CBC's new Saturday night sports show is ready for launch

It's a relatively quiet week on the international sports scene as we wait for curling, figure skating, skiing, speed skating and other winter Olympic sports to open their seasons in the coming weeks.

So, I thought I'd take advantage of the lull to fill you in on what the CBC (your public broadcaster and my employer) will air Saturday nights now that Rogers has taken NHL hockey completely behind its paywall. 

The big news on that front dropped earlier this week when the CBC announced that Hockey Night in Canada will return for its 90th season, but with a twist. With the network no longer carrying Rogers-produced NHL games on Saturday nights (as was the case since the cable giant gobbled up the league's entire Canadian rights package in 2014), Hockey Night will now feature the Professional Women's Hockey League.

Today, the CBC added it will show a total of 26 PWHL games this season on the TV network and the free CBC Gem streaming service, including eight Hockey Night in Canada broadcasts on Saturday nights.

Coverage begins on the afternoon of Dec. 5 with the PWHL's regular-season opener between the Seattle Torrent and the Vancouver Goldeneyes, followed by the debut of the reimagined Hockey Night as the Walter Cup champion Montreal Victoire host expansion Hamilton at 7 p.m. ET. Here's more on the CBC's PWHL broadcasts, including a full schedule.

Hockey Night in Canada returns with the PWHL

Meanwhile, the company is introducing a new weekly flagship sports show on Saturday nights. CBC Sports Primetime, hosted by Andi Petrillo, will air on both the TV network and CBC Gem and spotlight Canada's Olympic athletes and other high-level performers competing at home and abroad.

The show debuts tomorrow at 7 p.m. ET with a Canada