Short answer: in the United States the 2026-27 NHL season is split between ESPN/ABC (100 national games) and TNT Sports (72 games, plus the whole 2027 Stanley Cup Final), with out-of-market games on NHL Power Play inside the ESPN app. The catch is that none of those covers your own local team: its games sit on a regional network or team app, and they are blacked out on the national out-of-market package.
At a glance
Watching the NHL in 2026-27
| Season | 29 September 2026 to April 2027 |
| US national | ESPN, ABC, TNT, HBO Max |
| Out-of-market | NHL Power Play (ESPN app), Center Ice |
| Local team | Regional network or team app |
| Stanley Cup Final | TNT Sports in 2027 |
Start with what kind of fan you are
Most "where to watch" guides list every channel and leave you to work out the rest. A better approach for the 2026-27 season is to decide first which games you actually care about, because the NHL sells them in three separate layers.
The local fan wants all 82 games of one team and lives in that team's broadcast area. The displaced fan follows a team from another part of the country. The neutral wants the big national games and the playoffs, whoever is playing.
Each of those needs a different subscription, and paying for the wrong one is the most common mistake. The broader background, including the end of CBC's run in Canada, is in our general guide to where to watch the NHL. This article concentrates on choosing and paying for the right services in the US.
The national split: ESPN and TNT
The league's national schedule for 2026-27 runs to 172 exclusive games.
ESPN and ABC have 100 of them. Around half air on ESPN or ABC themselves; the remaining games are streaming-only through the ESPN app, Disney+ and Hulu. ABC's Saturday afternoon package returns in January, and ESPN covers the first three playoff rounds alongside TNT.
TNT Sports has 72 regular-season games on TNT and truTV, all simulcast on HBO Max. TNT also holds the entire 2027 Stanley Cup Final, as the two networks alternate the Final each year.
Opening night on 29 September is an ESPN tripleheader, and TNT's schedule starts the following night. Outdoor games include the Heritage Classic in October and the Winter Classic on 31 December.
The important point: "exclusive" national games are blacked out on regional networks, so even a local fan needs ESPN and HBO Max access to see every game their team plays.
Out-of-market games and NHL Power Play
NHL Power Play is the out-of-market package, and it now lives inside the ESPN app. It carries well over 1,000 games a season from teams outside your area. It's included with ESPN's streaming tiers, so you don't buy it as a separate product.
NHL Center Ice is the older, TV-provider version. It's available through DIRECTV satellite and some cable operators, with up to around 40 out-of-market games a week and the same blackout rules.
Blackouts are the key restriction. Power Play and Center Ice both black out your local team's games (they belong to the regional broadcaster) and nationally exclusive games (they belong to ESPN or TNT). The ESPN app uses your location to decide, so a displaced fan is well served and a local fan isn't.
Your local team is a separate problem
Local games are sold by whoever holds the regional rights, and that differs team by team. Some examples of the current landscape:
- Regional sports network apps, such as NESN 360 for Boston or MSG+ for the New York-area teams, typically around $30 a month.
- Team-run streaming apps, which several clubs launched after leaving the old regional networks, usually in the $15 to $22 a month range.
- Free over-the-air broadcasts for a handful of teams, including Seattle, Vegas, Nashville, Utah, Tampa Bay and Florida, where an antenna does the job.
- Live TV streaming services such as Fubo, DirecTV Stream or YouTube TV, which carry some regional networks, depending on your ZIP code.
The quickest way to check is your team's official website, which lists its local broadcaster and streaming options. Check before signing up to a live TV service, as regional network carriage varies more than anything else in this guide.
What it costs, service by service
US prices as of late September 2026. ESPN raised its prices on 17 September, so older articles will show lower figures.
| Service | What you get | Price |
|---|---|---|
| ESPN Select | Streaming-only ESPN games, NHL Power Play | $13.99/month or $139.99/year |
| ESPN Unlimited | Select plus live ESPN channels and ABC | $31.99/month or $319.99/year |
| Disney+, Hulu, ESPN Select bundle | As Select, plus entertainment | $21.99/month with ads |
| HBO Max | All TNT and truTV games, Stanley Cup Final | About $11 to $23/month by tier |
| Regional network or team app | Your local team's non-national games | Roughly $15 to $30/month |
| Live TV service (Fubo, YouTube TV etc.) | ESPN, ABC, TNT and some regional networks | Roughly $45 to $85/month |
Introductory offers change often, and HBO Max's sports coverage has been included in its standard tiers rather than sold as an add-on, but check the current plan page before paying.
