Expect more changes at Hockey Night In Canada

One shoe  dropped at Hockey Night In Canada on Friday. Expect the other to drop before the first pucks fly in the fall.

Sherali Najak is out as executive producer, which is interesting in itself because he had only three seasons in that job. But what's really telling is who replaces him: Trevor Pilling.

Now, Pilling has a pretty impressive resume: CFL, Olympics, World Cup and more. But very little hockey. He has produced NHL games for CBC, but isn't a member of the HNIC mafia. And that seems to be the point.

He has been brought in to give the place a new look.

``Trevor isn't part of the Hockey Night In Canada establishment, so he will bring a fresh approach," said CBC Sports head Scott Moore, the man who made the shuffle. Moore said the change was being considered after next season, but when senior producer Doug Walton left to do Sportsnet's baseball package, the time seemed right.

The timing obviously wasn't right for Najak, who will return to his post as senior producer. He played good soldier on Friday, saying that he would give his all to his new job even if it was the job he had before he became the man at the top.

But changes come regularly in the TV business and it's been apparent for some time that change was needed at HNIC. The show has become too predictable and a too staid.

Najak didn't do a bad job. The on-ice production was superb and, after a few failures, he breathed new life into the Hotstove show, though it still has a long way to go.

While CBC does a great job of presenting what takes place on the ice, its failings are in the other areas. Far too often, talk revolves around what host Ron MacLean and curmudgeon Don Cherry believe is important.

If nothing else, Pilling will have to take control of the show's two biggest stars and get them to present what the viewers are interested in, not what turns their cranks.

Comments

[Nick]

It's about time. Great move!

[Chris]

Finally! I'd guess when they looked at the number of English speaking people watching the Canadiens on RDS in rounds 2 and 3 last spring instead of CBC they may have finally took the hint. Remember, this was after they took the Ottawa series in the 1st round instead of the Montreal series.

To sum it up, most people watch NHL games to hear about the NHL, not constant updates on how Nazim Kahdri is doing in junior or how the Marlies are getting along.

[Tom Foley]

Don't tell me that we might finally get to see another team play besides The Laughs on HNIC early game. Doe CBC finally realize that just because Hog Town has the largest following because of population in their area that they should NOT show complete BIAS toward them as CBC is owned by the people of CANADA not TORONTO, therefore there should be no one team control the airwaves as has been the normal for the last 30 years. CBC is a non profit network therefore money should not control over peoples wishes. Sure people watch every Sat. night because this is OUR game and people of Canada enjoy hockey therefore watch any game that is on which is always the Laughs, but that does not say they don't want other teams more. Where is the FREEDOM of CHOICE which our NATION proudly brags about, money should NOT control public broadcasting. Just because majority wants something does not mean they get it look at taxes, gas prices etc. sure everybody want lower taxes and gas but WE DON'T get it, even with the VAST majority of Canada wanting lower prices and taxes. With 3 teams in the east and 3 out west it should be pretty easy to divide the games up with no bias, also why should 2 or 3 channels carry the same game give the people a CHOICE of games to watch, TSN doesn't seem to have a problem showing more than 1 game on TSN and TSN2.

[Scot MacDonald]

HNIC has become so painful to watch it's sad. Ron MacLean's antics in the playoffs last year should have been reason enough to have he and Najak fired (the Bettman interview, the Phantom piece with Cherry, the rocking chair on the ice with MacLean).In fact, the Phantom segment was so bad I was embarrassed to watch it and I've been a loyal HNIC follower for 35 years.

It's time to roll MacLean and Cherry up and bring in some new blood. Quite frankly, HNIC is not top of mind anymore for NHL hockey as TSN has blown past CBC long ago on that front. In the past ten years, I could cont on two hands the number of Habs games televised to a national audience as the Leafs have become the only option for HNIC despite the fact they've been putrid for years.

Someone had to go, now finish the job and send Cherry and MacLean out the door too.

