Wayne Gretzky is staying with Warner Bros. Discovery’s NHL coverage.
The hockey legend signed a contract extension with TNT Sports to continue as a studio analyst for NHL on TNT. Gretzky is entering his fifth season with the network after initially joining in 2021 on a deal reportedly worth around $3 million annually.
The renewal comes as Warner Bros. Discovery navigates a significant shift in its sports portfolio. Inside the NBA is moving to ESPN next season, though Turner will continue producing the show. That puts more pressure on TNT’s NHL and MLB studio programs to fill the void left by its signature basketball coverage.
Gretzky acknowledged the challenge during an interview with Variety.
“Listen, we are not trying to reinvent the wheel,” he said. “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.”
The Great One works alongside host Liam McHugh and fellow analysts Paul Bissonnette, Anson Carter, and Henrik Lundqvist. All four analysts signed multi-year extensions in 2023, and Gretzky’s latest deal keeps that core group intact.
Gretzky has fit in with TNT’s approach to hockey coverage, which mirrors the loose, personality-driven style of Inside the NBA. Bissonnette once revealed that he and Gretzky sometimes stay up crushing beers until 4 or 5 in the morning after broadcasts, swapping stories. That camaraderie translates on camera, even if Gretzky refuses to meow, no matter how hard Bissonnette tries to get him to join in on the animal noises.
The 2025-26 NHL season on TNT begins Wednesday, October 8, with a doubleheader featuring the Boston Bruins vs. the Washington Capitals, followed by the Los Angeles Kings vs. the Vegas Golden Knights. TNT will broadcast 72 regular-season games on Tuesdays and Wednesdays throughout the season, with Sunday games set to begin in spring 2026.
While Gretzky has occasionally gone on anti-analytics rants and gotten caught up in political controversies around U.S.-Canada relations, his analysis has generally been well-received. He famously predicted exactly how Connor McDavid would set up a game-tying goal during the Stanley Cup Final, earning the nickname “Gretztradamus” from his castmates.
TNT’s NHL coverage has been a success through its first four seasons. The network established itself as the NHL’s network of record after two years, outpacing ESPN with its studio show and in-game presentation. Keeping Gretzky and the rest of the crew together should help maintain that momentum.
About Sam Neumann
Since the beginning of 2023, Sam has been a staff writer for Awful Announcing and The Comeback. A 2021 graduate of Temple University, Sam is a Charlotte native, who currently calls Greenville, South Carolina his home. He also has a love/hate relationship with the New York Mets and Jets.