Six More Years!

That familiar theme will continue to play over the airwaves of Canada's National Network.

The Globe and Mail is reporting today, that the CBC and the NHL have agreed to a new contract which will see the most popular show the CBC has remain on the air for six more years.

For Hockey fans all is right in the Great White North for a little bit longer!

Now if we could just convince the CBC that there are other teams playing on Saturday nights, besides those constantly on display teams from Toronto and Calgary!

CBC to keep 'Hockey Night in Canada'
WILLIAM HOUSTON
Globe and Mail Update

The CBC and National Hockey League will announce a new television agreement today that will keep Hockey Night In Canada on the air well past the 2007-08 season.

The Globe and Mail has learned that the new rights is worth about $100-million a year, an increase from the $65-million that the CBC is now paying the NHL.

The rights deal is believed to be six years in length. It will begin when the current agreement expires after the 2007-08 season.

The CBC will continue to air the regular season Saturday night games and most of the playoff series involving Canadian teams.

Although the league's national cable agreement with TSN has yet to be announced, sources say the sports channel will increase its content and will also receive a share of the playoff coverage involving Canadian teams.

Later this week, the league is expected to announce a two-year rights extension with NBC, starting next season. In that deal, the NBC will be given a flexible schedule similar to the network's National Football League schedule. The "flex schedule" allows a network, two weeks in advance, to choose among several games for a particular time slot.