Alain Crête returns to call Canadiens’ Wednesday games on Amazon Prime

Alain Crête is heading back behind the microphone sooner than expected. Only months after stepping away, the veteran broadcaster will handle play-by-play for the Montreal Canadiens’ seven Wednesday night games that will air on Amazon Prime this season.

New French-language crew for Canadiens coverage

For those Canadiens Wednesday games, Crête will be paired with former defenceman Jean-Luc Grand-Pierre on analysis. Grand-Pierre played more than 200 NHL games, notably with the Columbus Blue Jackets. Rinkside reporting duties will be handled by Marc-André Perreault, who will provide updates and interviews throughout the broadcasts.

Studio coverage for Amazon’s Wednesday night hockey in French will be hosted by Maxime Lalonde. He will be joined by two former NHL players: ex-Canadiens forward Guillaume Latendresse and former goaltender Jean-Sébastien Giguère. The panel will work out of TVA Sports’ studios in Montreal, offering pre-game, intermission and post-game breakdowns.

The Canadiens’ first appearance on Amazon Prime is scheduled for October 14, when Montreal visits the Washington Capitals. For Crête, who spent 12 seasons calling Quebec Nordiques games on radio early in his career, the assignment marks a return to a prominent NHL play-by-play role.

Amazon Prime locks in long-term Wednesday NHL package

Beyond the Canadiens-focused nights, Amazon Prime will carry a total of 27 NHL regular-season games in French this year, along with selected Stanley Cup Playoff matchups. French-language play-by-play for NHL games that do not feature the Canadiens will be handled by journalist and host Michaël Roy, known for his work on major sports events at Radio-Canada.

Amazon’s French NHL coverage begins this Wednesday with a matchup between the Toronto Maple Leafs and New York Islanders, which will serve as the launch of the platform’s Wednesday night hockey package in Canada.

Earlier this summer, Amazon Prime secured exclusive rights to Wednesday night NHL regular-season games in Canada for the next 12 seasons. With a broadcast team made up of familiar Quebec media and former players, the platform is positioning itself as a weekly destination for French-speaking fans following the Canadiens and the rest of the league.