Press Releases

Sportsnet ēkwa APTN wītahpisohtawak ta cikāstēpayitācik māci nistam nēhiyaw-pīkiskwēwin NHL cikāstēpayicikēwin, niska pīsim akimihci niso mitanow nēwosāp

– Historic broadcast to take place in conjunction with Rogers Hometown Hockey stop in Enoch Cree Nation, Alta.
– Clarence Iron, one of the “Cree Voices of Hockey,” NHL alum John Chabot and Juno Award-winner Earl Wood form APTN’s NHL broadcast team
– Live coverage of Montreal Canadiens vs. Carolina Hurricanes to air on APTN at 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT

Toronto, Ont. – Scoring a milestone for Canadian television history, Sportsnet and APTN are teaming up to deliver the first-ever NHL game in Plains Cree. The historic broadcast hits airwaves on Sunday, March 24, as the Montreal Canadiens meet the Carolina Hurricanes on Rogers Hometown Hockey in Cree on APTN at 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT.

Leveraging Sportsnet’s production, APTN – the first national Indigenous broadcaster in the world – will air the landmark program featuring exclusive Cree-language commentary and analysis for fans across the country. Broadcaster Clarence Iron will have the play-by-play call for APTN, while Juno Award-winning musician Earl Wood will host the studio show alongside game analyst and NHL alum, John Chabot.

“We are thrilled to partner with APTN on such a unique and momentous broadcast,” says Rob Corte, vice president, Sportsnet & NHL Productions. “Committed to uniting Canadians through the sports they love, we at Sportsnet know that there is no stronger common thread than the country’s passion for hockey. We are truly honoured to have the opportunity to work with APTN to celebrate Canada’s Indigenous communities and the shared passion for hockey that unites us all.”
Set to deliver must-see NHL action to tens of thousands of Cree-speaking Canadians, the historic broadcast on APTN fittingly complements that weekend’s Rogers Hometown Hockey stop in Enoch Cree Nation, Alta., where Ron MacLean and Tara Slone will host a live broadcast of the same game on Sportsnet. Enoch Cree Nation is a proud First Nation situated in Treaty No. 6 Territory in central Alberta, bordering the west side of Edmonton.

“This brand-new venture will allow us to pursue our goal of presenting premier hockey programming to APTN audiences in Plains Cree,” says Jean La Rose, CEO of APTN. “This initiative also coincides with UNESCO’s declaration of 2019 as the International Year of Indigenous Languages. Supporting that declaration is incredibly important to us as we continue to serve Indigenous Peoples and work towards reconciliation.”

“Canada’s hockey fans are among the greatest in the world, and their longstanding tradition of watching games together, across all cultures and generations, is unmatched,” said David Proper, executive vice president, media and international strategy, NHL. “Sportsnet is a best-in-class partner and continues to uphold this important tradition, delivering NHL hockey to Canadians in transformative ways, as evidenced by the first Cree-language NHL broadcast. The NHL commends Sportsnet and APTN for this groundbreaking partnership, which will serve Canada’s Indigenous communities and all hockey fans nationwide.”

Clarence Iron lives in Pinehouse, Sask., where he works at CFNK 89.9 FM as a program host in his native Plains Cree language. With his experience calling Indigenous hockey tournaments as well as local games, Iron is recognized within the Indigenous hockey community as one of the “Cree Voices of Hockey.”

Drafted 40th overall by the Montreal Canadiens in 1980, John Chabot spent eight seasons in the NHL and played more than 500 games with Montreal, Pittsburgh and Detroit, followed by another 11 seasons in Europe. Following his playing career, Chabot went on to coach in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League before spending two seasons as an assistant coach with the New York Islanders from 2007-2009. Chabot also worked as a studio analyst on the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games with APTN and as a coach/instructor on APTN’s hockey series, Hit the Ice.

Earl Wood hails from Saddle Lake, Alta. and is one of the original founders of the Northern Cree Singers. Referred to by some as the “Indigenous Rolling Stones,” the Northern Cree Singers are a Juno Award-winning group and have been nominated for six Grammy Awards.

In addition to delivering Canada’s first Cree-language NHL broadcast this March, Sportsnet also contributes to the national productions of Hockey Night in Canada: Punjabi Edition and Blue Jays: Pinoy Edition on OMNI Television. Sportsnet’s sister station, OMNI Television, offers a wide range of locally produced and acquired programming in more than 20 languages, including news, current affairs and entertainment content.

This partnership will bring sports back to APTN, an initiative that has seen great success in recent years. APTN became the world’s first Indigenous Official Broadcaster of any Olympic Games event at the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games, broadcasting 15 hours of daily coverage in eight Indigenous languages as well as French and English.

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About Sportsnet
Sportsnet is Canada’s #1 sports media brand. Uniting Canadians through sport, Sportsnet’s multimedia offerings include Sportsnet (consisting of four regional channels: East, Ontario, West, and Pacific), Sportsnet ONE, Sportsnet 360, Sportsnet World, the Sportsnet Radio Network, Sportsnet.ca, Sportsnet NOW, the Sportsnet app and podcasts. Sportsnet is the official Canadian NHL national multiplatform rights holder, and is the regional broadcaster for the Vancouver Canucks, Calgary Flames, Edmonton Oilers and Toronto Maple Leafs. Sportsnet also has extensive coverage of the Blue Jays, as well as NBA, MLB, Grand Slam of Curling, Rogers Cup, CHL, IndyCar, WWE, Premier League and FA Cup. Sportsnet is part of Rogers Media, which is a subsidiary of Rogers Communications Inc. (TSX, NYSE: RCI).

About APTN
APTN launched in 1999 as the first national Indigenous broadcaster in the world, creating a window into the remarkably diverse mosaic of Indigenous Peoples. A respected non-profit and charitable broadcaster, it’s the only one of its kind in North America. The network is Sharing Our Stories of authenticity in English, French and a variety of Indigenous languages to approximately 11 million Canadian subscribers. With over 80% Canadian content, APTN connects with its audiences through genuine, inspiring and engaging entertainment on multiple platforms.

For further information about Sportsnet or Rogers Hometown Hockey in Cree, please contact:
Sarah Grossman
[email protected]
(416) 509-9694

Meghann Cox
[email protected]
(416) 258-3296

For further information about APTN or Rogers Hometown Hockey in Cree, please contact:
Jacqueline Jubinville
Manager of Communications, APTN
(204) 947-9331 ext. 339
[email protected]

Emili Bellefleur
Communications Coordinator, APTN
(514) 544-6124 ext. 227
[email protected]