talk show hosted by Tim Micallef that was produced by the Canadian sports television network Sportsnet where it aired. The program, originally known as Tim & Sid and hosted by Micallef and Sid Seixeiro, was established in 2011 as an afternoon radio show on CJCL. The program gained a television simulcast on The Score in 2013. On July 1, 2015, the program was re-launched on Sportsnet as a dedicated television program. On October 14, 2019, the Tim & Sid telecasts began simulcasting on CJCL, replacing Prime Time Sports as its late afternoon drive program. Seixeiro left the show in 2021, and the show was rebranded as Tim & Friends. During the summer of 2021, Tim & Friends stopped being simulcasted on CJCL and again became a dedicated television program. Tim & Friends concluded its run in 2023.
On April 19, 2011, after ESPN, Turner Sports, and Fox Sports placed bids, NBC Sports announced it had reached a ten-year extension to its U.S. television contract with the NHL worth nearly $2 billion over the tenure of the contract. The contract would cover games on both NBC and sister cable channel Versus, which became part of the NBC Sports family as the result of Versus parent Comcast's controlling purchase of NBC Universal earlier in 2011.
Scotiabank Wednesday Night Hockey is the branding used for Sportsnet’s flagship broadcasts of National Hockey League games on Wednesday nights. In November 2013, Rogers reached a 12-year deal to become the exclusive national television and digital rightsholder for the NHL in Canada, beating out broadcasters CBC Sports and TSN for the rights.