NHL games in 2026-27 are split between two national partners and 32 regional deals, which is why the same team can be on ESPN one night, TNT the next and a regional network or team app the night after. The short version: ESPN and ABC on Tuesdays and select weekends, TNT and truTV on Wednesdays and Fridays, streaming exclusives on ESPN+, Disney+ and Hulu, HBO Max for everything TNT carries, and NHL Power Play on ESPN+ for out of market games. Every channel, service and marquee date for the season is below.
Where NHL Games Air in 2026-27
| Channel or service | What it carries | How to get it |
|---|---|---|
| ESPN and ABC | 53 national games, including the opening night tripleheader, Tuesday nights in October, ABC games starting in January, the All-Star Game and Stadium Series | Cable, satellite or a live TV streamer; ESPN games also stream on the ESPN App with an ESPN Unlimited plan |
| ESPN+, Disney+ and Hulu | 47 streaming exclusive national games that air on no TV channel | Any of the three services; the games are the same on all of them |
| TNT and truTV | 72 national games, Wednesdays and Fridays all season, the Heritage Classic, the Thanksgiving Showdown, the Winter Classic and the 2027 Stanley Cup Final | Cable, satellite or a live TV streamer |
| HBO Max | Every TNT Sports game, streamed live | HBO Max Standard plan or above |
| NHL Power Play on ESPN+ | 1,050 plus out of market games, the regional broadcasts of teams outside your market | ESPN+ subscription; blackouts apply to your local teams |
| Regional sports networks and team apps | Every game not on a national window, in the team’s home market | Varies by team: cable regional channels, direct to consumer apps, or in some markets Prime Video Channels |
| NHL Network | Studio coverage, select games and highlights | Cable, satellite and most live TV streamers |
The National Schedule by Night
| Night | Where to look |
|---|---|
| Tuesday | ESPN through October, then the ESPN streaming trio (ESPN+, Disney+, Hulu) for most Tuesday exclusives |
| Wednesday | TNT, truTV and HBO Max, all season |
| Thursday | ESPN+, Disney+ and Hulu exclusives |
| Friday | TNT, truTV and HBO Max |
| Saturday and Sunday | ABC afternoon windows from January on, plus select ESPN and TNT games; Hockey Night in Canada on Sportsnet and CBC for Canadian viewers |
| Everything else | Regional networks, or NHL Power Play on ESPN+ if the team is outside your market |
Marquee Dates and Where They Air
| Date | Event | Channel |
|---|---|---|
| Sept. 29 | Opening night tripleheader | ESPN |
| Oct. 25 | Heritage Classic, Canadiens at Jets, Winnipeg | TNT, HBO Max |
| Nov. 27 | Thanksgiving Showdown, Rangers vs. Bruins | TNT, HBO Max |
| November | Global Series Finland, Hurricanes vs. Kraken in Helsinki | ESPN platforms |
| Dec. 18 and 20 | Global Series Germany, Blackhawks vs. Senators in Dusseldorf | ESPN platforms |
| Dec. 31 | Winter Classic, Avalanche at Mammoth, Rice-Eccles Stadium, Salt Lake City | TNT, truTV, HBO Max |
| Feb. 6, 2027 | All-Star Game, new five team tournament format | ABC |
| Feb. 20, 2027 | Stadium Series | ABC |
| April 10, 2027 | Final day of the regular season, all 32 teams play | Regional and national mix |
| April to June 2027 | Stanley Cup Playoffs | ESPN and TNT Sports split the early rounds; TNT and HBO Max carry the Stanley Cup Final |
Watching Without Cable
Live TV streaming services carry the national channels: YouTube TV, Hulu + Live TV, DirecTV Stream, Sling and Fubo all include ESPN and TNT in their sports tiers, and Hulu + Live TV bundles in the ESPN+ and Disney+ exclusives. If you only want one team, the cheapest route is usually that team’s regional network app or NHL Power Play on ESPN+ if you live outside its market. If you want every national game, the ESPN Unlimited plan plus HBO Max covers both partners for a fraction of a cable bill.
Canada
Sportsnet carries the national package including Hockey Night in Canada, with CBC simulcasting the Saturday games, TVA Sports carrying French language games and Prime Video holding a weekly Wednesday night window. Sportsnet+ streams the regional and national Sportsnet games.
Related
NHL games tonight · NHL schedule 2026-27 · What is new in the NHL this season · NHL opening night · NHL scores today · NHL standings · NHL odds today
Broadcast details from the NHL and ESPN national schedule announcement and Awful Announcing.