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See who becomes the top pick in the 2026 NHL Draft

See who becomes the top pick in the 2026 NHL Draft

Penn State’s Gavin McKenna is the name to watch as the Toronto Maple Leafs have the first pick.

Justin Golba
Justin Golba is a long-time sports reporter, writing for outlets such as Land-Grant Holy Land, AmateurGolf.com, and various newspapers. As an avid TV and movie watcher, he brought his writing to The Streamable to help the cord-cutters navigate the streaming world.
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Matt Tamanini
Matt Tamanini is the News Editor at The Streamable, where he oversees daily news coverage and editorial strategy, with a particular focus on breaking stories, streaming comparisons, and major industry events. A well-rounded journalist with a diverse background, Matt joined The Streamable in 2022 after holding key editorial roles at several high-profile outlets. He has an extensive career in sports and entertainment journalism, having served as a senior editor for BroadwayWorld, the world’s largest theater website, and as managing editor for Land-Grant Holy Land, which covers Ohio State sports.
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Justin Golba, Matt Tamanini
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Justin Golba is a Kent State graduate and long-time sports reporter who covers Ohio State, hosts the "Bucketheads" college basketball podcast, and works in the golf industry. He has a Bachelor's Degree in Sport Administration.
Justin Golba is a Kent State graduate and long-time sports reporter who covers Ohio State, hosts the "Bucketheads" college basketball podcast, and works in the golf industry. He has a Bachelor's Degree in Sport Administration.

With the NBA draft wrapping up, the NHL draft is ready to take center stage as ESPN will broadcast the 2026 NHL Draft. The show will take place on Friday, June 26, and Saturday, June 27, live from KeyBank Center in Buffalo, New York and will be broadcast at 7 p.m. ET on both ESPN and the NHL Network. With players like Gavin McKenna, Ivar Stenberg and Caleb Malhotra waiting to hear their names called, you won’t want to miss any of the action. There are plenty of ways to watch the 2026 NHL Draft, but we recommend watching with a subscription to DIRECTV as the first option, or an ESPN Unlimited account.

How to watch the 2026 NHL Draft

Everything you need to know about the 2026 NHL Draft

What are the broadcast details for the 2026 NHL Draft?

Date/Time Time (ET Round(s) Outlets
Friday, June 26 7 p.m. Round 1 ESPN, ESPN+, ESPN Unlimited
Saturday, June 27 11 a.m. Rounds 2–7 NHL Network, ESPN+

Why we recommend watching the 2026 NHL Draft on DIRECTV?

DIRECTV is our favorite choice to watch the 2026 NHL Draft because of how many different subscription options it offers, not to mention the aforementioned free trial. The cheapest post-trial option would be the MySports Genre Pack, which just so happens to currently be offering a great discount. This plan offers 20+ sports channels at a regular price of $65 per month and comes with a discount down to $50 per month for two months for new customers.

In addition to both ESPN and NHL Network, the genre-specific package also includes Fox and FS1, which will allow you to stream all of the games of the 2026 FIFA World Cup as the United States advances to the elimination stage. The plan also comes with ESPN2, NFL Network, NBA TV, MLB Network, Big Ten Network, and much more.

If you want a non-sports-specific channel lineup, we would recommend the ENTERTAINMENT Signature package. This plan costs $90 per month for 90+ channels, and viewers can add more channels by stepping up to a higher tier of Signature service. All DIRECTV Signature packages, as well as the MySports Genre Pack, come with ESPN Unlimited included.

Can you watch the 2026 NHL Draft for free?

For all of the hockey die hards that only want to watch the draft, there are options available for you. DIRECTV, Hulu + Live TV, Fubo, and YouTube TV all offer free trials, but they are all different, so it is based on what you are looking for specifically. DIRECTV’s industry-leading trial runs for five days, while Hulu + Live TV’s is a solid three days.

Both Fubo and YouTube TV’s trials are a little difficult to pin down, as they vary by customer. YouTube can offer up to three weeks for some people, but as short as one day for others. Similarly, Fubo can give away a full week for free, or just a single day, and often you won’t know until you complete the signup process.

So, if you want to see what those services can offer, it can be worth your time, but they are not as reliable as DIRECTV and Hulu + Live TV.

DIRECTV Fubo Hulu Sling TV YouTube TV
Free Trial Free Trial Free 3-Day Trial Save with Sling Free Trial
$20.99 $9.99 $28.99 $19.99 $29.99 $45.99 $45.99 $64.99
ESPN + $24 + $59 + $61 ✓ - ✓ - ✓
NHL Network + $15 + $11 - - - + $11 + $11 -

What are all of the services that will carry the 2026 NHL Draft?

