Watching your favorite NHL teams (R) and hockey games without a cable TV subscription is super easy. For this upcoming NHL season there are many different choices available for almost every type of cord-cutters out there including in-market and out-of-market games. In this streaming TV hockey guide, we will reviews the best available streaming options for the 2019-2020 NHL season such as AT&T TV Now, Sling TV, fuboTV, Hulu With Live TV, NHL.TV, ESPN+ and more.
The NHL has returned after an absence due to COVID-19. Starting August 1st the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs will begin with an expanded 24 team format. 12 Eastern Conference teams will fight it out in Toronto and 12 Western Conference teams will battles it out in Edmonton. The top four teams in each conference will play a round-robin format to determine top seeding and the remaining teams will play a best-of-five playoff series for the right to advance to the traditional round-of-16 Stanley Cup tournament.
NBC is the NHL’s U.S. TV partner. Between Aug. 1 and Aug. 5, the NHL will resume in a March Madness style battle for the Stanley Cup. NBC Sports will present coverage of at least four games each day across NBC, NBCSN and USA Network. That includes some games that will be joined in-progress. Normally there are 20 cameras on the ice but now there will be 32.
The four best-of-five series of the qualifiers in the Eastern Conference: No. 5 Pittsburgh Penguins vs. No. 12 Montreal Canadiens; No. 6 Carolina Hurricanes vs. No. 11 New York Rangers; No. 7 New York Islanders vs. No. 10 Florida Panthers; No. 8 Toronto Maple Leafs vs. No. 9 Columbus Blue Jackets.
The four best-of-five series of the qualifiers in the Western Conference: No. 5 Edmonton Oilers vs. No. 12 Chicago Blackhawks; No. 6 Nashville Predators vs. No. 11 Arizona Coyotes; No. 7 Vancouver Canucks vs. No. 10 Minnesota Wild; No. 8 Calgary Flames vs. No. 9 Winnipeg Jets.
Page Contents
- 1 How To Watch NHL Games Live Without Cable
- 2 Which Channels Stream NHL Games?
- 3 Live Stream NHL Games With fuboTV
- 4 Watch Live NHL Games With Hulu With Live TV
- 5 Stream NHL Games With AT&T TV Now
- 6 Watch Live National Hockey League Games With Sling TV
- 7 Stream NHL.TV With ESPN+
- 8 Additional Ways To Stream NHL Games
- 9 How To Stream NHL Games Out-of-Market
- 10 Illegal Streams of National Hockey League Games
- 11 2019-2020 NHL Team Guide For Watching Games Online
How To Watch NHL Games Live Without Cable
You can watch live NHL games without a cable TV subscription by using a live TV streaming service or by signing up for NHL.TV. First of all, streaming services offer access to 21 of the 24 US-based NHL teams. There are currently no streaming options available for Canadian teams. Also, there is currently no full time streaming options for Colorado Avalanche, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Vegas Golden Knights. However, ESPN+ will air several games from these teams this year. Local blackout restrictions apply to several teams; however, this can be circumvented by using a VPN. We cover how to use a VPN for viewing NHL games later on in this article.
As with most sports, NHL teams have specific licensing deals with specific channels, regional sports networks, and sports networks. It is important to see which network your favorite team is streamed on and pick a service that carries that channel. The most popular live streaming services for NHL games are AT&T TV Now, fuboTV, Sling TV, and Hulu With Live TV.
The following is a chart detailing which streaming services carry games for your favorite team.
| Teams |  |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anaheim Ducks | ||||
| Arizona Coyotes | ||||
| Boston Bruins | ||||
| Buffalo Sabres | ||||
| Carolina Hurricanes | ||||
| Chicago Blackhawks | ||||
| Colorado Avalanche | ||||
| Columbus Blue Jackets | ||||
| Dallas Stars | ||||
| Detroit Red Wings | ||||
| Florida Panthers | ||||
| Los Angeles Kings | ||||
| Minnesota Wild | ||||
| Nashville Predators | ||||
| New Jersey Devils | ||||
| New York Islanders | ||||
| New York Rangers | ||||
| Philadelphia Fliers | ||||
| Pittsburgh Penguins | ||||
| San Jose Sharks | ||||
| St. Louis Blues | ||||
| Tampa Bay Lightning | ||||
| Vegas Golden Knights | ||||
| Washington Capitals |
Which Channels Stream NHL Games?
