Watching NHL hockey got more complicated this year. Seven teams changed local broadcaster after the collapse of FanDuel Sports Network’s parent company, the league launched its own in-house production arm to cover four of them, and in Canada the CBC has stopped airing hockey for the first time in 74 years.
This is where every team’s games actually live in 2026-27, what each option costs, and which teams you can still watch for free.
The short version
- National games: ESPN and ABC have 100, TNT has 72. TNT also has the entire 2027 Stanley Cup Final.
- Local games: depend entirely on your team — see the full table below.
- Out of market: NHL Power Play through the ESPN app, or NHL Center Ice on DIRECTV.
- Free: six teams put most or all of their local games on free over-the-air television. Seattle, Vegas, Nashville, Utah, Tampa Bay and Florida.
- In Canada: Sportsnet plus Amazon Prime Video, and there is no free option any more.
National TV in the United States
ESPN and ABC — 100 games
ESPN’s package splits in a way that matters if you’re deciding what to buy:
- 53 games air on linear ESPN, ESPN2 or ABC.
- 47 games are streaming-only, on ESPN Select, Disney+ or Hulu. There is no television option for these games anywhere, including in the two teams’ own markets.
TNT — 72 games
TNT’s night is Wednesday, usually a 7:30 p.m. ET doubleheader, with additional games on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays. Games simulcast on truTV and HBO Max.
TNT has the marquee events: the Heritage Classic from Winnipeg on October 25, the Thanksgiving Showdown doubleheader on Black Friday, November 27, the Winter Classic from Salt Lake City on December 31, and an MLK Day doubleheader on January 18.
Most importantly, TNT has exclusive rights to the 2027 Stanley Cup Final.
Where every team’s local games are
Teams marked NEW changed broadcaster for 2026-27.
Atlantic Division
| Team | Local TV | Streaming | Free over the air? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boston Bruins | NESN | NESN 360 — $29.99/mo, $239.99/yr | No |
| Buffalo Sabres | MSG Western New York | MSG+, moving to DAZN during the season | No |
| Detroit Red Wings NEW | Detroit SportsNet | Detroit SportsNet — $19.99/mo, $189.99/yr | No |
| Florida Panthers | The Spot — South Florida | Panthers Plus | Yes — WSFL 39, WHDT 9 |
| Montreal Canadiens | TSN (50 games), RDS (45) | Sportsnet+ for national | No |
| Ottawa Senators | TSN5, RDS | Sportsnet+ for national | No |
| Tampa Bay Lightning | The Spot — Tampa Bay 66 (WXPX) | Lightning app | Yes |
| Toronto Maple Leafs | TSN4, Sportsnet Ontario | Sportsnet+ — $34.99/mo | No |
Metropolitan Division
| Team | Local TV | Streaming | Free over the air? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carolina Hurricanes NEW | New team-owned network — name not yet announced | Promised, not yet priced | Hoped — WRAL and Fox 50, unconfirmed |
| Columbus Blue Jackets NEW | Produced by NHL Productions — distribution not yet announced | Not announced | Not announced |
| New Jersey Devils | MSG Sportsnet | MSG+ — $29.99/mo, moving to DAZN | No |
| New York Islanders | MSG Sportsnet | MSG+, moving to DAZN | No |
| New York Rangers | MSG Network | MSG+, moving to DAZN | No |
| Philadelphia Flyers | NBC Sports Philadelphia | Peacock add-on — $24.95/mo | No |
| Pittsburgh Penguins | SportsNet Pittsburgh | SNP 360 — $21.99/mo or $99.99/season | No |
| Washington Capitals | Monumental Sports Network | Monumental+ — $19.99/mo | No |
Central Division
| Team | Local TV | Streaming | Free over the air? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago Blackhawks | Chicago Sports Network (CHSN) | CHSN app — $19.99/mo single team | Not in Chicago |
| Colorado Avalanche | Altitude Sports | Altitude+ — $19.95/mo | 20 games on 9NEWS last season; 2026-27 not confirmed |
| Dallas Stars | Victory+ (streaming-first, no cable channel) | Victory+ — free | Select games on Gray stations |
| Minnesota Wild NEW | New team-owned network — name not yet announced | Announced, not yet priced | Promised — station not confirmed |
| Nashville Predators NEW | The Spot — Nashville 28 (WNPX) | New team app — price not announced | Yes — every local game |
| St. Louis Blues NEW | New team-owned network — name not yet announced | Announced, not yet priced | Select games on KMOV |
| Utah Mammoth | Utah 16 (KUPX) | Mammoth+ — $14.99/mo, $69.99/yr | Yes — most games |
| Winnipeg Jets | TSN3 | TSN app | No |
Pacific Division
| Team | Local TV | Streaming | Free over the air? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anaheim Ducks | Not yet announced — left Victory+ after 2025-26 | Not announced | Not announced |
| Calgary Flames | Sportsnet West / Sportsnet Flames | Sportsnet+ — $34.99/mo | No |
| Edmonton Oilers | Sportsnet West / Sportsnet Oilers | Sportsnet+ — $34.99/mo | No |
| Los Angeles Kings NEW | ABTV (Angels Broadcast Television) | Not announced | KCAL simulcasts last season; 2026-27 not confirmed |
| San Jose Sharks | NBC Sports California | Peacock add-on in market | No |
| Seattle Kraken | Kraken Hockey Network on KONG, up to 20 on KING 5 | Prime Video, included with Prime | Yes — every local game |
| Vancouver Canucks | Sportsnet Pacific | Sportsnet+ — $34.99/mo | No |
| Vegas Golden Knights | The Spot — Vegas 34 (KMCC) | KnightTime+ | Yes — all 69 local games |
The seven teams that changed
Main Street Sports Group, the company behind FanDuel Sports Network, confirmed in April 2026 that it would cease operations. That left seven NHL teams without a local broadcaster: Detroit, Los Angeles, Nashville, Carolina, Columbus, Minnesota and St. Louis.