Three sensible combinations
The neutral: ESPN Select plus HBO Max. You'll get the streaming-only ESPN games, a huge out-of-market library and every TNT game, including the Stanley Cup Final. You'll miss the games on ESPN's linear channels and ABC, unless you add an antenna for ABC.
The displaced fan: ESPN Unlimited plus HBO Max. Power Play covers most of your team's games, and the two national partners fill the gaps. This is the fullest cord-free setup for anyone living away from their team, at roughly $45 to $55 a month in season.
The local fan: regional option plus ESPN Unlimited plus HBO Max. The regional service handles most of the 82 games, and the national services handle the rest. Alternatively, a live TV service carrying your regional network can replace several of these, which is often simpler if you want one bill.
Pause in summer. None of these need to run all year. Monthly plans let you start in late September and stop after your team's season ends.
A short note for Canada
Canadian viewers have a different set of rights. Sportsnet holds the national package, with Saturday games now on Sportsnet rather than CBC, and Prime Video carries exclusive Wednesday night games under a 12-year agreement with Rogers announced in July 2026. Sportsnet+ Premium adds out-of-market games. TVA Sports and RDS cover French-language broadcasts. Our main NHL viewing guide covers this in more detail.
Why licensed services are worth it
Unlicensed "all channels" IPTV subscriptions often advertise every NHL game for a small yearly fee. They aren't licensed to distribute those games, they can disappear mid-season with no refund, and they commonly fail under load on big nights, which is exactly when you want them. Payment details handed to an unlicensed seller are another risk.
A licensed stack costs more, but the games are reliable, legal, in proper HD and increasingly 4K on some national broadcasts. If you want to compare services with the same approach across other sports, see our guide to the best IPTV options for sports.
Common mistakes to avoid
Buying Power Play to watch your local team. This is the most common complaint every October. The ESPN app checks your location, and your home team's regional games are blacked out. Check your team's regional rights holder first.
Forgetting HBO Max for the Final. With TNT holding the 2027 Stanley Cup Final, fans who rely on ESPN alone will miss it. Add HBO Max for late May and June at the latest.
Paying for a full year. Annual plans look cheaper, but the season runs roughly September to June. Unless you use ESPN or HBO Max for other things, monthly billing during the season is usually better value.
Assuming a live TV service includes your regional network. Carriage differs between services and ZIP codes, and some regional networks aren't on any of them. Enter your ZIP code on the service's channel page before you sign up.
Ignoring travel. If you travel into your team's home area, Power Play will black out their games there too, while the regional app may work only inside that area. Plan for it if you move around.
Quick answers
Where can I watch the NHL without cable in 2026? ESPN's streaming plans and HBO Max cover all national games between them. Out-of-market games are on NHL Power Play in the ESPN app, and local games are on your team's regional network or app.
Who shows the 2027 Stanley Cup Final? TNT Sports, with streaming on HBO Max. ESPN and ABC have the Final in alternate years.
Is NHL Power Play a separate subscription? No. It's part of the ESPN app and included with ESPN's streaming tiers.
Why is my team's game blacked out on the ESPN app? Either you are inside your team's local area, where a regional broadcaster holds the rights, or the game is a national exclusive on another network.
What's the cheapest way to watch the playoffs? HBO Max for TNT's games plus ESPN Select or Unlimited for ESPN's, run only for the weeks you need them. An antenna picks up ABC for free.
Can I watch local games with an antenna? For a small number of teams that broadcast locally over the air, yes. Check your team's website to see if yours is one of them.
Does ESPN Select include ESPN's TV channels? No. Select is streaming-only; ESPN Unlimited adds the live ESPN networks and ABC.
Prices, blackout areas and regional rights change during the season, and several teams have changed local broadcasters in recent years. Check the league's and your team's official broadcast pages before subscribing. Checked September 2026.