Really disappointed to hear this news.

HBO announced it won’t be doing a “24/7: Road to the Winter Classic” this year.

.In a statement, HBO said:

“Everybody at HBO enjoyed working with the NHL and its teams on 24/7 the past four years. It was an exciting endeavor and we’re very proud of the never-before-seen presentation of the world of hockey that 24/7 was able to capture.

“There was never an expectation that HBO would chronicle the lead-up to the Winter Classic every year. So we will not be involved with the NHL this season.We wish the NHL the very best and the door will always remain open.”

I’m even more disappointed since I live in Chicago and this year’s Winter Classic will feature the Blackhawks at Washington on Jan. 1. I was looking forward to hearing the uncensored version of Coach Q.

Since HBO doesn’t edit for profanity, it increased the authenticity of the popular series. There’s nothing like hearing these guys like they really talk.

However, it went much deeper. HBO did a terrific job in the filming, writing and narration by Liev Schriber.

It remains to be seen whether another form of the series will be done by NBCSN, the NHL’s TV partner, or the NHL Network. Still, it likely won’t be the same as what we saw on HBO.