Sportsnet considering 'new formats' for 1st intermission without Cherry

The segment previously dedicated to "Coach's Corner" on Hockey Night in Canada could be headed in a new direction following Don Cherry's dismissal.

"We're taking the time to explore new formats for the first intermission," Sportsnet communications director Andrew Garas told The Canadian Press' Gregory Strong on Friday.

This Saturday night's first-intermission segment will highlight the 2019 Hockey Hall of Fame inductees ahead of Monday's induction ceremony, Garas added.

Sportsnet fired Cherry on Monday after the longtime pundit made offensive comments during last Saturday's broadcast.

Ron MacLean, who hosted "Coach's Corner" alongside Cherry for decades, said this week he plans to address the matter again Saturday after apologizing last Sunday.

Amid speculation about MacLean's future, he tweeted Friday that he is "not leaving Saturdays."

"Coach's Corner" has been a fixture of CBC - and later Sportsnet - broadcasts on Saturday nights since 1982. The segment was built around Cherry, and it began with the 85-year-old being featured alongside host Dave Hodge in 1982. MacLean took over for Hodge in 1986 and hosted the segment since.