Four of them — Carolina, Columbus, Minnesota and St. Louis — are now produced by NHL Productions, a new in-house arm the league created specifically to fill the gap. Detroit went to a network owned by the Ilitch family, Nashville to Scripps, and the Kings to the Angels’ network.
Two of the seven still have not told fans how to watch. As of late August, Carolina had announced neither a network name, channel positions, nor a streaming price, and Columbus had announced no distribution at all — its official “how to watch” page currently carries a sign-up form asking fans to register for updates. Both are expected before opening night.
Anaheim is a separate case often lumped in with these seven. The Ducks’ deal with Victory+ simply expired after two seasons, and their 2026-27 broadcaster has not been announced either.
Watching out-of-market games
If you follow a team that isn’t local to you, there are two routes.
NHL Power Play gives you 1,050+ out-of-market games through the ESPN app. ESPN’s press materials and its own product page disagree slightly on whether this sits in the ESPN Select tier or requires ESPN Unlimited — check at signup before you buy, because the price difference is significant.
NHL Center Ice still exists on DIRECTV satellite, carrying up to 40 games a week plus NHL Network. DIRECTV hasn’t published a 2026-27 price; it renews at the prevailing rate.
Neither package includes ESPN’s 47 streaming-exclusive games.
How NHL blackouts work
Three different things get called a blackout, and they work differently.
Local blackouts on out-of-market packages. Power Play and Center Ice only carry games outside your market. If either team is local to you, that game is blacked out and you need the local broadcast instead. Your market is set by billing ZIP code and IP address, and NHL territories often stretch well beyond the obvious metro area.
National exclusive windows. On ESPN’s 100 exclusive games there is no competing local feed at all — the national broadcast is the only one made. For the 47 streaming-only games, that means no television option anywhere, even in the teams’ home cities.
Non-exclusive national games. Where a national game isn’t exclusive, local networks may produce their own feed, and the national broadcast is then blacked out in those two markets in favour of the local call.
Watching in Canada
Canadian coverage changed more than American coverage this season, and not in fans’ favour.
Rogers began a 12-year, C$11 billion national deal covering all national rights in all languages. The consequence most fans will feel: the CBC no longer airs NHL games, ending a 74-year run. Saturday nights remain on Sportsnet, but behind a paywall. There is no free over-the-air NHL in Canada this season.
Amazon Prime Video has moved from Monday nights to Wednesday, with at least 26 exclusive national games a season in English and French, plus two first-round and one second-round playoff series. It’s included with Prime at no extra cost.
Regional rights sit outside the Rogers deal. TSN carries the Jets on TSN3, the Senators on TSN5 and 50 Canadiens games, with RDS carrying 45 in French. Sportsnet’s regional feeds carry the Flames, Oilers and Canucks.
Sportsnet+ rose in price on September 22 to $34.99 a month or $269.99 a year for the standard tier, with premium at $44.99 a month adding 1,100+ out-of-market games.
One outstanding issue: national French-language rights have not been resolved. TVA Sports’ deal expired and RDS has cut its Canadiens package from 60 games to 45, which leaves roughly 39 French-language games without a confirmed home beyond Prime Video’s Wednesdays.
Nationally in the US, ESPN, ABC and TNT. Locally it depends on your team — see the tables above. Seven teams changed local broadcaster this season.
For national games, ESPN Unlimited gets you the linear ESPN channels without a cable subscription, and TNT games stream on HBO Max. For local games, most teams now offer a direct-to-consumer app; several teams are free over the air.
FanDuel Sports Network’s parent company went out of business in April 2026, leaving seven NHL teams without a local broadcaster. Four of them are now produced by the NHL’s own in-house production arm.
No. Starting this season the CBC no longer airs NHL games, ending a 74-year run. Saturday games are on Sportsnet, which requires a subscription.
NHL Power Play through the ESPN app carries 1,050+ out-of-market games, or NHL Center Ice on DIRECTV satellite. Neither includes ESPN’s streaming-exclusive national games.
