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How To Watch the 2024 NHL Preseason

Dive into early hockey action this fall as the ice heats up for the NHL preseason. Catch select games on NHL Network, TNT, and your regional sports network.

Before the puck drops on the 2024–2025 NHL regular season, each team will compete in a series of preseason matchups starting September 21, 2024. NHL Network and TNT will televise select games nationwide, but most preseason hockey action airs on regional sports networks (RSNs).

DIRECTV STREAM is our favorite service for catching the NHL preseason. It comes with every national NHL channel and offers most RSNs based on your location. But if you support a team far from home, you’ll want ESPN+ for out-of-market streaming access.

Keep reading for more info on NHL preseason channels and recommended TV services. We also have a section dedicated to the full preseason schedule so you can quickly check game times.

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What channels are NHL preseason games on?

NHL preseason games mostly air locally on regional sports networks or stream on each NHL team’s website. NHL Network and TNT broadcast some matchups nationwide, and you can stream 40+ out-of-market preseason games on ESPN+.

Want radio coverage? While not all NHL preseason games appear on TV, you can listen to game audio through team radio affiliates online via TuneIn.

2024 NHL preseason schedule

This year’s NHL preseason runs from September 21 to October 5. Like previous seasons, the two-week period includes neutral-site exhibition games happening domestically and internationally. Buffalo Sabres fans in Germany will get a special treat as the NHL Global Series makes a preseason stop at SAP Garden in Munich.

Game Day Time (ET)
Pittsburgh Penguins at Buffalo Sabres Saturday, Sept. 21 7:00 p.m.
St. Louis Blues at Dallas Stars Saturday, Sept. 21 7:00 p.m.
Minnesota Wild at Winnipeg Jets Saturday, Sept. 21 8:00 p.m.
Nashville Predators (split squad) at Florida Panthers (split squad) Sunday, Sept. 22 2:00 p.m.
Philadelphia Flyers at Washington Capitals Sunday, Sept. 22 3:00 p.m.
New York Rangers at Boston Bruins Sunday, Sept. 22 5:00 p.m.
Nashville Predators (split squad) at Florida Panthers (split squad) Sunday, Sept. 22 6:00 p.m.
Winnipeg Jets at Edmonton Oilers Sunday, Sept. 22 6:00 p.m.
New York Islanders at New Jersey Devils Sunday, Sept. 22 7:00 p.m.
Ottawa Senators at Toronto Maple Leafs Sunday, Sept. 22 7:00 p.m.
St. Louis Blues vs. Utah Hockey Club (in Des Moines, Iowa) Sunday, Sept. 22 7:00 p.m.
Vegas Golden Knights at San Jose Sharks Sunday, Sept. 22 8:00 p.m.
Calgary Flames at Seattle Kraken Sunday, Sept. 22 10:00 p.m.
Columbus Blue Jackets at Buffalo Sabres Monday, Sept. 23 7:00 p.m.
Philadelphia Flyers at Montreal Canadiens Monday, Sept. 23 7:00 p.m.
Calgary Flames (split squad) at Edmonton Oilers (split squad) Monday, Sept. 23 9:00 p.m.
Dallas Stars at Colorado Avalanche Monday, Sept. 23 9:00 p.m.
