Hockey Night in Canada (often abbreviated
Hockey Night or
HNIC) is a branding used for Canadian television presentations of the
National Hockey League. While the name has been used for all NHL broadcasts on
CBC Television (regardless of the time of day),
Hockey Night in Canada is primarily associated with its Saturday night NHL broadcasts, a practice originating from Saturday NHL broadcasts that began in 1931 on the
CNR Radio network and continued on its successors, and debuting on television beginning in 1952. Initially only airing a single game weekly, the modern interation airs a weekly double-header, with game times normally at 7:00 and 10:00 p.m.
(ET). The broadcast features various segments during the intermissions and between games (such as
Don Cherry's
Coach's Corner), as well as pre and post-game coverage of the night's games.