What should Hockey Night In Canada do to replace Don Cherry?

Hockey Night In Canada won’t be the same without Don Cherry. What should they do to replace him?

Hockey Night In Canada is as much of a staple to life in Canada as poutine, maple syrup, and politeness. Since 1982, households across Canada have tuned in every Saturday night of the NHL season to Coach’s Corner, a segment hosted by Don Cherry. Though Dave Hodge started as his sidekick in 1982, Ron MacLean has been with him since 1986. Cherry was a controversial character and his latest rant against immigrants who don’t wear poppies led to him being removed.

It’s amazing it took this long for him to be removed given his history of making controversial, and at times offensive, comments. But regardless, on Nov. 16, Cherry won’t be a part of Hockey Night In Canada. Replacing him is going to be a difficult task.

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However, Sportsnet will certainly have options. There likely won’t be a permanent solution to this sudden problem for a while. But here’s what Hockey Night In Canada could do to replace him.

First of all, I think it’s safe to say they need to find someone different than Cherry. Yes, Cherry’s been a staple of Hockey Night In Canada for over 30 years. But change can be a good thing. Ultimately, Cherry turned a lot of people off of hockey with his controversial opinions.

Internal Replacements

When I think of internal replacements for Cherry, the first name that comes to mind is Steve “Dangle” Glynn. He’s not a “hockey guy” like Cherry. Glynn has never played in the NHL. But he’s different than Cherry, in a good way. Glynn’s enthusiasm and passion for hockey are impossible to deny. It’s hard to think of a better hype man for the NHL than Glynn.

More importantly, he’s accepting of others. Having met him in real life, Glynn is one of the most genuinely nice guys I’ve ever met. He’d represent hockey in a positive manner and help bring coverage to the 21st century. Glynn’s already doing a terrific job hosting Ice Surfing, a regular Sportsnet segment.

If they want to think outside the box, how about the Punjabi Hockey Night in Canada crew? Not only are they very smart, but they also share an often overlooked and underappreciated voice that hockey fans would benefit from hearing. It would be a refreshing change from Cherry, to say the least.

They’re clearly dedicated to their craft and their excitement for hockey has already made new fans around the globe. If Sportsnet wants a quick, short-term fix while they explore other options, why not give them a chance?

Another option is to simply extend the time given to the Headlines roundtable. For me, those discussions about rumors and hot topics around the NHL have always been enlightening and entertaining. Having more of that certainly wouldn’t be a bad thing.

Don’t Replace Him

Ultimately, maybe Hockey Night In Canada doesn’t need to replace Cherry. Maybe they need to find a way to update their hockey coverage to fit today’s society. More Hometown Hockey segments, which shares touching stories from across Canada, would be a nice touch.

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Whatever Hockey Night In Canada does, the question should not be “who replaces Cherry”. This is an opportunity to update their coverage. It might be weird not having Cherry on the television after nearly 40 years, but change can be a good thing. Hockey Night In Canada has been criticized for not staying with the times. The question that should be asked by Sportsnet and Hockey Night In Canada is, “what can we do to update our coverage?”.

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