Hockey players aren’t known for being shy about fighting over different plays on the ice, but Wayne Gretzky and his current compatriots have learned not to come to blows.
“We might disagree about a play or a player or a team, but there’s no animosity,” says Gretzky about “NHL on TNT,” the sports program for which he recently signed a deal extension. “Nobody tries to take over the microphone or take over the camera. We are a team, just like a hockey team.”
Gretzky re-ups with Warner Bros. Discovery’s TNT Sports at an interesting moment. The company’s signature sports program, “Inside the NBA,” is moving to Disney’s ESPN in the new season, though Warner will continue to produce it. That means Warner may be hoping to build a new franchise with the studio programs it has created around its NHL and MLB rights.
“Listen, we are not trying to reinvent the wheel,” says Gretzky, who will start his fifth season with Warner. “We are largely riding the coattails of what those guys on ‘Inside the NBA’ have done so phenomenally. They know the game, but they are positive, and their personalities come through, even if they don’t always agree.’
Warner last renewed Gretzky’s contract — along with those of his TNT colleagues, Wayne Gretzky, Paul Bissonnette, Anson Carter and Henrik Lundqvist in 2023. All four work with studio host Liam McHugh, to whom Gretzky believes credit is due. “I don’t think the show would exist” without him, he says. “He is a fan. He loves sports. He loves hockey and he truly wants the players to be successful.”
The new NHL season at Warner’s TNT Sports will include 72 regular season games on Tuesdays and Wednesdays throughout the season, with games on Sundays starting in Spring 2026. The season starts Wednesday, Oct. 8 with the Boston Bruins at Washington Capitals at 7:30 p.m., followed by LA Kings at Vegas Golden Knights at 10 p.m.
The schedule also includes the 2026 Discover NHL Winter Classic, with the reigning Stanley Cup Champion Florida Panthers hosting the New York Rangers at LoanDepot Park in Miami.
Gretzky finds broadcasting can be almost as arduous as playing the sport itself. “It’s a lot more preparation than people think,” with knowledge of players and their potential maneuvers being critical. “It’s truly something you need to have,” Gretzky says.