[michale]

agree - Ron and Don talk about crap half the time no one gives 2 craps about or even knows anything about. Its like an inside story that only they know and we are 'suppose' to get.

stick to Hockey for the masses.

[swigg]

if they got rid off all the personalities and just showed hockey from 730 to 130 it would probably be the best thing they could do (of course with some play by play) but cut all the fat (Don,ron, hotstove) and just show hockey and i'll be happy!!!!!

[Stuart Pollock]

I hope we don't lose Peter Puck!

[Rob]

C B C would be on the mark should they replace their personalities for their Saturday T V broadcasts.Gab gab to no end.The Rogers Centre should also take note and find an interesting public announcer for their home games.The present one leaves a great deal to work on.C B C (at times seems) to be lost in a swamp with no G P S.

[Cc]

@ Tom..it's still a business..and the more people who watch = more ad revenue. This is why it's the Leafs. If it's this big of an issue for you, get the NHL package.

[Stu Campaigne]

I'd be thrilled if they kept Greg Millen and PJ off of my screen. Not always true, but in this case Brutal Players=Awful Broadcasters.

[terry]

I left HNIC a long time ago too much Maple leaf loving Tsn & Rds to a way better job , living in the west coast I was forced for years to have the Leafs rammed down my throat almost every Saturday , I had enough and stopped watching so did thousands of other hockey fans , it's Hockey Night in Canada , not Hockey Night in Toronto.

[CanadianSportsFan]

I agree with the sentiments that HNIC has almost become unwatchable. I've turned to watching the late (11pm AT) games during the regular season to avoid the Leafs and Cherry. And pretty much every year since the lockout I've turned to NBC's coverage of the finals. Compared to TSN and Versus, CBC's coverage has become laughable. They really need to blow it up, i.e. no more Cherry, MacLean, Millen, Healy, Stock and all of the other guys who are just plain annoying. Billy Jaffe is now unemployed, CBC would be smart to bring him in and pair him with Bob Cole on Canadiens games. Instead of having Coach's Corner, they need a regular studio crew like TSN has, with rotating analysts from week to week. They could use the likes of Hrudey and Milbury, as well as other commentators from around Canada and the northern US. Elliot Friedman could be the host.

As for HNIC airing the Leafs, I can't disagree with them doing that. For everyone who says the majority wants the Canadiens, just look at the numbers when a last place Leafs are on, they are still better than a playoff contending Canadiens team. And remember, this is coming from someone who HATES the Leafs. If you don't like watching the Leafs, and don't mind games being in standard defination, get Shaw Direct, Bell TV or a timeshifting package on digital cable so you get CBC Ottawa and/or Montreal.

[diana]

I vote MacLean and Cherry off!

[Corey]

To all you commenters who would rather rant than actually be right in your arguments, let me clarify something for you:

- HNIC has always said that they base their early game broadcast on the team that brings in the most viewers. The fact that it was the Maple Leafs (yes, that is there name, the "laughs" is not even a creative insult) just means that they were the more popular team that got the most viewers which (believe it or not) the advertisers demand.

- Last season, every Saturday night game did not include the Maple Leafs due to scheduling as well as the Leafs popularity waning recently with casual fans.

Bottom line is: get over yourselves. Its a national broadcast that will cater to the most popular team, or the team that will attract the most eyeballs to the screen. If that's not , then that's just too bad. Either subscribe to a cable package that includes regional games, or watch it on CBC.ca's website. You people would rather whine about the Leafs popularity than actually getting your facts straight.

[ostrich_lover]

I know for a fact that the kind of people who make internet comments do not make up the majority of the people. I think you could realisticaly make a case for the opposite. To axe Ron and Don would be a national atrocity. Maybe to the middling fan they are annoying, but to the hard core HNIC viewer -i.e the true hockey fan- they offer the most knowledge in the business. If you dont like Ron and Don, you simply know nothing about hockey - an in-arguable fact. And btw the Hotstove offers some of the best hockey gossip available - and if youre a hardcore fan, then the hotstove cant be beat. The idea the hnic needs 'new blood' is absurd. You dont mess with perfection.

