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CBC`s The Hour host George Stroumboulopoulos speaks during the unveiling of CBC Television`s 2009 fall schedule in Toronto on Wednesday, September 16, 2009. Stroumboulopoulos is headed to CNN.The U.S. all-news channel says in a release that Strombo will helm a weekly hour-long interview show this summer.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darren CalabreseDarren Calabrese/The Canadian Press

George Stroumboulopoulos has officially been announced as the new host of Hockey Night in Canada.

The veteran CBC-TV personality will anchor NHL coverage beginning in October 2014.

It's the first major personnel change made by Rogers after acquiring the NHL rights in a blockbuster 12-year, $5.2-billion deal in November.

Don Cherry, Ron MacLean, Daren Millard and Jeff Marek were also announced as "cornerstones" of Rogers' coverage in a news release issued Monday.

Cherry and MacLean will continue to host Coach's Corner every Saturday.

The announcement was timed with the news from CBC that Stroumboulopoulos's Gemini Award-winning chat show would be cancelled after the completion of its 10th season.

Stroumboulopoulos will host not only the marquee Saturday night show but also other broadcasts on City, Sportsnet and other platforms, Rogers announced.

"Hockey is one of my deep-seated passions and I'm thrilled to be going full circle, returning to my roots in sports broadcasting," Stroumboulopoulos said in a statement.

"It's a dream for me to work with Ron MacLean and Don Cherry, as well as my old friend Jeff Marek who I started my career with. I'm also looking forward to working with Daren Millard and the entire team at Rogers."

More to come

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