Hockey Night in Canada Punjabi broadcast cancelled after 18 years

Hockey Night in Canada’s Punjabi-language broadcast has been cancelled after 18 years on air, leaving about 15 contracted broadcasters and staff affected, according to broadcaster Jagrag Lalli.

Lalli said he and more than a dozen colleagues learned of the decision during an Aug. 13 conference call. Rogers described the cancellation as difficult, saying the audience was not strong enough to sustain the production long term, while acknowledging the broadcasts’ importance to Punjabi-speaking hockey fans.

Lalli joined the program last October after growing up watching it with his family. He said the show gave him the chance to see people who shared his language and love of hockey on a national stage.

The program’s social-media account said it had told stories of South Asian players and families and created a distinctive space in Canadian sports. Supporters online mourned its loss, including City of Surrey multicultural media relations lead Prabhjot Kahlon, who said it had connected generations, languages and cultures.

Lalli said staff were recalling moments from the program’s run, including Harnarayan Singh’s well-known Bonino goal call, Game 7 broadcasts and Surrey-born Arshdeep Bains’s first NHL goal for the Canucks in October 2024.