When the news conference to announce Hockey Night in Canada’s revamped hosting lineup was over, a throng of cameras swarmed George Stroumboulopoulos, the freshly anointed face of the franchise.

Meanwhile, off to the side of the stage, literally in the shadows, a much smaller gathering — mostly of writers — huddled around Ron MacLean, who is passing the torch after 28 years.

It was as stark a reminder as any that, despite the many assurances from those assembled on Monday afternoon that the beloved traditions of Hockey Night in Canada would continue, as ever, under Rogers’ ownership, change has come.

Stroumboulopoulos, 41, will replace the 53-year-old MacLean as the primary host and anchor of a revamped Hockey Night, signaling the first significant programming change by Rogers, which last November acquired exclusive NHL broadcast rights in Canada for 12 years at $5.2 billion.

The deal includes a sub-licensing agreement with CBC, which will continue to air Hockey Night on Saturdays for the next four years, though Rogers maintains all editorial control.

But MacLean isn’t being sent off to pasture just yet.

He will still be on every Saturday night with Don Cherry as part of Coach’s Corner — which Rogers insists they have no plans to change — and he will also be the on-location host of a new Sunday night hockey telecast, dubbed Hometown Hockey — which, in addition to airing a nationally televised game featuring a Canadian team, will travel to different towns across the country to produce a show similar to CBC’s annual Hockey Day in Canada.

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Stroumboulopoulos’s hire will mean a reduced role for Ron MacLean, who has hosted Hockey Night for nearly 30 years. MacLean will continue to co-host Coach’s Corner with Don Cherry on Saturday nights, but he will no longer be the primary anchor. MacLean’s most substantial role with the new-look NHL broadcasts will be as host of “Hometown Hockey Community Celebrations” as part of the new Sunday night telecasts.

“I’m thrilled about the way Rogers and Hockey Night in Canada intend to recognize the community in the new deal,” MacLean said in a statement. “Thirty-five million voices will play a part, and I’m simply honoured to be a part of the team. As for Grapes and me — year 29 is coming up. For 28 years, Don’s been wired but now he’s wireless. What a break.”

“I knew that Rogers would never mess with the greatest segment on television,” Cherry said in a statement regarding the continuation of Coach’s Corner. “We’re going into our 29th season of Coach’s Corner, and we’re stronger than ever!”

Stroumboulopoulos, a proud Montreal Canadiens’ fan, began his broadcasting career as a sports reporter for The Fan 590, now under the Sportsnet banner.

“Hockey is one of my deep-seated passions and I’m thrilled to be going full circle, returning to my roots in sports broadcasting,” Stroumboulopoulos said in a statement. “It’s a dream for me to work with Ron MacLean and Don Cherry, as well as my old friend Jeff Marek who I started my career with. I’m also looking forward to working with Daren Millard and the entire team at Rogers.”

Stroumboulopoulos had a one-season stint as the host of Stroumboulopoulos on CNN last summer. The show struggled to attract viewers and was not renewed.

In addition to the “Hometown Hockey” Sunday night telecasts, Sportsnet is also introducing Wednesday and Thursday night games, which will be hosted by Millard and Marek, respectively.

“We know how passionate fans are about hockey, and so we’ve brought together the best anchors to deliver the best hockey experience to Canadians,” said Sportsnet president, Scott Moore. “George is one of the smartest and most versatile broadcasters in the business, and Ron and Don are icons in the hockey world. Along with Daren and Jeff, our new broadcast team brings a tremendous amount of talent, expertise and personality — and most importantly, they all possess a supreme passion for hockey.”

Here’s how the rest of the hosting duties will be divvied up:

George Stroumboulopoulos

Stroumboulopoulos will host Hockey Night in Canada on Saturday nights and be the studio anchor for Sunday night “Hometown Hockey” broadcasts on City-TV. He will also host other NHL broadcasts on Sportsnet and other Rogers’ platforms.

Ron MacLean

MacLean will continue in his role as Coach’s Corner sidekick to Don Cherry on Saturday nights. He will also host the Hometown Hockey Community Celebration on the new Sunday-night telecasts and host the annual “Hockey Day in Canada” broadcast.

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Daren Millard

Millard will host Wednesday Night Hockey on Sportsnet, while also continuing to host Hockey Central @ Noon on Sportsnet 590 Fan. He will also host some Leafs regional broadcasts.

“I’ve been at Sportsnet since Day 1, and I couldn’t be happier to have this new challenge of hosting NHL hockey on the national stage,” Millard said in a statement.

Jeff Marek

Marek will host Thursday Night Hockey on Sportnset 360, as well as afternoon pre-game shows Saturdays. He will also host the junior-hockey broadcasts on Friday night and the Memorial Cup.

“Twenty years ago, George (Stroumboulopoulos) and I used to sit in the producers’ room at The Fan 590 radio station in Toronto and talk about how we had to, one day, work in hockey together. So today’s a great day. To share a place in the presentation of the NHL with George, Daren, Ron and Don is both humbling and inspiring. And, I’m really excited to be part of my first hockey love — junior. The (Canadian Hockey League), for anyone who knows me, holds a special place.”

Meanwhile, CBC would still like to work with Stroumboulopoulos.

“Although this particular chapter is coming to an end, I’ve already had some conversations with George about new ways to work with him in the future,” Jennifer Dettman, Executive Director of Studio and Unscripted Programming of the CBC, said in a statement.

“I really believe that over the last decade George has changed the landscape of Canadian talk television.

“It’s unclear what future programming Stroumboulopoulos will be able to do, considering that he will have a full time slate with hockey. But the CBC is still interested in working with one of their home grown stars.

“George is one of the foremost cultural ambassadors in our country and that is a testament to the way he connects with his audiences year after year.”

With files from Tony Wong

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