Edmonton Oilers (split squad) at Calgary Flames (split squad) Monday, Sept. 23 9:00 p.m.
Los Angeles Kings at Utah Hockey Club Monday, Sept. 23 9:00 p.m.
Buffalo Sabres at Pittsburgh Penguins Tuesday, Sept. 24 7:00 p.m.
Carolina Hurricanes at Tampa Bay Lightning Tuesday, Sept. 24 7:00 p.m.
New Jersey Devils at Montreal Canadiens Tuesday, Sept. 24 7:00 p.m.
New York Islanders at New York Rangers Tuesday, Sept. 24 7:00 p.m.
Toronto Maple Leafs at Ottawa Senators Tuesday, Sept. 24 7:00 p.m.
Washington Capitals at Boston Bruins Tuesday, Sept. 24 7:00 p.m.
Anaheim Ducks at San Jose Sharks Tuesday, Sept. 24 10:00 p.m.
Seattle Kraken at Vancouver Canucks Tuesday, Sept. 24 10:00 p.m.
Florida Panthers vs. Tampa Bay Lightning (in Orlando, Fla.) Wednesday, Sept. 25 7:00 p.m.
St. Louis Blues at Columbus Blue Jackets Wednesday, Sept. 25 7:00 p.m.
Washington Capitals at New Jersey Devils Wednesday, Sept. 25 7:00 p.m.
Detroit Red Wings at Chicago Blackhawks Wednesday, Sept. 25 8:00 p.m.
Edmonton Oilers at Winnipeg Jets Wednesday, Sept. 25 8:00 p.m.
Minnesota Wild at Dallas Stars Wednesday, Sept. 25 8:00 p.m.
Calgary Flames vs. Vancouver Canucks (in Abbotsford, B.C.) Wednesday, Sept. 25 10:00 p.m.
Los Angeles Kings at Vegas Golden Knights Wednesday, Sept. 25 10:00 p.m.
Boston Bruins at New York Rangers Thursday, Sept. 26 7:00 p.m.
Buffalo Sabres at Ottawa Senators Thursday, Sept. 26 7:00 p.m.
Montreal Canadiens at Toronto Maple Leafs Thursday, Sept. 26 7:00 p.m.
New York Islanders at Philadelphia Flyers Thursday, Sept. 26 7:00 p.m.
San Jose Sharks at Anaheim Ducks Thursday, Sept. 26 10:00 p.m.
Buffalo Sabres vs. Red Bull Munich (in Munich, Germany) Friday, Sept. 27 2:30 p.m.
Chicago Blackhawks at Detroit Red Wings Friday, Sept. 27 7:00 p.m.
Columbus Blue Jackets at Washington Capitals Friday, Sept. 27 7:00 p.m.
Florida Panthers at Carolina Hurricanes Friday, Sept. 27 7:00 p.m.
Nashville Predators at Tampa Bay Lightning Friday, Sept. 27 7:00 p.m.
New Jersey Devils at New York Islanders Friday, Sept. 27 7:00 p.m.
Colorado Avalanche at Dallas Stars Friday, Sept. 27 8:00 p.m.
Winnipeg Jets at Minnesota Wild Friday, Sept. 27 8:00 p.m.
Utah Hockey Club at Vegas Golden Knights Friday, Sept. 27 10:00 p.m.
Vancouver Canucks at Seattle Kraken Friday, Sept. 27 10:00 p.m.
Anaheim Ducks vs. Los Angeles Kings (in Ontario, Calif.) Saturday, Sept. 28 6:00 p.m.
Boston Bruins at Philadelphia Flyers Saturday, Sept. 28 7:00 p.m.
Buffalo Sabres at Columbus Blue Jackets Saturday, Sept. 28 7:00 p.m.
Carolina Hurricanes at Florida Panthers Saturday, Sept. 28 7:00 p.m.
Pittsburgh Penguins at Detroit Red Wings Saturday, Sept. 28 7:00 p.m.
Toronto Maple Leafs at Montreal Canadiens Saturday, Sept. 28 7:00 p.m.
Chicago Blackhawks at St. Louis Blues Saturday, Sept. 28 7:00 p.m.
Tampa Bay Lightning at Nashville Predators Saturday, Sept. 28 8:00 p.m.
Seattle Kraken at Edmonton Oilers Saturday, Sept. 28 9:00 p.m.
Vancouver Canucks at Calgary Flames Saturday, Sept. 28 9:00 p.m.

