Punjabi Hockey Show Ends
Rogers Cancels Hockey Night in Canada Punjabi After 18 Years, Shocking Community.
Rogers Sports & Media has cancelled Hockey Night in Canada Punjabi after 18 years on the air, ending the only Punjabi-language NHL broadcast in the world. The move has drawn swift backlash from both the Punjabi-Canadian community and the broader sports world, according to Vancouver Sun.
The show gave Punjabi-speaking Canadians full NHL game coverage and league features in their own language. Rogers said it is proud of what the broadcast achieved and called it a "truly unique" space in Canadian sports — but offered no explanation for why it was cut.
A Lifelong Dream Cut Short for Staff
Jagraj Lalli is one of the people hit hardest by the cancellation. The first-generation Canadian dreamed of working on the show since he was eight years old. He landed a behind-the-scenes job in 2022, according to Ottawa Citizen. Now, just a few years in, that job is gone.
Lalli called the cancellation "shocking." He said it felt even worse knowing how much the show meant to the community. For many Punjabi-Canadians, the broadcast was more than a sports show — it was proof they belonged in Canadian culture.
18 Years of Punjabi Hockey Coverage Now Gone
Hockey Night in Canada Punjabi launched as a groundbreaking experiment. It became a full broadcast operation over nearly two decades. The show covered NHL games and ran features from around the league — all in Punjabi. No other broadcaster in the world offered anything like it, according to The Province.
The broadcast was a big deal for South Asian Canadians, one of the fastest-growing communities in the country. It helped bridge the gap between a deeply Canadian sport and a community that was not always reflected in mainstream hockey media.
Backlash Hits Rogers From All Sides
The response to the cancellation has been fast and fierce. Criticism is coming from both the Punjabi-Canadian community and the wider sports world, according to Sudbury Star. Fans and advocates say cutting the show sends the wrong message about inclusion in Canadian hockey.
Rogers has not responded publicly to the criticism in detail. The company's statement focused on celebrating the show's legacy rather than explaining the decision. That silence has frustrated many who want answers about why a beloved and one-of-a-kind broadcast was axed.
What the Show Meant Beyond the Broadcast
For many viewers, Hockey Night in Canada Punjabi was bigger than hockey. It told Punjabi-Canadians that their language and culture had a place in the country's most iconic sport. Young fans could watch the game and hear it called in the language they spoke at home, according to Chatham Daily News.
With the show now cancelled, there is no comparable replacement on the horizon. Community members and former staff are left wondering whether a network will step in — or whether this chapter of multicultural Canadian sports broadcasting is simply over.
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