Hockey Night in Canada Punjabi Is Canceled: What Fans Can Watch in 2026-27

The Punjabi edition will not return for 2026–27

Hockey Night in Canada: Punjabi Edition will not return for the 2026–27 NHL season. The OMNI Television production announced its farewell on August 14, 2026, after 18 years. Sportsnet, the NHL rights holder within Rogers Sports & Media, confirmed that it had decided to end its Punjabi-language NHL broadcasts. That is the status of the familiar Saturday Punjabi program as of September 26, ahead of the new season.

The announcement concerns a specific language edition of NHL coverage, not the existence of Saturday NHL games in Canada. According to CityNews' August 14 report, the broadcast team told viewers the show on OMNI would not return. The Canadian Press likewise reported the end of the Saturday production, which combined live games with features from around the league.

For viewers who used to choose that feed to watch with family or hear the game in Punjabi, the immediate answer is disappointing: the known OMNI show has ended. Sportsnet has not identified an equivalent Punjabi-language replacement in the 2026–27 announcements checked for this article. A future new offering would require a fresh, explicit broadcaster announcement; it should not be assumed from an old channel page or a schedule that merely lists an NHL game.

Why Sportsnet ended the show, and what fans are grieving

Sportsnet attributed the decision to audience size. In a statement given to Broadcast Dialogue, the broadcaster said last season's Punjabi games averaged about 1,500 viewers, with more than half of the broadcasts averaging fewer than 1,000. Those numbers are Sportsnet's reported audience figures, not an independently audited measure of the show's cultural reach. The company said it could not sustain the production long term at those levels.

The program's history helps explain the response. It began as a CBC pilot in 2008 and later moved into Rogers and OMNI production. Over 18 years it gave Punjabi-speaking families a regular Saturday route into live NHL games, while its hosts and analysts brought South Asian stories into national hockey coverage. The OMNI program page still profiles several members of that on-air team, even though its viewing invitation is out of date.

In fan discussions, viewers described losing more than a commentary option: they remembered an energetic call, a sense that relatives could share the game in their own language, and a visible place for Punjabi voices in hockey. Some commenters accepted that a broadcaster would consider production cost and ratings. These are individual reactions, not a scientific survey. Together they show why a program can matter to a community even when the broadcaster reports a small average TV audience.

Saturday NHL games continue, but language availability is a separate question

The end of the Punjabi show does not mean there will be no Saturday NHL hockey in Canada. Sportsnet's September 9 announcement says its 2026–27 Saturday Night Hockey slate starts October 3. It lists Ottawa at Toronto, Montreal at Pittsburgh, Seattle at Edmonton, and Calgary at Vancouver that night. The same release does not identify a Punjabi-language feed for those games.

Another change can make the story seem broader than it is: Sportsnet and CBC ended their NHL broadcast partnership for this season, so CBC will no longer carry those games. Sportsnet continues Saturday coverage. The CBC distribution change and the decision to end the Punjabi production are separate announcements; neither makes the remaining broadcasts Punjabi-language by default.

Rogers' Prime Video agreement explicitly describes Wednesday games in English and French. A game appearing on Prime, Sportsnet or a general NHL schedule tells you where hockey is offered; it does not tell you that Punjabi audio exists. Check the broadcaster's current game listing and language selector before making a viewing decision.

How to check for Punjabi commentary before choosing a game or subscription

One easy trap is the old OMNI show page. It still invites readers to watch live on Saturdays and carries presenter biographies. It does not show a dated 2026–27 Punjabi broadcast schedule, and its generic invitation conflicts with the August 14 cancellation announcement. Treat it as a legacy page until OMNI or Sportsnet publishes a new, dated schedule that explicitly says otherwise.

1. Choose the game first. Our 2026–27 national TV guide can help identify a matchup and its announced broadcaster; then open that broadcaster's own current listing.
2. Check language separately. Look for an explicit Punjabi feed or audio option on that game listing. A channel name, subscription page or old show archive is not enough evidence. If the listing gives only English or French, do not buy access expecting Punjabi commentary.
3. Check the date on every source. The useful source is a 2026–27 game-specific announcement, not a clip or program description from a past season. Recheck close to puck drop because schedules and presentation details can change.

There is still Punjabi-language hockey material to revisit while the live program is absent. OMNI hosts Punjabi Hockey 101 explainers and an archive of earlier show clips. Those pages are useful for stories and hockey vocabulary; neither is a confirmed live 2026–27 game feed. For the broader Canadian picture, our Canada TV and streaming guide explains how the current platforms fit together. Our general NHL viewing guide explains other market and streaming checks, but it does not turn an unlisted game into a Punjabi broadcast.

Questions fans are asking

Is Saturday NHL hockey in Canada ending? No. Sportsnet announced a Saturday Night Hockey slate beginning October 3. The program that ended is the Punjabi-language OMNI production. Saturday game availability should still be checked on each broadcaster's current schedule.

Why does OMNI's page still say to watch Hockey Night Punjabi live? Its undated show page remains online, but the later, dated August 14 announcement says the production will not return. An archive can remain accessible after a series ends. Do not treat that generic invitation as a 2026–27 channel listing.

Does Prime Video's Wednesday package replace the Punjabi show? Rogers announced those Wednesday games in English and French. It did not announce them as a Punjabi-language replacement, and they are on a different night from the former OMNI Saturday program.

Could Punjabi NHL coverage return later? A broadcaster could announce a new program or language option, but there is no confirmed replacement in the announcements checked September 26. Look for a dated statement and a game-specific language listing before relying on any future claim.

Last checked: September 26, 2026. This page will need an update if Sportsnet, OMNI or another rights holder announces a verified Punjabi-language NHL broadcast.