The Unofficial NHL Streaming Guide

The 2024-25 NHL regular season is here. I can’t wait to catch all the action on live TV through my streaming service, whether watching local matchups or games from across the continent.

In a hurry? Since the season has already started, you may want to skip the deep dive and just start watching. These are my top picks for local fans:

• Fubo: The best streaming service for international sports with almost all RSNs available. Fubo allows you to try out its service with a free trial.
• DIRECTV STREAM: Slightly better RSN selection but a bit more money. A 5-day free trial is now available for DIRECTV STREAM.
• Hulu + Live TV: Few RSNs but it includes ESPN+, which offers all out-of-market games. Try the Hulu Live free 3-day trial.

The guide below will explain everything you need to know about how to watch the National Hockey League (NHL) online. Whether you’re looking for preseason, regular season, or championship games, you should be able to watch hockey online thanks to live streaming services like Fubo.

If you’ve cut the cord, there are several ways you can stream NHL without cable – check out my preferred options below.

Sign Up for a Free Fubo Trial

Channels You Need to Watch NHL Games

NHL coverage is available on many different channels but things changed a lot starting in 2021. NBCUniversal used to air a lot of hockey games. But with the current restructuring of its sports division, they dropped their contract with the league.

Here are the national channels that air NHL games:

• ABC
• ESPN
• NHL Network
• TNT/TBS.

In addition to these live TV channels, ESPN+ acts as the NHL’s out-of-market service so you will have access to most NHL games that don’t involve your local team(s).

Regional Sports Networks

However, nationally broadcast games are only part of the picture. As with MLB and NBA, NHL games are primarily broadcast by regional sports networks (RSNs). In a particular area, the RSN will broadcast nearly all of the regular-season games of the local team.

DIRECTV STREAM and Fubo offer almost all of them including the FanDuel Sports channels. The Canada-based teams don’t provide local broadcasting in the US and can be viewed with ESPN+, which can be purchased alone or with Hulu + Live TV.

Note that all the games of the NHL teams that have no RSN should be available through ESPN+, so you can watch via Hulu + Live TV.

How to Stream NHL without Cable

If you’ve cut the cord, you’ll find multiple ways to watch NHL all the way through the Stanley Cup Finals without cable. It should be noted that these options will cost some money, though the cost will generally be lower than regular cable or satellite subscriptions.

Service	Price	Channels	DVR (hrs)	Screens
	$79.99	150+	unlimited	10
	$86.99	90+	unlimited	unlimited
	$82.99	95+	unlimited	2
	$45.99	30+	50	1/3
	$82.99	100+	unlimited	3

Streaming Features

You to stream on multiple devices with all of these services so multiple people can watch different shows at the same time. Additionally, all the services include a cloud DVR.

In terms of supported devices, these streaming services support most including Amazon Fire TV, Android Mobile, Android TV smart TVs, Apple TV, Chromecast, iOS, Roku, Samsung TVs, and web browsers. Other devices like gaming systems (eg, Xbox, PlayStation) are also widely supported.

2024-25 NHL Season

The NHL preseason runs from Saturday, September 21st through October 5th. The regular runs from Tuesday, October 4th through Thursday, April 17th.

Today’s Games

Here are the upcoming NHL games. When a game has no TV channel listed, it should appear on the team’s RSN in-market and ESPN+ out-of-market.

Playoff Games

See our NHL Playoffs guide for up-to-date information about the 2025 postseason schedule.

Our Choice

After evaluating all the streaming options for watching NHL games, I chose Fubo as my top pick. It offers the most comprehensive package for sports fans, with almost all regional sports networks (RSNs) available, which means you get access to local team broadcasts, a huge plus for dedicated NHL fans. Fubo’s streaming quality is rock-solid, with minimal buffering or lag, and its DVR feature is top-tier, offering unlimited storage for recording games. I also appreciated its seamless compatibility with all devices – from smart TVs to smartphones – making it super versatile for watching games at home or on the go. Whether you’re looking to catch every local game or out-of-market matchups, Fubo’s solid lineup and reliable performance made it the clear winner for me.

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Frank Moraes

Frank was the Senior Content Editor at Hotdog.com and an expert in sports streaming, specializing in out-of-market games and regional sports networks.

A passionate cord-cutter and longtime subscriber to numerous streaming services, Frank has first-hand experience navigating the complexities of sports streaming.

With a PhD in Atmospheric Physics from the Oregon Graduate Institute and a professional background in early streaming technology, Frank combines deep technical insight with practical, real-world knowledge.

His mission at Hotdog.com was straightforward: help sports fans get hassle-free access to the games they love, at the best price, without frustration.

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