George Stroumboulopoulos is the new host of Canada’s biggest national program, the iconic Hockey Night in Canada. Stromboulopoulous has been the host of late night talk show George Stroumboulopoulos Tonight (previously known as The Hour) on CBC for 10 years. While he will take over hosting duties, have no fear Canada. It will remain Don Cherry and Ron MacLean in your first intermission staple Coach’s Corner.
CBC also announced that due to the new duties, Stromboulopoulos talk show will be cancelled. He will begin hosting in October 2014.
It’s the first major personnel change made by Rogers after they acquired the NHL rights in a blockbuster 12-year, $5.2-billion deal in November. In all Rogers will broadcast over 500 NHL games per year, including the all playoff games shown in Canada.
“Hockey is one of my deep-seated passions and I’m thrilled to be going full circle, returning to my roots in sports broadcasting,” Stroumboulopoulos said via press release.
Don Cherry, Ron MacLean, Daren Millard and Jeff Marek were also announced as “cornerstones” of Rogers’ coverage in a news release issued Monday.
“We know how passionate fans are about hockey, and so we’ve brought together the best anchors to deliver the best hockey experience to Canadians,” said Scott Moore, president of Rogers’ Sportsnet and NHL properties. “George is one of the smartest and most versatile broadcasters in the business, and Ron and Don are icons in the hockey world. Along with Daren and Jeff, our new broadcast team brings a tremendous amount of talent, expertise and personality – and most importantly, they all possess a supreme passion for hockey.”
Stromboulopoulos is well-known as a huge fan of the Montreal Canadiens. This should add some flair to a show that is often criticized for being too Toronto centric at times, and will make Habs fans extremely happy.
“I knew that Rogers would never mess with the greatest segment on television. We’re going into our 29th season of Coach’s Corner, and we’re stronger than ever,” Cherry said via a statement.
Maclean will host Hockey Day in Canada and the new Sunday Night Heritage game featuring a Canadian team each week.
“I’m thrilled about the way Rogers and Hockey Night in Canada intend to recognize the community in the new deal. Thirty-five million voices will play a part, and I’m simply honoured to be a part of the team,” MacLean said. “As for Grapes and me – Year 29 is coming up. For 28 years, Don’s been wired, but now he’s wireless. What a break.”
Darren Millard will host the Wednesday national broadcast.
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