Friedman and Israeli ambassador
Hockey Night in Canada’s Elliotte Friedman is a genocidal Jewish supremacist. The middling commentator’s rise highlights Zionist power in NHL circles.
On Wednesday Friedman posted a Jewish Federations of Canada-United Israel Appeal statement on “Israel Stories: The Fallen Canadians of October 7th”. It commemorated eight Jewish Canadians killed three years ago while ignoring a hundred thousand, including Canadians, slaughtered in Gaza.
On X Friedman still has the genocide justifying #BringThemHome hash tag atop his account. Amidst horrific Israeli violence in July 2025, the Sportsnet commentator met the supremacist state’s representative in Toronto. He presented the diplomat with a hockey jersey and the Israel in Canada account posted “So, we had a special guest in our office. Had a great time catching up with Elliotte Friedman of Hockey Night in Canada who stopped by for a post-season visit! We are grateful to Elliotte for his friendship and continued support and prayers for a speedy release of the remaining hostages.”
During the past three years of horrors in Gaza and across the region, Friedman has repeatedly spoken about backing Israel and at events put on by UJA Toronto, Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Centre and other Zionist groups.
In 2018 he released a video promoting UJA Toronto’s Walk for Israel. The promotional material noted, “It’s time to step up your game! Join Elliotte Friedman, one of Toronto’s homegrown hockey heroes, in fundraising for UJA’s Walk with Israel! Take Elliotte’s personal challenge and fundraise for the Walk, and support UJA’s programs and services in Israel.”
Friedman’s political boldness is notable since hockey commentators generally avoid controversial subjects. In recent weeks there’s been a huge outcry over Alex Ovechkin supporting Vladimir Putin’s political party. Yet unlike the greatest goal scorer in NHL history, Friedman is easily replaceable. He didn’t play hockey past peewee and hasn’t coached yet still feels insulated from censure over genocide.
Not without reason. The outlets he’s worked for, Sportsnet and CBC, are amenable to Zionism and two years ago the NHL criticized the International Ice Hockey Federation’s decision to block Israel’s national teams from participating in championship tournaments. (Belarus and hockey powerhouse Russia were barred by the IIHF in response to the 2022 invasion of Ukraine). Longtime Toronto Maple Leafs owner Larry Tanenbaum is one of a handful of megadonors who founded the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (Friedman has greatly benefited from breaking stories about Tanenbaum’s Major League Sports and Entertainment). The owner of the Anaheim Ducks, Henry Samueli, has donated $100 million to projects in Israel and Tampa Bay owner Marc Lipschultz has raised significant funds for Zionist groups in the US. Edmonton Oilers owner Daryl Katz has Israel ties and staunch Zionists Doug Cifu and Mitch Garber are part owners of the Florida Panthers and Seattle Kraken.
NHL commissioner Gary Bettman is also a Zionist. In 2015 the Times of Israel reported, “in 2013, Bettman experienced another first with his visit to Israel, meeting hockey players practicing for the 19th Maccabiah Games. He and his wife, Shelli, along with several Jewish owners of NHL teams, funded the new sideboards and protective glass to bring the Maccabiah’s rink, in the northern city of Metulla, up to standard. Of the experience, Bettman said, ‘It was very special to see the Jewish world come together in Metulla.’ Being in Israel was ‘overwhelming,’ he said – not only spiritually, but also grasping the country’s security concerns.”
Last year Bettman hosted players from the Jerusalem Capitals and HC Tel Aviv at the NHL office in Manhattan and the NHL commissioner also participated in a 2024 professional sports focused meeting held by New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft’s Foundation to Combat Antisemitism. (Kraft recently pressured musician Ed Sheeran to drop Macklemore from his tour, exposing Jewish Zionist influence within the NFL.)
Elliotte Friedman has used his standing as a prominent sports commentator to defend apartheid and genocide. It’s disgusting.