APTN is including Inuktitut-language Hockey Night in Canada broadcasts for the first time in an extension of its Sportsnet partnership.

The broadcasts, available on APTN and APTN Languages, will features games in Plains Cree for a third season and three games in Inuktitut.

The Plains Cree broadcasts will feature play-by-play commentator Clarence Iron and analysts Earl Wood, John Chabot and Jason Chamakese. The Inuktitut-language broadcasts will be hosted by Pujjuut Kusugak, Robert Kabvitok and David Ningeongan. Kusugak and Ningeongan previously broadcasted in Inuktitut for hockey at the 2022 Winter Olympics and basketball for the 2024 Summer Olympics.

Hockey Night in Canada in Cree begins on Jan. 18 for the Winnipeg Jets against the Calgary Flames and continues on Feb. 8 for the Toronto Maple Leafs facing the Vancouver Canucks. The final game broadcast in Plains Cree is on Feb. 22 for the Winnipeg Jets against the St. Louis Blues.

Hockey Night in Canada in Inuktitut begins on March 8 with the Edmonton Oilers vs. the Dallas Stars and continues on March 22 with the Ottawa Senators vs. the New Jersey Devils. The last broadcast will be on April 12 for the Montreal Canadiens facing the Toronto Maple Leafs.

“Expanding the broadcast to include both Plains Cree and Inuktitut showcases our commitment to fostering language revitalization and connecting communities through the power of sport,” said Mike Omelus, APTN executive director of content and strategy, in a statement.

This will be the first season of Hockey Night in Canada broadcast on APTN Languages, as the channel launched in September of 2024. The channel is dedicated to programming in Indigenous languages.

Image courtesy of APTN; pictured (L-R): John Chabot, Clarence Iron, Jason Chamakese and Earl Wood.