– Premiering January 15, Sportsnet and APTN return to Canadian screens with six national NHL matchups in Plains Cree –

–  Clarence Iron, John Chabot, Earl Wood and Jason Chamakese return as APTN’s NHL broadcast team –

December 16, 2021 – Scoring another milestone for Canadian hockey fans, Sportsnet and APTN today announced the return of Cree-language NHL broadcasts with the debut of Hockey Night in Canada in Cree starting January 15, 2022.

Building on the historic debut of Rogers Hometown Hockey in Cree in 2019 and the ensuing landmark three-year deal to produce and air NHL on Sportsnet games in Plains Cree, Sportsnet and APTN are set to return to Canadian screens with Cree-language NHL coverage – now on Saturday nights. (Full broadcast schedule below).

Featuring all seven Canadian NHL teams in action from January 15 to April 23, the six-game national broadcast series will see APTN – the first national Indigenous broadcaster in the world – leverage Sportsnet’s NHL production to deliver exclusive Cree-language commentary and analysis to hockey fans and communities across the country. Play-by-play broadcaster Clarence Iron returns with the call alongside host Earl Wood and analysts John Chabot and Jason Chamakese.

“In Canada, our shared passion for sport creates a strong and resilient bond that unites diverse communities coast-to-coast-to-coast,” said Rob Corte, Vice President, Sportsnet & NHL Productions. “At Sportsnet, we have the responsibility to tell these national stories and explore the intersections between sport and culture. We look forward to reuniting with APTN to shine the national spotlight on these stories and celebrate Canada’s Indigenous communities through the power of sport.”

“Language is one of the strongest threads that connects people to their culture, and we are proud and thrilled to once again offer NHL games in Plains Cree to Canadians across the country,” said Mike Omelus, Executive Director of Content and Strategy, APTN. “The path of reconciliation extends beyond the horizon, but it’s initiatives like this, and partners like Sportsnet, that ensure it’s a path never walked alone.”

The 2022 Hockey Night in Canada: Cree Edition broadcast schedule on APTN is as follows:

• Saturday, Jan. 15 – Ottawa @ Winnipeg, 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT
• Saturday, Jan. 29 – Hockey Day in Canada: Edmonton @ Montreal, 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT
• Saturday, March 5 – Vancouver @ Toronto, 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT
• Saturday, March 26 – Edmonton @ Calgary, 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT
• Saturday, April 9 – Montreal @ Toronto, 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT
• Saturday, April 23 – Toronto @ Florida, 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT

*Schedule may be subject to change

In addition to continuing the network’s commitment to delivering NHL content in Plains Cree, Sportsnet also contributes to the national production of Hockey Night in Canada: Punjabi Edition on OMNI Television. Sportsnet’s sister station, OMNI Television, offers a wide range of locally produced and acquired programming in more than 20 languages, including news, current affairs and entertainment content.

This partnership will bring sports back to APTN, an initiative that has seen great success in recent years. APTN became the world’s first Indigenous Official Broadcaster of any Olympic Games event at the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games. The network broadcast 10 hours of daily coverage in eight Indigenous languages as well as French and English throughout the Olympic Games.

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About Sportsnet
Sportsnet is Canada’s #1 sports network. Uniting Canadians through sport, Sportsnet’s multimedia offerings include Sportsnet (consisting of 4 regional channels: East, Ontario, West, and Pacific), Sportsnet ONE, Sportsnet 360, Sportsnet World, the Sportsnet Radio Network, Sportsnet.ca, SN NOW, the Sportsnet app, and podcasts. Sportsnet is the official Canadian NHL national multiplatform rights holder, and is the regional broadcaster for the Vancouver Canucks, Calgary Flames, Edmonton Oilers, and Toronto Maple Leafs. Sportsnet also has extensive coverage of the Toronto Blue Jays and Toronto Raptors, as well as NBA, MLB, Grand Slam of Curling, National Bank Open presented by Rogers, FIBA, WWE, IndyCar, Super League Rugby, Premiership Rugby, Bundesliga, FA Women’s Super League, and FA Cup. Sportsnet is part of Rogers Sports & Media, which is a subsidiary of Rogers Communications Inc. (TSX, NYSE: RCI). Visit Sportsnet.ca.

About APTN

APTN launched in 1999 as the first national Indigenous broadcaster in the world, creating a window into the remarkably diverse mosaic of Indigenous Peoples. A respected non-profit and charitable broadcaster, it’s the only one of its kind in North America. The network is Sharing Our Stories of authenticity in English, French and a variety of Indigenous languages to nearly 10 million Canadian subscribers. With over 80% Canadian content, APTN connects with its audiences through genuine, inspiring and engaging entertainment on multiple platforms.

Media Contacts

Sportsnet – Meghann Cox, meghann.cox@rci.rogers.com, 416.258.3296

APTN – Joëlle Saltel, jsaltel@aptn.ca, 431-557-9909