from Sean Fitz-Gerald of The Athetic,

Ron MacLean says he will return to “Hockey Night in Canada” next season, but his weekly workload will be lighter, with Sportsnet confirming it has canceled “Rogers Hometown Hockey,” the show that hop-scotched the country for eight seasons.

It was not immediately clear what the cancelation meant for co-host Tara Slone, who did not return a message from The Athletic on Tuesday. A Sportsnet spokesperson said the network does not comment on personnel matters “out of respect for employee privacy.”

“There’s so much loss for some in this story,” MacLean said in an interview. “That’s first and foremost: I just think of those who are affected.”

continued (paid)