Agreed 100%. And I don’t think they’ve gotten enough credit for broadcasting all of their shows online this year—it’s so awesome to be able to watch entire games (after the fact or live) on the web, never mind all the analysis (Behind The Mast, Hotstove, whatever) in the archives. Fantastic.

Posted by Jeremy from Summerland, BC on 04/24/08 at 05:09 PM ET

HNIC IS and always WILL BE the standard for which other so called hockey broadcasts aspire to live up to.
Rite down to the sound of the skates scratching on the ice, that their broadcast people manage to bring into my livingroom every Saturday! HNIC is a and has been a tradition in my family since it was available on good ole ch9 before the days of cable and the web here in the D...So all you bashers keep on...Cause You Can’t Mess with
THE H N I C!!!!!

Posted by grtlkcanadian from Warren, MI on 04/25/08 at 05:05 AM ET

As long as NBC has Pierre McGuire and Mike Milbury yelling at each other during intermission, and Versus airs promos for bull riding featuring yahoos with bad grammar, HNIC will always maintain its status as top shelf. I go out of my way to record HNIC, and its pre and post game shows, while NBC and Versus go on if and only if they have a compelling matchup.

Posted by Matt from Tampa on 04/25/08 at 07:31 AM ET

Two of the reasons I like Hockey Night:

1. They show the singing of the national anthems instead of commercials or more pre-game yik-yak.

2.  Before the game, especialy in the playoffs, the suits stay quiet and let the shots and the sounds of the players fidgeting in the tunnel before they hit the ice and the roaring of the crowd over the music speak for themselves.  Much better than someone in a studio talking about how “electic” the atmosphere is in the arena.  Show, don’t tell!

Posted by Baroque from Michigan on 04/25/08 at 08:28 AM ET

I grew up near Detroit with Hockey Night In Canada. It is the best. Hands downs.
I’m all for constructive criticism but, they’re making out as if HNIC really sucked when it clearly doesn’t.
I’d like to see what they would say if they had to watch the coverage in the States.

Posted by EverRev from Delaware on 04/25/08 at 10:49 AM ET

HNIC, great memories (I grew up with it serving as the backdrop for many conversations with my dad), its theme song is our other national anthem...Love it!

That being said, if the Canucks are playing on HNIC I shudder.  And if they are playing against TO, I simply won’t watch, the announcers simply do not know our players names and the bias is so over the top disgusting that it entirely ruins the game for me.

HNIC, love it, great Canadian institution...won’t catch me watching any Canuck games on it.

Posted by Devin from Victoria on 04/25/08 at 11:08 AM ET

As an American, I love HNIC and wish we had something, anything, that could approach it.

My only ‘gripe’ against HNIC is that they don’t show enough (read: all possible) games.

Posted by Hoser from Downer Peninsula, Michigan on 04/25/08 at 12:07 PM ET

Growing up in Michigan, HNIC was my place to learn about hockey.  I love the things the HNIC does over any broadcast in the US.  They allow the viewer to see the game and the atmosphere rather than tell you about it. Yes, Don Cherry is full of hot air but don’t people who watch HNIC expect that? I know I do.  I learned the words to the Canadian national anthem because of HNIC.  “Satellite Hotstove” is the best!

Posted by hockeychic from Denver, CO on 04/25/08 at 03:56 PM ET