Hockey fans mourn the end of 'Hockey Night in Canada' after 75 years of being free over-the-air

Dan Dakich responds to basketball analyst Vince Goodwill for claiming a championship doesn't validate greatness

Hockey fans are bumming hard this week with news that "Hockey Night in Canada," a bona fide broadcasting institution, is no more after 75 years.

Man... no more HNIC towels...

The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation and Sportsnet made a joint announcement on Tuesday that, after 12 years of a partnership to keep "Hockey Night in Canada" available over the air through a sublicensing agreement, the CBC will no longer carry NHL games.

"After a successful 12-year partnership, Sportsnet and CBC today announced the public broadcaster will no longer carry NHL broadcasts after the current season as it moves forward with a new sports programming strategy following the unprecedented success of the Milano/Cortina Olympic Games," the statement reads.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE OUTKICK SPORTS COVERAGE

"Watching hockey on Saturday night is a time-honoured tradition for Canadians, and Sportsnet is privileged to continue delivering that tradition. This has been a terrific partnership, and both parties look forward to continued opportunities to collaborate in the future."

ZERO BS. JUST DAKICH. TAKE THE DON'T @ ME PODCAST ON THE ROAD. DOWNLOAD NOW!

Ron MacLean (left) and Don Cherry were among the many personalities who were part of "Hockey Night in Canada" over the years. (Photo by Phillip MacCallum/Getty Images)

According to The New York Times, Rogers Sportsnet begins a new 12-year $7.9 billion deal with the NHL. The previous sublicensing deal involved the CBC not receiving any ad revenue from broadcasts, but also not having to pay for the rights to the broadcasts.

"Hockey Night in Canada" started as a radio broadcast in the early