NHL games are televised on the following channels: NBC Sports Network, NBC, NHL Network, MSG, MSG+, NESN, and FOX Regional Sports Networks (RSNs).
| Channels | | | | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NBC Sports Network | ||||
| NBC | ||||
| NHL Network | ||||
| MSG | ||||
| MSG+ | ||||
| NESN | ||||
| RSNs |
Live Stream NHL Games With fuboTV
fuboTV is one of our top choice for streaming NHL hockey games. Most notably, this live streaming service gives subscribers access to most of the TV networks that carry NHL games such as NBC Sports Network, NBC, and MSG, MSG+, and NESN. FOX Sports Regional Networks are no longer available due to carriage disputes. Additionally, this service does not require a contract nor does it have any installation costs.
Currently, fuboTV offers regional sports networks for 9 NHL teams. These teams include Boston Bruins, Buffalo Sabres, Chicago Blackhawks, New Jersey Devils, New York Islanders, New York Rangers, Philadelphia Flyers, San Jose Sharks, and Washington Capitals. fuboTV is the least expensive option for MSG, MSG+, and NESN.
fuboTV offers several different packages Family ($59.99/month), Ultra ($79.99/month), and fubo Latino ($29.99/month). The fubo Family package contains 94 channels; 3 screens at once, and 500 hours of cloud DVR; Ultra has 163 channels, 3 screens at once, 500 hours of cloud DVR, fubo Extra, SHOWTIME channels, and Sports Plus.
Cord-cutters interested in this service can sign-up by going through our link. Please read our comprehensive fuboTV review for more details about this service.
Watch Live NHL Games With Hulu With Live TV
Hulu With Live TV is one of our top picks for most NHL teams. This service is the least expensive available that carries Fox Regional Sports Networks and NBC RSNs. Hulu With Live TV also offers channels like NBC and NBC Sports Network. However, notably absent from their channel offering is NHL Network.
Currently, Hulu With Live TV offers regional sports networks for 16 NHL teams. These teams include Anaheim Ducks, Arizona Coyotes, Carolina Hurricanes, Chicago Blackhawks, Columbus Blue Jackets, Dallas Stars, Detroit Red Wings, Florida Panthers, Los Angeles Kings, Minnesota Wild, Nashville Predators, San Jose Sharks, St. Louis Blues, Tampa Bay Lightning, and Washington Capitals.
Hulu only offers one live streaming TV package which costs $54.99/month. In addition to sports, Hulu + Live TV contains over 65 channels. Other popular channels offered by this service are HGTV, Disney Jr, FS1 and FS2, A&E, FX, Food Network, USA, and more.
Stream NHL Games With AT&T TV Now
The second best option available for watching NHL games is AT&T TV Now. This service was formerly known as DIRECTV NOW but was rebranded under the AT&T brand.
Currently, AT&T TV Now offers regional sports networks for 17 NHL teams. These teams include Boston Bruins, Buffalo Sabres, Chicago Blackhawks, Columbus Blue Jackets, Dallas Stars, Detroit Red Wings, Florida Panthers, Los Angeles Kings, Minnesota Wild, New Jersey Devils, New York Islanders, New York Rangers, San Jose Sharks, St. Louis Blues, Tampa Bay Lightning, and Washington Capitals.
These channels are available on the Max package which is available for $80/month. The Max package has 60+ channels including BET, Cartoon Network, Comedy Central, Disney Channel, Fox Sports, TBS, TNT, and many more. Like the other streaming options, there are no installation costs or hidden fees.
Check to see if there are any special offerings to AT&T Unlimited customers. Also included is 500 hours of cloud-based DVR storage and 3 simultaneous streams.
Watch Live National Hockey League Games With Sling TV
Sling TV is no longer a great option for NHL games due to the loss of regional sports networks. Unlike cable or satellite TV, the service does not require a contract nor does it have any installation costs. Sling TV streaming service offers NBC, NBCSN, USA, CNBC, GOLF Channel, and NHL Network.
Currently, Sling TV offers regional sports networks for 2 NHL teams. The two teams available are the San Jose Sharks and Washington Capitals.
