Elsewhere on the Web • Why Ron MacLean Will Be Missed • The Story from Hockey Night in Canada

And you thought the Toronto Maple Leafs were lousy negotiators.

Like the Leafs, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation delayed crucial contract talks until the last minute. And like the Leafs, the CBC blew it.

Curtis Joseph is no longer the Toronto goaltender, and after 16 seasons, Ron MacLean is no longer the host of "Hockey Night in Canada." In each case, the void will be filled by a solid replacement. But the team and the show are greatly reduced by the loss of their respective MVPs.

To those who don't watch "Hockey Night in Canada," Ron MacLean's status is hard to explain. He is most famous as Don Cherry's sidekick (Cherry's first-intermission feature, "Coach's Corner," often earns higher ratings than the game itself). But to regular viewers MacLean is, in many ways, the face of hockey. Fans found comfort and clarity in his sharp mind, quick wit, casual manner and hockey knowledge. Not to mention the ease with which he appeared to handle a weekly six-to-seven hour broadcast and two-month playoff marathon.

MacLean's obscure puns and occasionally deferential style drew criticism from those who demanded a tougher journalistic edge on "Hockey Night." But the show is a unique entity, a hybrid of entertainment, journalism, nostalgia and passion. MacLean was the perfect master of revels for what is essentially a weekly community gathering.

His contract demands were reportedly too rich for the CBC, a publicly funded broadcaster. But one of the jobs of television executives is to solve problems, bridge differences and find ways to keep quality people making quality programs. After failing to reach a deal with MacLean, the Corporation could only offer feeble platitudes from the public relations handbook: "CBC Television must use its funds responsibly to produce high-quality sports programming... while remaining a well-managed company."

Angry messages from "Hockey Night in Canada" fans have been flooding in since MacLean's departure was announced. CBC executives likely plan to ride out the storm, confident that fans will soon be absorbed in the new hockey season. After all, "Hockey Night in Canada" has been around for 50 years. Popular hosts have come and gone. The institution is bigger than any of them, including Ron MacLean.

But in letting its top sports personality walk away, CBC Television is compromising on quality and accepting a lesser product. A few weeks ago, when Curtis Joseph signed with the Detroit Red Wings, a Toronto columnist wrote that by letting him go, current Leafs' management was treating the institution and its dedicated fans with contempt. Many Canadians likely feel the same way about the CBC today.