As great as that would be, why would he want to go from HNIC to being a colour commentator? I’m sure he will get a great offer in the States to pair him up with Biz
rversed
100%. Gonna lock this thread now.
hrryyss
Yes! Make this happen Canucks!
NoticedGenie66
My first thought when seeing this was that Sportsnet is idiotic for potentially getting rid of the most entertaining member of the panel and that he and Shorty together would be great when Ferraro isn’t doing games. The interplay… *chef’s kiss*
superworking
I’m not really okay with any of it. Giving Rogers that mega deal was a huge mistake that has cost the NHL big time and it seems they are now happy to run it into the ground as their control is coming to an end.
I think Ferraro will do a great job for the games he’s covering and I don’t really see why Bieksa would even want to be a colour guy. It takes a lot more work for a lot less pay, and he’s a guy who’s likely made over $50M to date that could get a better job or just not work.
meanseanbean
More than anyone else
21marvel1
One Ferraro/Bieksa rotation for colour please 🙏
Miserable-Ring-4539
I’ll be curious to see what happens when this contract expires. Who’s gonna step up? I like the Sportsnet coverage. Lots of games to choose from like every night. Loosing that panel is no shame though. Never liked Ron Maclean
PoliteCanadian2
Bieksa is the best member of that panel hands down.
SkidmarkDave
Sucks that Friedman is staying on. Great insider. Terrible analyst.
AAfreakinRON
I loved the panel, the vibe they had once Bieksa was added was great. Some games it was more entertaining than the actual game. Boo Rogers
Initial-Ad-5462
Bieksa is excellent, Hrudey is almost as good, Botterill and Friedman are approximately tolerable, and the kindest thing to say about Maclean is that his time has come and gone.
edudspoolmak
We already have our new colour commentater. And he’s not going to be excepting a part-time gig I’m sure.
hangoverpho
Spiffy Juice
MoodyJ87
What a shit article. “It’s safe to say it hasn’t gone as the Canadian media giant expected….” The end.
WHY?
ebb_omega
Bieksa is the best thing to happen to Hockey Night in years, dare I say decades… and they’re letting him walk? Seriously fuck off Sportsnet.
humblearugula8
I thought Ray was replacing Cheech? Is that not happening?
thesunsetflip
I’d welcome Bieksa as our new assistant coach
Eitsky
Honestly they should keep Bieksa and build a new panel around him. Let the rest walk. People saying they don’t like Friedman here but he is great at the banter with Bieksa and they work well together.
Glad to see MacLean go. It was a shame what happened to Don Cherry. Those two really worked well together as well.
DisplacedNovaScotian
That’s an easy yes for me but, like others, I expect he would have bigger opportunities.
Spookedchicken
I’d welcome it but I’m highly skeptical he’d take the job.
msat16
Good. Make HNIC less vanilla/not so buttoned up.
KoalaOriginal1260
Maybe they would have more money to pay on-air talent if they actually tried to sell ads on the online livestream.
bwoah07_gp2
First of all, wow, what?!
Secondly, I liked that lineup. I thought their analysis was pretty insightful. But I’ll say this: Hockey Night in Canada moving to Sportsnet was the worst deal ever. Over the past many years hockey coverage in Canada in general has become sucky. I do not like the direction they are taking. First of all Bell Media axing their sports radio stations everywhere, and Sportsnet dropping the ball with a prestigious sports program.
The HNIC now is not the one I grew up enjoying. The new generation of pundits and reporters are plain boring. They cater too much to what they think the younger generation wants. 😒
superschaap81
* “it may be the end of Ron MacLean on the program.”
I like how they kinda gloss over the fact that they tried this once before for a couple years and put Strombo in his position. Granted, he wasn’t outright fired from CBC, as he still did Hometown Hockey, but the host of HNIC did change for a bit there and people HATED. IT.
Freidman is a no-brainer to keep. The guy knows his stuff and might be the best insider in the industry right now. I’ll definitely be shocked if they let Bieksa go, given they must know how popular he is with audiences. Hrudy will be a relief. Botterill I’m on the fence about. She’s knowledgeable, and has a good rapport with Bieksa, but to me she just doesn’t seem comfortable on air.
MDChuk
No, he’s never done color and the Canucks job isn’t entry level work.
I also don’t see Bieksa willing to move to Vancouver. I believe he splits his time between Welland and Anaheim.
JerbearCuddles
Didn’t we already add Ferraro as the colour guy? Bieksa needs a podcast. Basketball podcasts are incredible, and I think Bieksa would help grow our sport better that way. Just like Upshall, O’Brien, and Biz.
ArtistThen
How about after each game Don Taylor and Kevin Bieksa bring us Canucks post-game reaction and highlights followed by an around-the-league highlight package?
Mundane_Trifle1015
This is just some dude’s blog. Not reported anywhere else.
It only mentions the other three as possibly being axed “As for Hrudey, Bieksa and Botterill, who all do splendid work for Hockey Night In Canada, economics may lead to their unjust demise.”
solowsolo13
I’d love him back as some sort of coach for us. Maybe get his name on the Cup as a Canucks…
DJ_Molten_Lava
Is there a better source for this than Canucks Daily?
39 Comments
Let me think about it…
Okay I thought about it.
GIMME JUICE!
As great as that would be, why would he want to go from HNIC to being a colour commentator? I’m sure he will get a great offer in the States to pair him up with Biz
100%. Gonna lock this thread now.
