Cool off with the 2026 NCAA Men’s Ice Hockey Tournament
Cool off with the 2026 NCAA Men’s Ice Hockey Tournament
The top men’s college hockey teams from around the country will be in action starting on March 26.
The 2026 NCAA Men’s Hockey Championship Tournament is about to begin! Starting Thursday, March 26 at 1:30 p.m. ET, the most talented men’s college hockey players from around the United States will battle it out to determine who will be this year’s national champion. Games will be played on ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, and ESPN+, and that means our favorite way to watch each one is with a subscription to DIRECTV’s MySports Genre Pack.
How to watch the 2026 NCAA Men’s Hockey Championship Tournament
- When: Starts Thursday, March 28 at 1:30 p.m. ET
- TV: ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPN+
- Stream: Watch with a five-day free trial of DIRECTV.
- From anywhere: Watch with a subscription to a VPN.
Everything you need to know about the 2026 NCAA Men’s Hockey Championship Tournament
What’s the schedule of the 2026 NCAA Men’s Hockey Championship Tournament games?
| Date | Time (ET) | Game | Platform |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thursday, March 26 | 1:30 p.m. | UConn vs. No. 3 Michigan State | ESPN2 |
| 5 p.m. | Dartmouth vs. Wisconsin | ESPNU | |
| 5 p.m. | Quinnipiac vs Providence | ESPN+ | |
| 8:30 p.m. | Merrimack vs. No. 2 North Dakota | ESPN2 | |
| Friday, March 27 | 2:30 p.m. | Minnesota State vs. No. 4 Western Michigan | ESPNU |
| 5:30 p.m. | Bentley vs. No. 1 Michigan | ESPNU | |
| 6 p.m. | Cornell vs. Denver | ESPN+ | |
| 9 p.m. | Penn State vs. Minnesota-Duluth | ESPN2 | |
| Saturday, March 28 | 4:30 p.m. | TBD Regional Finals | ESPN2 |
| 7 p.m. | TBD Regional Finals | ESPN2 | |
| Sunday, March 29 | 3 p.m. | TBD Regional Finals | ESPN2 |
| 5:30 p.m. | TBD Regional Finals | ESPN | |
| Thursday, April 9 | 5 p.m. | Men’s Frozen Four – Semifinals | ESPN2 |
| 8:30 p.m. | Men’s Frozen Four – Semifinals | ESPN2 | |
| Saturday, April 11 | 5 p.m. | NCAA Men’s Hockey Championship Pregame Show | ESPN |
| 5:30 p.m. | NCAA Men’s Hockey Championship | ESPN |
Why do we recommend watching the 2026 NCAA Men’s Hockey Championship Tournament on DIRECTV?
DIRECTV’s MySports Genre Pack is our No. 1 seed for watching the 2026 NCAA Men’s Hockey Championship Tournament. The plan costs $65 per month normally, but is currently discounted to $45 per month for new subscribers’ first two months of service after a five-day free trial.
All linear channels that are carrying games from the tournament are included in the MySports plan, which has 20+ cable news and sports channels overall. The service also includes a free subscription to ESPN Unlimited, so all games on the ESPN+ service are available to subscribers at no extra cost!
DIRECTV
DIRECTV is one of The Streamable’s top choices for the best live TV streaming service overall in 2026, especially for users who want the most channels or want to watch the most live sports. With an unbeatable lineup of local, news, sports, and entertainment channels, three main signature packages, an unlimited DVR, and 20 simultaneous streams at home, DIRECTV remains a premier choice for any cord-cutter.
Can you watch the 2026 NCAA Men’s Hockey Championship Tournament for free?
Other streaming services besides DIRECTV offer free trials, as well as the linear channels needed to watch the 2026 NCAA Men’s Hockey Championship Tournament.
Fubo includes ESPN networks, as well as ESPN Unlimited with its Fubo Sports service. This plan costs $46 for a new customer’s first month, after a free trial that can stretch between one and seven days, depending on what time of month you subscribe and other factors.
Hulu + Live TV includes a three-day free trial, after which its package with the Disney Bundle included costs $90 per month.
YouTube TV’s base plan costs $83 per month, and its free trial can stretch between two and 21 days, depending on several factors.
What are all the services you can use to watch the 2026 NCAA Men’s Hockey Championship Tournament?
You can stream the 2026 NCAA Men’s Hockey Championship Tournament on DIRECTV, Fubo, Hulu + Live TV, Sling TV, and YouTube TV. We prefer DIRECTV because of the price and availability of games, but there are definitely other options available.
You can also watch all games from the tournament on ESPN Unlimited, with packages starting at $30 per month.
| DIRECTV | Fubo | Hulu | Philo | Sling TV | YouTube TV | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free Trial | Free Trial | Free 3-Day Trial | Free Trial | Save with Sling | Free Trial | |||||
| $20.99 | $9.99 | $28.99 | $25 | $19.99 | $29.99 | $45.99 | $45.99 | $64.99 | ||
| ESPN | + $24 | + $59 | + $61 | - | ✓ | - | ✓ | - | ✓ | |
| ESPN2 | + $24 | + $59 | + $61 | - | ✓ | - | ✓ | - | ✓ | |
| ESPNU | + $24 | + $11 | + $61 | - | - | - | + $11 | - | ✓ | |
How to watch 2026 NCAA Men’s Hockey Championship Tournament from anywhere
If you’ll be away from home and can’t watch the tournament as you normally would, you can still catch all of the action no matter where you are in the world with a VPN. A VPN can be used on your phone, tablet, or computer and make you appear to be back home — even when you’re not — making sure you feel at home no matter where you are. A VPN is a safe and secure way to stay protected online while streaming your favorite sports, movies, and shows on the go. Keep in mind that you will still need to be subscribed to a live TV streaming service like DIRECTV in order to stream the games with a VPN.
NordVPN is one of the best providers around, at one of the best prices. Currently, you can get two full years of protection for just $3.59 per month — plus you’ll get three extra months FREE. A high-speed VPN with best-in-class security that can be used on up to 10 devices at once — what more could you ask for? Simply sign up, install the software on your device of choice, and start streaming just as you would back home. It couldn’t be easier!
While NordVPN is our recommendation for the best VPN to use while you are traveling, there are a number of other high-quality options available depending on what you are looking for.
- Best Features: ExpressVPN | Starting at $5 per month
- Best Budget Option: Surfshark | Starting at $2.50 per month
- Best Free Option: Proton VPN | Free plan available