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English language regional telecasts of weekday Canadiens games are moving back to TSN next season.

While there has been no official confirmation of the move from Rogers Sportsnet, The Gazette has learned that the deal between TSN and the Canadiens was completed earlier this year.

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According to sources close to the negotiations, Sportsnet, which was in the final year of a three-season agreement to televise Canadiens games, made a strong push to retain the rights.

They were thwarted because Bell, TSN’s parent company, also has an ownership stake in the Canadiens, which included the right to match any offer for the TV rights. When Rogers acquired the Canadian TV rights to NHL games in Canada in 2014 and farmed out the national French-language rights to TVA, Bell invoked that clause to secure a French-language deal for RDS but passed on a TSN deal. RDS is reportedly paying $1 million a game for the 60 mid-week Canadiens games on its schedule. The TSN deal is for far less money and reflects the smaller audience for the games.