Going Deep with Donnovan Bennett Sportsnet

The Stanley Cup Final is set between the Oilers and Panthers, and the NHL is making some history by becoming the first major sports league to broadcast games in American Sign Language. Donnovan speaks to NHL VP Kim Davis (3:13) on these efforts by the league to make the sport more inclusive to a variety of fans, and also chats with P-X-P CEO and Co-Founder Brice Christianson (15:14) on what it means to have ASL in the championship round. Plus, with Connor McDavid in the Cup Final, Donnovan chats with hip-hop artist Cadence Weapon (25:00) on his 'Connor McDavid' anthem and what it means to Edmonton to go back to the Final for the first time since 2006.

The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates.

The 2024 CFL season has officially arrived, and Donnovan kicks off another year of Canadian football coverage by chatting with CFL Commissioner Randy Ambrosie (2:42). They discuss the continued growth of the game, the role of the commissioner in both discipline and decision making, improving safety around the league, and whether or not the CFL can draw any lessons from other leagues getting off the ground in Canada. Afterwards, Donnovan chats with NFL VP of Broadcast Planning Michael North (25:09) on the recently released schedule, and the newly charted waters that encompass the world of streaming - how does the NFL continue to divvy up a pie that has pieces going to Netflix, Amazon, and more? Plus, Cabbie joins for another review of CBC's Ultimate Challenge.

The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates.

The WNBA is adding another expansion franchise in 2026, and it's official: the W is coming to Toronto. Donnovan is joined by WNBA Toronto President Teresa Resch as they discuss what went into conversations with the league, how you capture new eyes for a league largely still new to Canada, and how the eventual (as-of-yet unchosen) name needs to represent the whole country (3:50). Afterwards, ESPN's LaChina Robinson stops by to share her thoughts on the new Toronto franchise, the 2024 crop of rookies (including the Caitlin Clark effect on the league as a whole), and her upcoming stint at the Paris Summer Olympics calling women's basketball for NBC (31:58).

The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates.

Canada is one step closer to the launch of a domestic women's professional soccer league - we learned about Project 8 in years past, and it's now official: the Northern Super League will launch in 2025. Diana Matheson, CEO and co-founder of Project 8 and two-time Olympic medallist with Team Canada women's national soccer team, joined Donnovan to discuss the announcement, the next steps for the league, the launch date of 2025, what logistics remain to figure out, and her thoughts on Team Canada ahead of the Summer Olympics.

The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates.

Jesse Marsch has been named the new head coach of Canada Soccer's men's national team - what are expectations like for Team Canada now? Donnovan is joined by OneSoccer's Kristian Jack to break down the move from Canada Soccer, including why it was important to get done prior to the Copa America tournament. They also discuss the future for Team Canada at the Olympics and the World Cup, the latest from both the MLS and CPL, and take a look at Donnovan's beloved Three Lions. Plus, Kristian shares some fun memories of his colleague Darren Dutchyshen, who recently passed away at the age of 57. Afterwards, Donnovan and Cabbie discuss another episode of CBC's Ultimate Challenge.

The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates.

The WNBA is finally coming to Toronto, as per reports from CBC's Shireen Ahmed. Donnovan invites Shireen to discuss being a news-breaker, how the chase went down, and what it means for the WNBA to open its doors in Toronto.

The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates.