La Soirée du hockey (1952)

-Broadcast until 2004, "La Soirée du hockey" was a real institution on Radio-Canada television. In 2002, the show celebrated its 50th anniversary on air, making it the longest continuous series in America. The very first broadcast of Hockey Night took place on October 11, 1952, and René Lecavalier was already on the air as host. The show started at 9:30 pm, at the beginning of the third period, because there was concern that fans would no longer travel to the Forum in Montreal (Canada). The hockey game broadcast on October 11, 1952, was between the Montreal Canadiens and the Detroit Red Wings in Montreal. The whole thing was filmed in black and white using three fixed-lens cameras. Between the second and third periods, Jean-Maurice Bailly welcomed guests such as Charles Mayer, Émile Genest and Jacques Beauchamp to a section of the program entitled "La Ligue du vieux poêle". It soon became apparent that, despite the great popularity of television games, the Forum was still full. However, we remain cautious, and we therefore allow broadcasting to begin at 9:00 p.m., then at 8:45 p.m., at 8:30 p.m. and, finally, from the 1968-1969 season, at 8:00 p.m. on October 12, 1968, opting for a full presentation of the matches. The first part in colour was presented in 1966. In the 1960s, "Hockey Night" became a testing ground for new technologies, including videotaping for near-instant replay and slow motion. Innovative host René Lecavalier banned the use of English expressions, while Anglicisms were common among sports presenters. A sports enthusiast, René Lecavalier will comment on the "La Soirée du hockey" games until 1985. The quality of its syntax and imaginative vocabulary have inspired many young sports journalists. Many prominent figures participated in the animation, analysis and comments of "La Soirée du hockey". In particular, Claude Quenneville, who will describe the games from 1990 to 2002, Richard Garneau, former hockey player Gilles Tremblay, Raymond Lebrun, Serge Arsenault, Lionel Duval, Camille Dubé and Michel Bergeron. After 52 years on the air, June 2, 2004, was the end of "La Soirée du hockey" on Radio-Canada, with game rights acquired by RDS (Le Réseau des Sports). This event raised an outcry of protest. Following an agreement with RDS, Francophones outside Quebec were able to continue to watch Saturday evening meetings through Radio-Canada's regional stations.