Sling TV offers the Sling Orange and Sling Blue plans. Both streaming plans cost $30/month or you can get Orange + Blue for $40/month. Most NHL fans are going to want the Blue plan. For an extra $10 you can sign-up for the Sports Extra add-on to get NHL Network. Sports Extra gives subscribers access to even more sports such as football, baseball, and basketball.
Please read our comprehensive Sling TV review for more details.
Stream NHL.TV With ESPN+
ESPN+ is a direct-to-consumer subscription streaming service from The Walt Disney Direct-to-Consumer and International group in partnership with ESPN. The service is a great way to watch NHL games this season. ESPN+ is the exclusive home to Quest For The Stanley Cup and the nightly NHL highlights and discussion program, In The Crease.
Additionally, ESPN+ offers more than 180 regular-season NHL games as part of its regular subscription which costs $4.99/month or $49.99/annual. Fans will also be able to purchase and watch the entire NHL.TV package as part of ESPN+ for an additional price of $24.99 per month.
NHL.TV is a standalone streaming service that lets you live stream every out-of-market NHL game. One of the major features is it allows you to watch up to four games at once, all season long. Additionally, you can choose not only from extra camera angles (two over-the-goal cameras, a zipline aerial cam, and the first-person ref cam) but also which audio hear: the television broadcast or the play-by-play for the team you’re cheering for. That’s in addition to an on-demand library of previous games and DVR capabilities that allow you to save, pause, and rewind as needed. Plus, it streams in 60 grams per second.
ESPN+ also offers live and on-demand coverage of MLB, MLS, UFC, college football, and several other popular sports. Watch ESPN’s original content such as Peyton’s Places, 30 For 30, E:60 and more. Read our comprehensive ESPN+ review.
Additional Ways To Stream NHL Games
- NHL.TV – Formerly known as “GameCenter Live,” NHL.TV makes every NHL regular season game available live online. This service is loaded with blackout restrictions. You will likely need a VPN.
- YouTube TV – Very popular new service but lack variety of streaming packages and add-ons. Does not carry the MSG Network. This service costs $64.99/month.
How To Stream NHL Games Out-of-Market
NHL is one of those sports that has a lot of blackout restrictions, especially for hockey cord-cutters. The good news is there is a way around these blackout restrictions for most of the services covered in this guide. NHL.TV allows you to watch every single out-of-market game all season long. The best way to get NHL.TV and a VPN. For the remainder of the NHL season, you can get NHL.TV for $4.99.
Services like NHL.TV will blackout your local team. However, there is good news and that news is VPNs or Virtual Private Networks. VPNs help protect your streaming data and viewing habits by encrypting it. Today’s VPNs are fast and inexpensive.
A VPN allows you to “mask” your IP address by connecting to a server in another location. If your local hockey team has blackouts then you simply connect to a different region that is able to show your team. You may also use a VPN to access RSNs in different geographical regions.
Our top-rated VPN is ExpressVPN. ExpressVPN is a fast, reliable, and inexpensive option to pair with your favorite streaming service. Plans begin as low as $8.32/month. You can try ExpressVPN free for 30-days.
Please Note: Using a VPN may be against your streaming service’s user agreement and you should proceed with caution.
Illegal Streams of National Hockey League Games
It is our policy to never recommend any illegal streams of NHL games or anything else. Most illegal “free” streams put you at considerable risk to acquire viruses and dangerous malware. These streams are untrustworthy, blurry, low-quality, and quite frankly just flat out garbage. We do not believe it is worth the risk by any means just to save a few bucks.
2019-2020 NHL Team Guide For Watching Games Online
| Atlantic Division Boston Bruins Buffalo Sabres Detroit Red Wings Montreal Canadiens Ottawa Senators Florida Panthers Tampa Bay Lightning Toronto Maple Leafs | Metropolitan Division Carolina Hurricanes Columbus Blue Jackets New Jersey Devils New York Islanders New York Rangers Philadelphia Flyers Pittsburgh Penguins Washington Capitals |
| Pacific Division Anaheim Ducks Arizona Coyotes Calgary Flames Edmonton Oilers Los Angeles Kings San Jose Sharks Vancouver Canucks Vegas Golden Knights | Central Division Chicago Blackhawks Colorado Avalance Dallas Stars Minnesota Wild Nashville Predators St. Louis Blues Winnipeg Jets |
