Hockey Night in Canada co-host Don Cherry has renewed with the CBC through the 2011-2012 season.

The signing will give the CBC a chance to bid on renewing its NHL broadcast contract in the fall of 2013 with the popular hockey pundit on board.

Terms of Cherry’s new contract with the CBC were not disclosed.

“We’re delighted to announce that the venerable hockey icon Don Cherry has signed on for another season and will continue to provide hockey’s liveliest and sometimes provocative commentary,” Kirstine Stewart, executive vice president of CBC English Services, said in a statement.

The CBC currently has a six-year deal to 2014 that includes national English language broadcast and digital rights to NHL games.

The network depends on revenue generated from its HNIC telecasts to subsidize programming elsewhere on its schedule.

In the last decade, the CBC has lost some of its NHL rights to rival private sector broadcasters, but has managed to retain a host of Stanley Cup playoff games, especially ones that involve Canadian teams.

The next round of talks on an NHL package for Hockey Night in Canada games is expected to include rival bids from private sector rivals, and likely CTV/TSN.