Hockey Night in Canada: Punjabi Edition not returning after 18 years

Show thanks viewers for 'unwavering loyalty'

Hockey Night in Canada: Punjabi Edition will not be returning, the long-running show said Friday, ending its 18-year run.

The Punjabi-language sportscast said it "brought our community closer to the game we love," in a statement on its official X account.

"It shared the stories of South Asian players and families and created a space that was truly unique in Canadian sports.

"We are incredibly proud of what we built together," it said, thanking its viewers for their "unwavering loyalty."

The cancellation was a "difficult decision" according to Rogers Sportsnet, the national rights-holder for NHL games.

"While audience levels aren’t strong enough to sustain the production long term, we know these broadcasts have meant a lot to many Punjabi-speaking hockey fans," the company said in a statement to CBC News.

"We’re grateful to the on-air team, production staff and viewers who supported the show over the years."

Online users reacted with disappointment about the cancellation, saying they would remember the show fondly.

"As a descendant of Pakistani immigrants born in Canada, even though I don't speak Punjabi, [Hockey Night in Canada Punjabi] was special to me because I got to see people that looked like me be involved in the sport of hockey," said one user.

"What a damn shame," wrote another. "Trailblazers for the South Asian diaspora — you'll all be missed massively."

'Major shock': Canadians grapple with loss of CBC's Hockey Night in Canada tradition

For the last season, the show's overall audience average was just 1,500 viewers, with more than half of all games averaging fewer than 1,000 viewers, according to Sportsnet.

An alumnus of the show also weighed in online.

"I was fortunate to be there in the early days and to play a role in helping build something that became much more than a television program," said Bhupinder Singh Hundal in a statement on X, whose roles at the show included studio host, commentator and associate producer.

"Hockey Night Punjabi opened doors for me that changed the course of my career," he said. "I'm also proud of what the program represented. Punjabi language, culture and community had a place on a national stage, alongside Canada's game."

The news comes after CBC's recent announcement it would no longer broadcast Hockey Night in Canada — after nearly a century — after being unable to reach a new sublicensing deal with Sportsnet.

Hanna Lee is a copy editor at CBC News. You can contact her at hanna.lee@cbc.ca.