ESPN

ESPN is the American sports network that has carried the NHL nationally since 2021 under a seven-year deal running through 2027-28. The package covers around 100 games a season across ESPN, ABC, ESPN+ and Hulu, half of the first two playoff rounds, one conference final, and the Stanley Cup Final in alternate years — ESPN had the 2026 Final and TNT has 2027. ESPN also carries the league’s out-of-market package.

Type	US sports network
Founded	1979, Bristol, Connecticut
Owners	Disney, Hearst and the NFL
NHL deal	2021-22 through 2027-28
Coverage	About 100 games on ABC, ESPN, ESPN+ and Hulu
Playoffs	Half of rounds one and two, one conference final, alternate Cup Finals
Lead team	Sean McDonough, Ray Ferraro, Emily Kaplan

John Buccigross pays tribute to Barry Melrose

The beloved former analyst has passed away

Leah Hextall: Everything You Need to Know

Leah Hextall is a reporter and alternate studio host on ESPN’s NHL coverage, and the first woman to call play-by-play on a nationally televised NHL game in Canada, on 8 March 2020. Hextall re-signed with ...

Emily Kaplan: Everything You Need to Know

Emily Kaplan is ESPN’s NHL insider — the network’s lead breaking-news reporter for hockey, the role ESPN fills with Adam Schefter for the NFL and Jeff Passan for baseball. ESPN moved Kaplan into the job ...

Stormy Buonantony: Everything You Need to Know

Stormy Buonantony is a rink-side reporter on ESPN’s NHL coverage, a sideline reporter on ESPN college football, and a daily studio host at the sports betting network VSiN. Buonantony spent two seasons covering the Vegas ...

How to watch NHL hockey in 2026-27: Every team, channel, and price

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, ...