Yes! Make this happen Canucks!
My first thought when seeing this was that Sportsnet is idiotic for potentially getting rid of the most entertaining member of the panel and that he and Shorty together would be great when Ferraro isn’t doing games. The interplay… *chef’s kiss*
I’m not really okay with any of it. Giving Rogers that mega deal was a huge mistake that has cost the NHL big time and it seems they are now happy to run it into the ground as their control is coming to an end.
I think Ferraro will do a great job for the games he’s covering and I don’t really see why Bieksa would even want to be a colour guy. It takes a lot more work for a lot less pay, and he’s a guy who’s likely made over $50M to date that could get a better job or just not work.
More than anyone else
One Ferraro/Bieksa rotation for colour please 🙏
I’ll be curious to see what happens when this contract expires. Who’s gonna step up? I like the Sportsnet coverage. Lots of games to choose from like every night. Loosing that panel is no shame though. Never liked Ron Maclean
Bieksa is the best member of that panel hands down.
Sucks that Friedman is staying on. Great insider. Terrible analyst.
I loved the panel, the vibe they had once Bieksa was added was great. Some games it was more entertaining than the actual game. Boo Rogers
Bieksa is excellent, Hrudey is almost as good, Botterill and Friedman are approximately tolerable, and the kindest thing to say about Maclean is that his time has come and gone.
We already have our new colour commentater. And he’s not going to be excepting a part-time gig I’m sure.
Spiffy Juice
What a shit article. “It’s safe to say it hasn’t gone as the Canadian media giant expected….” The end.
WHY?
Bieksa is the best thing to happen to Hockey Night in years, dare I say decades… and they’re letting him walk? Seriously fuck off Sportsnet.
I thought Ray was replacing Cheech? Is that not happening?
I’d welcome Bieksa as our new assistant coach
Honestly they should keep Bieksa and build a new panel around him. Let the rest walk. People saying they don’t like Friedman here but he is great at the banter with Bieksa and they work well together.
Glad to see MacLean go. It was a shame what happened to Don Cherry. Those two really worked well together as well.
That’s an easy yes for me but, like others, I expect he would have bigger opportunities.
I’d welcome it but I’m highly skeptical he’d take the job.
Good. Make HNIC less vanilla/not so buttoned up.
Maybe they would have more money to pay on-air talent if they actually tried to sell ads on the online livestream.
First of all, wow, what?!
Secondly, I liked that lineup. I thought their analysis was pretty insightful. But I’ll say this: Hockey Night in Canada moving to Sportsnet was the worst deal ever. Over the past many years hockey coverage in Canada in general has become sucky. I do not like the direction they are taking. First of all Bell Media axing their sports radio stations everywhere, and Sportsnet dropping the ball with a prestigious sports program.
The HNIC now is not the one I grew up enjoying. The new generation of pundits and reporters are plain boring. They cater too much to what they think the younger generation wants. 😒
* “it may be the end of Ron MacLean on the program.”
I like how they kinda gloss over the fact that they tried this once before for a couple years and put Strombo in his position. Granted, he wasn’t outright fired from CBC, as he still did Hometown Hockey, but the host of HNIC did change for a bit there and people HATED. IT.
Freidman is a no-brainer to keep. The guy knows his stuff and might be the best insider in the industry right now. I’ll definitely be shocked if they let Bieksa go, given they must know how popular he is with audiences. Hrudy will be a relief. Botterill I’m on the fence about. She’s knowledgeable, and has a good rapport with Bieksa, but to me she just doesn’t seem comfortable on air.
No, he’s never done color and the Canucks job isn’t entry level work.
I also don’t see Bieksa willing to move to Vancouver. I believe he splits his time between Welland and Anaheim.
Didn’t we already add Ferraro as the colour guy? Bieksa needs a podcast. Basketball podcasts are incredible, and I think Bieksa would help grow our sport better that way. Just like Upshall, O’Brien, and Biz.
How about after each game Don Taylor and Kevin Bieksa bring us Canucks post-game reaction and highlights followed by an around-the-league highlight package?
This is just some dude’s blog. Not reported anywhere else.
The actual article Canucks Daily yanked this from is mostly a sympathy piece for Ron Maclean – [https://betweentheposts.ca/2023/07/only-elliotte-friedman-is-safe/?fbclid=IwAR0bPgKHBym6xM2x4p0-ipPw9mnkXjfjQ2zn1vP1PB2C4Gv3IpH7IgQ3vck](https://betweentheposts.ca/2023/07/only-elliotte-friedman-is-safe/?fbclid=IwAR0bPgKHBym6xM2x4p0-ipPw9mnkXjfjQ2zn1vP1PB2C4Gv3IpH7IgQ3vck)
It only mentions the other three as possibly being axed “As for Hrudey, Bieksa and Botterill, who all do splendid work for Hockey Night In Canada, economics may lead to their unjust demise.”
I’d love him back as some sort of coach for us. Maybe get his name on the Cup as a Canucks…
Is there a better source for this than Canucks Daily?
Allegedly!
[boots and the ginger](https://youtube.com/shorts/_5V6Abyaszg?feature=share)
The biggest mistake was not acquiring the rights to the HNIC song. It just doesnt feel the same without it no matter who is on the panel.
Glad Ron and Hrudey are gone
Hard yes
Yes. Love Juice.
Wait wait wait… Who all got fired????