Fortunately for sports fans, numerous different streaming services will stream the game, so you have options to choose from if you don’t already subscribe to any of them. We discussed DIRECTV and the free trial options above, but there is one more, and it offers a different type of streaming arrangement.

In addition to the live TV streaming options, since the game is being broadcast on ESPN, there is one more choice. ESPN Unlimited can be used to stream all of the NHL Draft coverage appearing on ESPN for $30 per month.

Sign up
espn.com

ESPN Unlimited

ESPN launched its highly anticipated direct-to-consumer streaming service on August 21, 2025. For the first time, this service gives sports fans access to its full lineup of linear channels without a traditional cable or satellite subscription.

…

Subscribers can pay the $31.99 monthly fee for ESPN Unlimited, which unlocks all ESPN linear channels — including ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, SEC Network, ACC Network, ESPNEWS, ESPN Deportes, and ESPN on ABC — plus ESPN+ and ESPN3, totaling around 47,000 live events each year. A subscription may be purchased monthly or annually.

ESPN+ content is available as part of an ESPN Ultimate subscription; those seeking only ESPN+ can subscribe to ESPN Select for $13.99 instead.

ESPN Unlimited offers extensive coverage of the NFL, NBA, MLB, college sports, UFC, soccer, tennis, and more, along with original programming, studio shows, and “30 for 30” documentaries. Starting in 2026, the platform will become the exclusive U.S. streaming home for WWE’s premium live events, including WrestleMania, SummerSlam, and Royal Rumble.

NFL Network and NFL RedZone are also included through an NFL-ESPN partnership, which adds draft coverage, preseason games, and NFL+ Premium features. The enhanced ESPN app will feature Multiview for watching multiple games simultaneously, real-time stats, betting and fantasy tools, personalized highlight reels, and even e-commerce options for tickets and merchandise.

On September 1, 2026, ESPN Unlimited prices were raised — barely a year after launch — from $13 to $14 per month for ESPN Select and from $30 to $32 for ESPN Unlimited.

Viewers can subscribe directly or bundle ESPN Unlimited with Disney+ and Hulu. With its robust live sports lineup, premium features, and the convenience of streaming anywhere, ESPN’s new service is a must-have for die-hard sports fans looking to cut the cord without sacrificing coverage.

Sign up
$31.99+ / month
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Watch a preview of the 2026 NHL Draft

Everything you need to know about the 2026 NHL Draft broadcast

The 2026 NHL Draft will be a bit of a tag-team endeavor for the sport’s two biggest domestic broadcast partners. The festivities officially get under way on Friday, June 26, with Round 1 coverage from 7-10 p.m. ET on both ESPN and ESPN+ in the United States. However, on Day 2, ESPN+ will air NHL Network’s coverage of Rounds 2-7.

“The Point”, ESPN’s hockey-focused studio show, will preview Round 1 and feature red carpet coverage beginning at 6 p.m. ET on ESPN2 and ESPN+. John Buccigross will host ESPN’s fifth presentation of the NHL Draft, along with analyst Kevin Weekes, insider Emily Kaplan, and Draft and hockey analytics expert Meghan Chayka. ESPN reporter Leah Hextall and Sportsnet’s Ailish Forfar will interview prospects after they’ve been drafted.

Over on the NHL Network, Kathryn Tappen will be joined by analysts Brian Boyle and Jason Demers for “NHL Tonight: Draft Preview” before giving way to ESPN’s broadcast. However, on Day 2, Jamison Coyle will host alongside Jason Bukala, Sam Cosentino, Elliotte Friedman, Tony Granato, E.J. Hradek and Mike Kelly. This coverage will be found on the NHL Network and on ESPN+ in the U.S., and on Sportsnet in Canada.

How to watch the 2026 NHL Draft from anywhere

If you’ll be away from home and can’t watch the NHL Draft 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 to 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 game 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

Live TV Streaming Find out more >

Service Matchmaker

Our Matchmaker lets you compare multiple channels across all live TV streaming services. Just tell us what you watch and we’ll handle the rest.

Sling TV $20
DIRECTV $21
Hulu Live TV $90
Fubo $64
Philo $25
YouTube TV $83
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Justin Golba
Justin Golba is a long-time sports reporter, writing for outlets such as Land-Grant Holy Land, AmateurGolf.com, and various newspapers. As an avid TV and movie watcher, he brought his writing to The Streamable to help the cord-cutters navigate the streaming world.
Read full bio ›
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