There are reports circulating that a huge change is coming to Hockey Night In Canada, one of the most watched hockey broadcasts on a weekly basis, including a major alteration that I believe the majority of fans will support at this point.
The rumour comes from notorious Toronto sports columnist Steve Simmons, who alluded at the possibility of veteran announcer Ron MacLean stepping down as host of Hockey Night In Canada in his most recent Sunday Notes piece. To be clear, Simmons is not stating that MacLean will be fired or that he would suddenly resign; rather, he depicts MacLean's eventual departure as a mutual agreement between the two parties. According to Simmons' sources, MacLean has had enough of his job on the show, and the show's creators have had enough of MacLean.
The timing of the revelation is really fascinating, as it comes at a time when I feel MacLean's popularity among hockey fans is at an all-time low. MacLean was recently embroiled in a significant issue that resulted in the firing of long-time MacLean co-host Don Cherry, and fans on both sides of the storey had a negative impression of him. A group of fans believed MacLean threw his long-time buddy and co-host under the bus, while another group said MacLean had enabled Cherry for far too long and should have thrown him under the bus earlier. In any case, neither group emerged as Ron MacLean admirers as a result of the occurrence.
More recently, several observers speculated that MacLean was experiencing problems with another member of the show, this time National Hockey League insider Elliotte Friedman, during the Hockey Night in Canada panel parts. Friedman was criticising the NHL's officiating following a dismal performance by referees Chris Lee and Dan O'Rourke in the Stanley Cup Playoff semifinal between the Las Vegas Golden Knights and the Montreal Canadiens, and MacLean appeared to try to silence him on several occasions.