[ostrich_lover]

A note to reasonable people: You really cant take seriously the ramblings of people who call the leafs the 'laughes' and certainly not people who would tune to NBC to watch the finals. Honestly, that is like turning down a free meal at the keg to eat out of a dumpster. Get real Pal.

[bferg]

Maybe my dreams will come true and this will mean the end of PJ (English is my 4th language) Stock. Please get him off the air.

[mlbfan]

"As for HNIC airing the Leafs, I can't disagree with them doing that. For everyone who says the majority wants the Canadiens, just look at the numbers when a last place Leafs are on, they are still better than a playoff contending Canadiens team."

Well said. And 100% true.

[Peter]

I hate the fact that until recently its been Saturday night in Toronto. Our National Broadcaster should be showing games from all teams in this nation, not just those that happen to play a block away from the broadcast HQ.

Keep Ron& Don though, I don't always agree with Don, but those guys know every aspect of the game and they're entertaining to boot.

[Stamster]

"I know for a fact that the kind of people who make internet comments do not make up the majority of the people."

Perhaps the most ironic comment ever.

[CanadianSportsFan]

ostrich_lover, Tell me what exactly is wrong with NBC? Doc Emrick is the 2nd best pxp in the business (behind Chris Cuthbert), Edzo and Pierre are above average analysts. Plus their studio show for the Finals isn't bad. Its certainly better than Ron and Don at the 1st intermission and MacLean interviewing some random hockey player that we haven't heard of for 20 years at the 2nd intermission.

Also I'd consider myself a "hardcore" HNIC viewer, I've watched it every week for most of my life. I don't think that axing Ron and Don would be a "national atrocity". Saying that someone doesn't know anything hockey because they don't like a commentator is stupid. That's like saying I don't know anything about music because I don't like Simon Cowell. I'll take Bob McKenzie and Darren Dreger over Ron and Don anyday.

Yes the Hotstove can bet great and I do enjoy it, but you are kidding yourself if you don't think the information is available elsewhere. Anything that Morrison says will be on CBCSports.ca and anything that Lebrun says will be on ESPN.com.

I know perfection when I see it (like for example, the NFL on CBS), and HNIC is certainly no longer perfect.

[terry]

Those who love the leafs will always have a different point of view, and no the rest of Canada doesn't want to watch the Leafs every Sat just those at CBC ,cause they run out of Toronto period!!

[JR]

Ron and Don might be a somewhat tired act but they're still a national institution. It's got a Canadian feel to it, unlike TSN which apes the ESPN panel format. I think it's a great thing that there have only been 3 main HNIC hosts in the last 50 years, Ward Cornell, Dave Hodge and McLean. It gives the host a certain national stature.

To be honest the Hot Stove can get very boring if Pierre LeBrun is talking about contracts nobody really cares about. The talk should be about the people of hockey, not the CBA. At least Mike Milbury has some fire in him, agree with him or not, he doesn't bore me.

[Tom Foley]

How can Montreal and Ottawa get viewers to compete with Hog Town Toronto when they are only seen in their area every Sat. on the national early game on HNIC. Toronto gets every week 90% of OUR NATION on OUR PUBLIC owned CBC network if Hog Town thinks thats fair guess their name Hog Town fits the Maple Laughs and their city to a tee. Only in HOG TOWN would people think thats fair. Why should the rest of the nation have to pay to watch their team on our public network with OUR taxpayers money while Toronto gets nothing but their MAPLE LAUGHS on HNIC/CBC? We should not have to purchase Centre Ice etc. to watch other Canadian teams, stop the bias toward HOG TOWN and show ALL eastern teams evenly on HNIC, we are paying for this also not just the BAY STREET BULLIES from HOG TOWN. Typical Toronto BS, think of no one else but themselves. Ask the people out west and down east if they like the LAUGHS each and every Sat. night on OUR NATIONAL NETWORK CBC.