[Rumour] Big changes coming at HNIC

[taxbuster]

https://betweentheposts.ca/2023/07/o...edman-is-safe/

Per Howard Berger big changes are coming to HNIC with Bieksa, Hrudey and Botteril gone as analysts and Maclean gone as host.

One assumes Sportsnet is getting rid of all the costly talent as it stumbles its way to massive losses because of their own incompetence.

(Mods: I hope this is OK to post - remove if not.)

[kyuss275]

They got rid of bieksa? That’s a big mistake.

[woolymammoth]

I'm not sure what's a bigger mistake.. Letting go of Bieksa, or paying Ron F'n Maclean 450k/yr. Baffling

[Romanrules]

I would be ok swapping out Ron for David Amber. But that panel as is, has good chemistry, insightful and not too full of themselves. Leave it to Rogers to screw up something that is working (if true).

[Jason14h]

Bieksa was the only thing that made the panel remotely tolerable

[Rejean31]

I like Jennifer Botterill!!

[Toonage]

If Hrudey is gone from HNIC I wouldn't be stunned to see him gone from Sportsnet period. Ball & Millen then?

Also no more of Maclean's McDavid BS? Yes!

[Geeoff]

Bieksa was an ####### as a player but I like how he tells it like it is as a panelist

[Erick Estrada]

I'm not sure why they would cut loose Botteril or Bieksa who are the new faces of HNIC unless it's purely a money thing but then again what credible hockey people are going to work on the ultra-cheap? MacLean wouldn't be a surprise as he's become cringey and outdated. Hrudey has been around for a while so I can understand replacing him with a fresh face. They tried this before with Stroumboulopoulos only to totally panic and go back to the same old, but I expect this time cutting costs overrules viewer backlash. This seems somewhat inline with what ESPN did a few weeks ago letting go of a lot of big names as the industry is getting pretty ruthless.

[Inferno]

Originally Posted by Romanrules

I would be ok swapping out Ron for David Amber.

Please no. He would just take over being head Oilers cheerleader with his Connor McMagic BS.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by Romanrules

I would be ok swapping out Ron for David Amber. But that panel as is, has good chemistry, insightful and not too full of themselves. Leave it to Rogers to screw up something that is working (if true).

I used to like Amber but it seems over the years he's accumulated a lot of MacLean stink. I would be fine with him gone.

[Toonage]

We're always going to have an Oilers/McDavid cheerleader. Its clearly the mandate. But Maclean has been doing it for so long, and pushing it so hard, that even someone different at this point would be refreshing. Maybe someone with a better grasp of the room so to speak. Knowing not to shoehorn it in everywhere.

[Erick Estrada]

I wonder what happens with the next Canadian TV deal as it seems pretty evident the NHL won't be seeing that kind of money again. TSN likely won't have a lot of competition for HNIC and I wonder if they get that while Rogers continues with regional telecasts for markets like Vancouver, Edmonton, and Toronto.

[Toonage]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

I wonder what happens with the next Canadian TV deal as it seems pretty evident the NHL won't be seeing that kind of money again. TSN likely won't have a lot of competition for HNIC and I wonder if they get that while Rogers continues with regional telecasts for markets like Vancouver, Edmonton, and Toronto.

I'd imagine they split the deal like TNT/ESPN down south. We won't have a singular national deal. Regional deals will probably carry on per normal.

[hixxes]

Bummer if true. Bieksa and Botterill are fantastic analysts. Maclean is what he is at this point. I like him but I get why others don't.

Amber is not a great host.

[Aarongavey]

Originally Posted by taxbuster

https://betweentheposts.ca/2023/07/o...edman-is-safe/

Per Howard Berger big changes are coming to HNIC with Bieksa, Hrudey and Botteril gone as analysts and Maclean gone as host.

One assumes Sportsnet is getting rid of all the costly talent as it stumbles its way to massive losses because of their own incompetence.

(Mods: I hope this is OK to post - remove if not.)

You have to think that they won’t make the same mistake of throwing so mich money at the NHL next time. I wonder what happens to the cap if TV revenue flat lines or goes down.

[btimbit]

By all means it's time for Ron to go, but I like Bieksa, Hrudey and Botteril. That's a shame

[taxbuster]

I see this, if true, as totally a cap dump. Contracted people, likely with little in termination compensation (typically just a notice period for commercial contracts) so little cost to end the relationship. Maclean is a possible exception as a longtime-contractor and probably has a termination clause with significant payout.

But it's stupid to replace the analysts...and to keep Friedge of all of them? Just weird, but SO on-brand. Don't like Amber either personally. Too..mushy.

[taxbuster]

A further thought: if Sportsnet were smart, they'd contract the folks at Mario to stream their games - quality is FAR superior to whatever crap SN produces currently.

[Paulie Walnuts]

Espn cut a ton of staff as well. The pre game shows are not what they used to be you can get a lot of content online.

The clicking should during the intermission probably drove these moves.