How to watch NHL 2026/27 for FREE: Live Streams & TV Channels

• NHL 2026/27 regular season: September 29, 2026 to April 10, 2027
• Use Norton VPN to watch from anywhere

Watch NHL 2026/27 live streams as the Carolina Hurricanes seek to defend their crown, having broken their 20-year duck by winning the Stanley Cup 4-2 over the Vegas Golden Knights in June.

It truly was the icing on the cake for Hurricanes boss Rod Brind'Amour, who became only the fourth man in NHL history to win the Stanley Cup with the same team as both captain and head coach. Perhaps Jordan Staal will join him one day – the Hurricanes center and captain was MVP in that victorious season. In the immediate future, he'll be looking to lead the likes of Nikolaj Ehlers, Jackson Blake and Shayne Gostisbehere to a second straight title.

So which other franchises are best equipped to hold back the Hurricanes? Having been denied the three-peat last time around, you can bet that the Florida Panthers will be in the hunt for the playoffs. So, too, should defeated finalists the Golden Knights. A firing-on-all-cylinders Jason Robertson or Matt Boldy could respectively propel the Dallas Stars or Minnesota Wild deep into the postseason. Or will this finally be the year that a Canadian team ends the country's 34-year wait to lift the Stanley Cup? Fans of the Edmonton Oilers and Montreal Canadiens will all be hoping so.

Here's where to watch NHL 2026/27 live streams online from anywhere – starting with FREE options.

Can I watch NHL in 2026/27 for free?

There are several countries around the world that do offer a limited number of NHL games on free-to-air channels and streaming services. They include:

• 🇬🇧 ITVX – UK
• 🇦🇺 9Now – Australia

Elsewhere, there are free streamers hosting NHL coverage in their own language, such as CCTV in China, SVT Play in Sweden and TV24 in Switzerland. You'll find more options listed in our full information on international broadcasters further down the page.

While you'll be able to tune in to NHL games through local stations and occasionally through ABC nationally in the US, there's no free NHL coverage as such. It means the only way to pick up free NHL coverage stateside is by taking advantage of the free trials offered by certain OTT cable alternatives that carry NHL broadcasting channels such as YouTube TV and Hulu + Live TV.

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How to watch NHL 2026/27 live streams in the US

National coverage of the 2026/27 NHL season is shared between an array of TV channels and streaming services, including ABC and ESPN (53 games) and TNT (72 games) on TV, and through the ESPN app, Hulu and Disney Plus (47 games). So, between them, they will show 172 regular season games.

If you're a cord cutter, Sling TV is an OTT service that gives access to a good proportion of televised games. Its Sling Orange package ($4.99 a day, $14.99 a week, $45.99 a month) carries ESPN and TNT. Go for an Orange + Blue plan for $60.99 per month and you'll get access to ABC in selected cities, too.

Alternatively, ABC, ESPN, TNT and access to ESPN Unlimited are also carried by YouTube TV, Hulu + Live TV an Fubo (except, currently, TNT), each of which offers a free trial to new users.

Regionally, the official NHL website says that more than 1,050 out-of-market games will be available to watch this season through 'NHL Power Play' on the ESPN app. You will need an ESPN Unlimited plan to access this which starts at $31.99/month or $319.99 for the year.

How to watch NHL 2026/27 live streams in Canada

Just like south of the border, there's a diverse range of broadcasters showing 2026/27 NHL games in Canada, with Sportsnet (and its Sportsnet+ streaming platform), Amazon Prime Video and TVA sharing out national games. Prices are as follows:

▶︎ Sportsnet+ – C$29.99/month

▶︎ Amazon Prime – C$9.99/month or C$99/year

▶︎ TVA Sports Direct – C$17.99/month or C$179.99/year

If you're unable to watch the game you want due to geo-blocking restrictions, remember that a VPN is all you need to tune back in to your preferred NHL coverage wherever you are.

How to watch NHL 2026/27 live streams in the UK

The most comprehensive NHL coverage in the UK comes courtesy of NHL.TV on DAZN, which will show every minute of every regular season, playoff and Stanley Cup game. You can pay from £22.99 per month or get a full season pass for £119.99.

Premier Sports will also show a large amount of games across the season (as many as 15 games each week). It costs £18.99 on a rolling monthly basis or, to save money, you can commit to a year for £13.99 per month or one upfront payment of £150.

Plus, from January 17, 2027, free-to-air ITV4 and its online ITVX platform will air selected weekend NHL games throughout the season.

Not in the UK right now? To access your usual streaming service from outside the UK, you'll need to download a good VPN, as detailed above.

How to watch NHL 2026/27 live streams in Rest of World

NHL.TV is the National Hockey League's dedicated streaming service globally, which allows die-hard hockey fans to watch every single game, including the playoffs and Super Bowl.

It's available via DAZN in more than 180 countries, from Albania to Zimbabwe. Prices vary from country to country and get progressively cheaper throughout the season – head to the NHL website to see the full list of supported territories.

Many countries also show games on TV and online through their domestic broadcasters:

Africa

Americas

Europe

Asia

Oceania