How to Stream 2021-22 NHL Games Live Online Without Cable - And What’s New This Season?

The puck drops on the 2021-22 NHL season this week, and a lot has changed. Everything from their television partners to how to watch out-of-market games to your best streaming options. We will break down how you can watch your favorite team on your local RSN, nationally televised preseason games, and out-of-market NHL regular season coverage.

Our Picks

What’s New for the 2021-22 NHL Season?

• You can stream every NHL team locally with Live TV Streaming Service, including the newest addition to the league, the Seattle Kraken.
• YouTube TV, Hulu Live TV, fuboTV and Sling TV no longer carry Sinclair-owned Bally Sports RSNs
• DIRECTV STREAM (previously AT&T TV) is the only option to stream Bally Sports RSNs as part of their $84.99 a month + tax CHOICE™ package
• NHL has new TV partners meaning that games will air on TNT, ESPN, ESPN+, Hulu, & ABC
• ESPN+ and Hulu will air 3-4 games of nearly every NHL team, meaning you will need it even if you have a Live TV Streaming Service
• NHL.TV is now included with a a subscription to ESPN+ ($6.99 a month) or The Disney Bundle ($13.99 a month), meaning that you can get 1,000+ out-of-market NHL games for half the cost as it was last season
• NHL® CENTER ICE® still available for out-of-market games, but to get it you need DIRECTV satellite service

Local Telecasts on RSNs

To watch NHL games locally on your regional sports network online without cable, you will need a subscription to one of the major Live TV Streaming Services.

After YouTube TV, Hulu, Sling TV, and fuboTV each dropped Bally Sports RSNs, for most teams your only option is DIRECTV STREAM CHOICE™ ($84.99) to stream most NHL games. They also offer MSG, NESN, Altitude, AT&T SportsNet Rocky Mountain, [AT&T SportsNet Pittsburgh], ROOT Sports Northwest, as well as ESPN and TNT for nationally televised games. RSNs are not available in all areas and may vary by ZIP code and package.

If you want to stream games on MSG (Rangers/Sabres), MSG+ (Islanders/Devils), NESN (Bruins), [AT&T SportsNet Pittsburgh] (Penguins), ROOT Sports Northwestountain (Golden Knights),and ROOT Sports Northwest (Kraken), your least expensive option is fuboTV ($64.99), which is available with a 7-Day Free Trial.

Which Is The Best Option For My Favorite Team?

If you’re not sure which is the best option for you, we put together a handy chart down below to figure out all the options for each team.

• fuboTV is the least expensive option for MSG, MSG+, NESN, [AT&T SportsNet Pittsburgh], and will soon offer ROOT Sports Northwest (Kraken) and AT&T SportsNet Rocky Mountain (Golden Knights)
• DIRECTV STREAM CHOICE™ package ($84.99 / mo. + tax) is the only service that offers Bally Sports RSNs and Altitude (Avalanche). They also offer MSG, NESN, AT&T SportsNet, and ROOT Sports Northwest, where available.
• NBC Sports RSNs are carried by nearly all of the Live TV Streaming Services including DIRECTV STREAM, fuboTV, Hulu Live TV, and YouTube TV

RSNs are not available in all areas and may vary by ZIP code and package.

National Telecasts

Starting with the 2021-22 season, NHL games will no longer air on NBCSN or NBC. Nationally televised games that don’t air on your team’s RSN will now be available on ESPN+, Hulu, ESPN, ESPN2, TNT, ABC.

Most services include these channels as part of their entry level package with some exceptions. While fuboTV carries ESPN, they don’t carry TNT. Sling TV includes ESPN and TNT in their Sling Orange package, but not ABC. You can stream NHL on ABC games with ESPN3 (included with Sling) or ESPN+.

• ESPN: 18 games (Tuesdays and Thursdays), will not simulcast on ESPN+ except Opening Night
• ABC: 11 games (Saturdays), including 2022 All-Star Game (Saturdays), will simulcast on ESPN+
• ESPN+/Hulu: 75 games (Mostly Tuesdays and Thursdays)
• TNT: 50 games (mostly Wednesdays), including Winter Classic, Stadium Series, and Heritage Classic

If you want the most regular season coverage on TV, NHL Network will carry ~90 non-exclusive games during the 2021-22 NHL season, which will also air on your local RSN. These games will be blacked out if the team playing is in your local market, but you will need NHL Network if you are out-of-market, since they won’t be available on NHL.TV on ESPN+.

Out-Of-Market Telecasts

Since most teams have 3-4 nationally televised games on ESPN+, if you are a big NHL fan, it is almost now a requirement to have the service. But, you will now also get 1,000+ out-of-market NHL games included with the service.

Starting with the 2021-22 season, NHL.TV has shifted over to ESPN+, meaning that you will save over $50 compared to last season.

While in the past the NHL offered NHL.TV for $145 to watch every team ($25 a month), with ESPN+, you will be able to stream every out-of-market game for just $10.99 / month, or $109.99 / year ($9.17 / month). You can also stream it with The Disney Bundle which is available for $14.99 / month.

There are some changes from past seasons. You won’t be able to stream games that air on NHL Network, those will be blacked out on the service, so you will need a Live TV Streaming Service like Sling TV to get those games. You also won’t be able to watch the games in the NHL App, instead when you click on a game, it will take you to ESPN+ to stream the action.

The good news is that with NHL.TV on ESPN+ you will continue to get both home and away telecasts, as well as local pre-game and post-game shows when provided.

How to Stream the 2021-22 NHL Season Live for Free on Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV, iOS and Android

There are six major streaming providers that offer Live TV Streaming. These providers allow you to watch the 2021 NHL Regular Season using iOS, Android, Roku, Apple TV, Fire TV, Chromecast and Web.

NHL Season Preview

2021-22 NHL TV Schedule

DIRECTV is offering a Free Preview of NHL CENTER ICE on the STB from 10/12 - 10/19 for all DIRECTV customers.

TBD