APTN News
APTN and Sportsnet have negotiated a three-year deal to broadcast NHL games in Plains Cree.
Six games will be broadcast this season as part of Rogers Hometown Hockey with hosts Ron MacLean and Tara Slone.
APTN broadcast the first nationally televised game in Plains Cree between the Montreal Canadiens and Carolina Hurricanes in March of last season.
Clarence Iron was the play by play announcer. Earl Wood was the host along with hockey analyst John Chabot.
The first game in the new schedule will be on Sunday Jan. 19, 2020 in a game between the Winnipeg Jets and the Chicago Blackhawks.
“I think it’s the type of event that will help open doors in our relationship with Canada,” outgoing APTN CEO Jean La Rose told Face to Face host Dennis Ward.
“Some people wrote to us saying, ‘I just tuned it in because I just wanted to hear what it sounded like but the guy was so exciting I watched the whole game.’”
APTN will have a broadcast when the two teams meet again on Feb. 9.
The announcement of the other five games will be released in the coming days.
