How to watch the NHL 2026-2027 hockey season: Streaming services, schedule, and more

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The best streaming deals to watch NHL games at a glance:

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Another hockey season is upon us, which means it’s time once again to figure out how to watch your favorite NHL team. We recently estimated that it would cost at least $73 per month to watch in-market NFL games this season. Fortunately, the NHL streaming situation isn’t quite as bad, but it’s still not great.

If I’m being honest, watching live sports gets a little more complicated (and more annoying) each year for those without cable (and even for those with cable). But it’s my job to figure out the streaming details for you and make life a little easier. Hockey season is stressful enough without having to figure out how to watch the next game.

The good news is not much has changed streaming-wise since last season. You’ll still need at least a couple different streaming subscriptions if you don’t have cable access.

Behold, the ultimate guide to watching every hockey game in the 2026-2027 NHL season.

When is the 2026-2027 hockey season?

For the first time, hockey season is starting in September. The 2026-2027 NHL season opens on Sept. 29 with five different matchups, including one between the Florida Panthers and last season’s Stanley Cup-winning Carolina Hurricanes.

The regular season runs through April 10, 2027, with each team playing 84 games this year instead of 82. You can check out the full schedule on the official NHL website.

What channels are NHL games on?

If you have cable or access to a cable login, live games will air on the ESPN/ESPN2/ABC family of networks, TNT/truTV/TBS family of networks, NHL Network, and regional sports networks throughout the season. If you don’t have cable, you’ll need a streaming service or two to catch live games (more on that below).

Check out the official schedule on NHL.com to find out which channel to tune into for specific games.

How can I watch NHL games without cable?

Here’s where things get complicated. If you don’t have cable access or a cable login, you’ll need at least one streaming service to catch NHL games live. Let’s start with the easy part: national broadcasts. Nationally broadcast games will either be on ESPN’s family of networks, TNT’s family of networks, or ESPN+ (now ESPN Select). TNT will be the home of 72 regular-season games, as well as the 2027 Stanley Cup Final. ESPN will broadcast 100 exclusive games, with 53 on ESPN and ABC and 47 on ESPN+. ESPN will also broadcast the first three rounds of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Here’s a breakdown of their streaming counterparts.

National broadcasts:

• ESPN+ Broadcasts: Stream with ESPN Select, Hulu, or Disney+

• TNT Broadcasts: Stream on HBO Max

• ESPN Broadcasts: Stream with ESPN Unlimited

• ABC Broadcasts: Stream with ESPN Select or ESPN Unlimited

Regional broadcasts:

In-market games

As NHL fans know, national broadcasts only make up a small fraction of the full slate of games. Most games are broadcast locally on regional sports networks (RSNs). Many of these RSNs (but not all) offer their own streaming subscriptions or go through Prime Video (now that FanDuel Sports Network shut down). If you’re unsure which RSN you need to watch your local team, the NHL actually does a great job of laying it all out on their website — you can also check out the FAQs below.

The most direct way to access these RSNs is through their individual subscription offers. Of course, because streaming sports is notoriously complicated, not every RSN has its own streaming counterpart. For those, you’ll need a cable alternative like Fubo or DirecTV Stream, which cost a pretty penny. NHL Network will also broadcast certain regional games throughout the season outside of local markets.

Out-of-market games

If you’re a fan of an out-of-market team, it’s actually a bit easier (and cheaper) to watch your team’s games than it is if you’re in-market (crazy, right?). ESPN Select (formerly ESPN+) streams practically all regional broadcasts for teams that aren’t in your local market. For example, I live in Nashville, but I’m a Washington Capitals fan. I can watch all regional Capitals broadcasts on ESPN Select, but Nashville Predators broadcasts are blacked out. For national broadcasts, you’ll still need access to ABC, ESPN, and TNT (see above streaming counterparts).

Which streaming services do I need to watch NHL games?

If you’re a fan of your local team, your first order of business should be figuring out which regional sports network you need. If the RSN offers its own streaming subscription, this is your best bet for watching the most games. If it doesn’t, you’re going to need a cable alternative that offers RSN access — most likely Fubo or DirecTV Stream.

For the nationally broadcast games, you’ll need just two main streaming services: HBO Max and ESPN. HBO Max’s Standard plan will give you access to all TNT broadcasts, while ESPN Unlimited will unlock access to ABC and ESPN broadcasts, as well as ESPN+ exclusive games.

Unfortunately, there’s no streaming counterpart for NHL Network. In order to access those games without cable, you’ll need a cable alternative with a sports plan like Sling TV or Fubo.

The best streaming deals to watch NHL games

Just because sports require a ton of subscriptions doesn’t mean you have to break the bank. We’ve found several streaming deals that can keep some extra money in your pocket this hockey season.

Best for ESPN, ABC, and ESPN+ games: Save 16% on the ESPN Unlimited yearly plan

ESPN’s direct-to-consumer streaming service, launched last summer, offers access to the entire suite of ESPN networks and services to sports fans in one subscription. For the sake of hockey, you’ll get to stream games from ESPN, ABC, and ESPN+ (ESPN Select). It typically costs $29.99 per month, but if you commit to a full year, you’ll save about 16% or nearly $60. Of course, you can watch a whole lot more than just NHL games, making the yearly plan worth it particularly for fans of multiple sports. You can also bundle ESPN with other services to save money (see below).

ESPN Unlimited bundle deals:

Best for TNT, TBS, and truTV games: Save 17% on the HBO Max Standard yearly plan

An HBO Max Standard subscription includes the B/R Sports add-on, which includes access to the NHL on TNT games (and simulcast TBS and truTV games). It costs $18.49 per month, but if you opt for a yearly plan, that cost drops down to just $15.42 per month. You’ll save 17% or $36.89 by paying for the full year up front.

The most games for the lowest price: Sling TV Orange Season Pass

Sling TV’s Orange plan is your best bet to watch the most NHL national broadcasts in one place for the lowest price. The Orange plan includes access to ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN3, TNT, and TBS, plus 30 other channels. While that doesn’t include ABC, most ABC NHL games are also available through ESPN3, so you’ll be all set.

Sling subscriptions are a la carte, so you can add to and take away from your plan with no worries and cancel or pause your subscription at any time. The Orange plan costs $46 per month, but if you sign up for a Season Pass (five months), you’ll pay about $39.99 per month in one lump sum. It’s not the biggest savings — about $30 — but it’s the most bang for your buck. You can also add the Sports Extra add-on for an additional $4.99 per month to get access to the NHL Network.

Other cable alternative deals:

• YouTube TV Sports plan (limited RSNs) — $44.99/month for your first 6 months $64.99/month (save $20/month on 6 months)

• Fubo Pro plan (most RSNs) — $63.99/month for your first month $88.99/month (save $25 on 1 month)

• DirecTV MySports plan (limited RSNs) — $44.99/month for your first 6 months $64.99/month (save $20/month on 6 months)

Best for out-of-market games: Save 16% on the ESPN Select annual plan

As mentioned above, ESPN Select (aka the cheaper subscription option) allows you to watch all out-of-market regional games all season long. It will also exclusively host 47 games this season. A monthly subscription will run you $13.99, but if you sign up for a year up front with the Select annual plan, it’ll cost just $11.66 per month ($139.99/year). That’s 16% or $27.89 in savings.

ESPN Select bundle deals: