How To Watch NHL Games Without Cable

Watching your favorite NHL teams and hockey games without a cable TV subscription is super easy. 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 guide, we will reviews the best available streaming options for the 2018-2019 NHL season such as Sling TV, fuboTV, NHL.TV, and more.

2018-2019 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. You can watch hockey games on several devices including smartphones and computers.

You can stream 21 of 324 NHL US-based teams locally. There is currently no streaming options for Colorado Avalanche, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Vegas Golden Knights. There are local blackout restrictions for several teams; however, this can be circumvented by using a VPN. We cover how to use a VPN for viewing basketball games later on in this article.

The most popular live streaming services are fuboTV, Sling TV, DIRECTV NOW, Hulu, PlayStation Vue, and YouTube TV.

Teams
Anaheim Ducks	☑	☑	≥ $55	☑	≥ $50	☑
Arizona Coyotes	☑	☑	≥ $55	☑	≥ $50	☑
Boston Bruins	☑	☐	☐	☑	☐	☑
Buffalo Sabres	☑	☐	≥ $55	☑	≥ $50	☐
Carolina Hurricanes	☑	☐	☐	☑	≥ $50	☑
Chicago Blackhawks	☑	☑	≥ $55	☑	≥ $50	☑
Colorado Avalanche	☐	☐	☐	☐	≥ $50	☐
Columbus Blue Jackets	☑	☑	≥ $55	☑	≥ $50	☑
Dallas Stars	☑	☑	≥ $55	☑	≥ $50	☑
Detroit Red Wings	☑	☑	≥ $55	☑	≥ $50	☑
Florida Panthers	☑	☑	≥ $55	☑	≥ $50	☑
Los Angeles Kings	☑	☑	≥ $55	☑	≥ $50	☑
Minnesota Wild	☑	☑	≥ $55	☑	≥ $50	☑
Nashville Predators	☑	☑	☐	☐	≥ $50	☑
New Jersey Devils	☑	☐	≥ $55	☐	☐	☐
New York Islanders	☑	☐	≥ $55	☐	☐	☐
New York Rangers	☑	☐	≥ $55	☐	☐	☐
Philadelphia Fliers	☑	☑	☐	☑	≥ $50	☑
Pittsburgh Penguins	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
San Jose Sharks	☑	☐	≥ $55	☑	≥ $50	☑
St. Louis Blues	☑	☐	≥ $55	☑	≥ $50	☑
Tampa Bay Lightning	☑	☑	≥ $55	☑	≥ $50	☑
Vegas Golden Knights	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
Washington Capitals	☑	☑	≥ $55	☑	≥ $50	☑

*Please note that availability for DIRECTV NOW only applies to the $55 and greater plans and Hulu plans $50 or more. Availability for Sling TV refers to the Sling TV Orange plan.

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	☐	☑	≥ $65	☐	☐	☐
MSG	☑	☐	≥ $55	☐	☐	☐
MSG+	☑	☐	≥ $55	☐	☐	☐
NESN	☑	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
RSNs	☑	☑	≥ $55	☑	≥ $50	☑

Live Stream NHL Games With fuboTV

fuboTV is our top choice for streaming NHL hockey games. fuboTV does not require a contract nor does it have any installation costs. 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+, NESN, and FOX Sports Regional Networks.

fuboTV provides access to every U.S. NHL team with the exceptions of the Las Vegas Golden Knights, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Colorado Avalanche.

fuboTV offers two different packages fubo ($39.99/month) and fubo Extra ($44.99/month). The fubo package contains over 80+ channels and the fubo Extra package has 100+ channels. New customers can get the first month of either package at a 20% discount through our link.

Please read our comprehensive fuboTV review for more details.

Watch Live National Hockey League Games With Sling TV

Sling TV is also a great option for viewing NHL games this year. Sling TV does not require a contract nor does it have any installation costs. This live TV streaming service offers NBC, NBCSN, USA, CNBC, GOLF Channel, and NHL Network. Most importantly they carry the FOX Regional Sports Networks and NBC Sports Network.

Sling TV offers the Sling Orange and Sling Blue plans. Both streaming plans cost $25/month or you can get Orange + Blue for $40/month.

Please read our comprehensive Sling TV review for more details.

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.
• DIRECTV NOW – To get hockey you need to sign up for the service that costs $55/month. They don’t carry NESN. This service is for cord-cutters looking for a satellite TV style experience.
• PlayStation Vue – You will need to get the Core package for $49.99/month. PS Vue is good but is for people who primarliy streaming through their game console.
• Hulu – Hulu is a popular service but they have ala carte options that other services feature. They do not cover NESN. Their service costs $39.99/month.
• YouTube TV – Very popular new service but lack variety of streaming packages and add-ons. Does not carry the MSG Network. This service costs $40.00/month.

How To Use A VPN To Stream Anaheim Ducks

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.

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 a considerable risk to acquire viruses and dangerous malware. These streams are untrustworthy, blurry, low-quality, and quite frankly just flat out garbage. It is not worth the risk by any means just to save a few bucks.