Paul Bissonnette Set to Temporarily Replace Kevin Bieksa on Hockey Night in Canada

Paul Bissonnette is one of the most recognizable names in hockey media, and now, he's got a new role, albeit very temporarily as he replaces Kevin Bieksa.

Over the past few years, Hockey Night in Canada and Sportsnet have come under fire for the way the program is now hosted, especially considering how iconic it became in years past.

Whether that's the direction that Sportsnet want to move or it's simply a lack of on-air talent to make the show special, it's clear that something needs to change, and they may have now got the jolt that they need.

According to former NHLer turned media personality Paul Bissonnette, he will be filling in for Kevin Bieksa on the November 16th edition of Hockey Night in Canada, and given the work he does on his podcast and with NHL coverage on TNT, it's safe to say that he's the type of personality that HNIC is missing.

Sure, 'Biz Nasty' isn't everyone's cup of tea, but it's easy to see how relaxed and how much fun the TNT crew (Wayne Gretzky and Henrik Lundqvist) have alongside him on the air, so perhaps he can inject some of that life into Hockey Night in Canada.

Bissonnette didn't reveal how long he was filling in for Bieksa, so it's potentially just a one-night role for the former Pittsburgh Penguins and Arizona Coyotes forward, but it may be what the company needs to see the potential change that they could have.

In the replies to his post, Bissonnette insisted that he'll be talking plenty of Senators too after one fan noted that HNIC routinely ignore them in favour of the other Ontario team, despite Hockey Night in Canada supposedly providing great coverage for the fans.

We will see how this one time appearance goes for Bissonnette, and given how lifeless the show has become, hopefully this is the catalyst for change and making Sportsnet's hockey coverage much more exciting and well rounded for those fans in Canada.

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