Data effective as of post date.

Game Day Time (ET)
Dallas Stars at Minnesota Wild Sunday, Sept. 29 6:00 p.m.
Ottawa Senators vs. Pittsburgh Penguins (in Sudbury, Ont.) Sunday, Sept. 29 7:00 p.m.
Utah Hockey Club at Colorado Avalanche Sunday, Sept. 29 7:00 p.m.
Detroit Red Wings at Buffalo Sabres Monday, Sept. 30 7:00 p.m.
New York Rangers at New Jersey Devils Monday, Sept. 30 7:00 p.m.
Philadelphia Flyers at New York Islanders Monday, Sept. 30 7:00 p.m.
Tampa Bay Lightning at Florida Panthers Monday, Sept. 30 7:00 p.m.
Washington Capitals at Columbus Blue Jackets Monday, Sept. 30 7:00 p.m.
Seattle Kraken at Calgary Flames Monday, Sept. 30 9:00 p.m.
Vancouver Canucks at Edmonton Oilers Monday, Sept. 30 9:00 p.m.
Los Angeles Kings at Anaheim Ducks Monday, Sept. 30 10:00 p.m.
Detroit Red Wings at Pittsburgh Penguins Tuesday, Oct. 1 7:00 p.m.
New Jersey Devils at New York Rangers Tuesday, Oct. 1 7:00 p.m.
Ottawa Senators at Montreal Canadiens Tuesday, Oct. 1 7:00 p.m.
Philadelphia Flyers at Boston Bruins Tuesday, Oct. 1 7:00 p.m.
Chicago Blackhawks at Minnesota Wild Tuesday, Oct. 1 8:00 p.m.
Columbus Blue Jackets at St. Louis Blues Tuesday, Oct. 1 8:00 p.m.
Vegas Golden Knights at Colorado Avalanche Tuesday, Oct. 1 9:30 p.m.
Utah Hockey Club at San Jose Sharks Tuesday, Oct. 1 10:00 p.m.
Florida Panthers at Tampa Bay Lightning Wednesday, Oct. 2 7:00 p.m.
Nashville Predators at Carolina Hurricanes Wednesday, Oct. 2 7:00 p.m.
Calgary Flames at Winnipeg Jets Wednesday, Oct. 2 8:00 p.m.
Edmonton Oilers at Seattle Kraken Wednesday, Oct. 2 10:00 p.m.
Utah Hockey Club at Anaheim Ducks Wednesday, Oct. 2 10:00 p.m.
Boston Bruins vs. Los Angeles Kings (in Quebec City, Que.) Thursday, Oct. 3 7:00 p.m.
New Jersey Devils at Philadelphia Flyers Thursday, Oct. 3 7:00 p.m.
Pittsburgh Penguins at Columbus Blue Jackets Thursday, Oct. 3 7:00 p.m.
Toronto Maple Leafs at Detroit Red Wings Thursday, Oct. 3 7:00 p.m.
Dallas Stars at St. Louis Blues Thursday, Oct. 3 8:00 p.m.
Colorado Avalanche at Vegas Golden Knights Thursday, Oct. 3 10:00 p.m.
Columbus Blue Jackets at Pittsburgh Penguins Friday, Oct. 4 7:00 p.m.
New York Rangers at New York Islanders Friday, Oct. 4 7:00 p.m.
Ottawa Senators at Detroit Red Wings Friday, Oct. 4 7:00 p.m.
Tampa Bay Lightning at Carolina Hurricanes Friday, Oct. 4 7:00 p.m.
Minnesota Wild at Chicago Blackhawks Friday, Oct. 4 8:30 p.m.
Winnipeg Jets at Calgary Flames Friday, Oct. 4 9:00 p.m.
Anaheim Ducks at San Jose Sharks Friday, Oct. 4 10:00 p.m.
Edmonton Oilers at Vancouver Canucks Friday, Oct. 4 10:00 p.m.
Boston Bruins at Washington Capitals Saturday, Oct. 5 5:00 p.m.
Carolina Hurricanes at Nashville Predators Saturday, Oct. 5 5:00 p.m.
Detroit Red Wings at Toronto Maple Leafs Saturday, Oct. 5 7:00 p.m.
Florida Panthers vs. Los Angeles Kings (in Quebec City, Que.) Saturday, Oct. 5 7:00 p.m.
Montreal Canadiens at Ottawa Senators Saturday, Oct. 5 7:00 p.m.
Colorado Avalanche at Utah Hockey Club Saturday, Oct. 5 7:00 p.m.
Chicago Blackhawks vs. St. Louis Blues (in Milwaukee, Wisc.) Saturday, Oct. 5 8:00 p.m.
San Jose Sharks at Vegas Golden Knights Saturday, Oct. 5 10:00 p.m.

Data effective as of post date.

Best TV plans for watching the NHL preseason

The best TV plans for watching the NHL preseason depend on the games you wish to see. If you prefer having access to every preseason duel, you’ll want DIRECTV STREAM and ESPN+.

DIRECTV STREAM will get you every national NHL channel and your regional sports network, while ESPN+ provides out-of-market access. Together, DIRECTV STREAM with a standalone ESPN+ subscription is the most expensive route for NHL fans. It’s also unnecessary if you want only the televised games featuring your favorite team. In that case, you may look to one of these options:

  1. Local games: Watching locally televised NHL preseason games is tricky because every team has different TV affiliates. In most cases, you’ll need a TV provider like DIRECTV STREAM or Fubo to get RSN access. Otherwise, depending on your local team’s broadcaster, a simple TV antenna can pick up games over the air.
  2. Out-of-market games: ESPN+ and NHL Center Ice carry out-of-market NHL games. You won’t get every out-of-market preseason game because not every game airs on TV, but ESPN+ is a great streaming option for only $10.99 a month.
  3. National games: Sling TV is the cheapest way to get national NHL channels like ESPN, NHL Network, and TNT. All you’ll need is the Sling Orange plan ($45.99/mo.) and the Sports Extra add-on ($11.00/mo.).

Which TV providers carry NHL preseason games?

Any TV plan offering NHL Network and TNT will get you nationally televised NHL preseason games. To help your search, we listed 13 popular TV services in the table below and illustrated whether they carry the two channels.

Provider Price NHL Network TNT Details
Cox $71.00–$162.00/mo.
Read Cox review
DIRECTV $84.99–$164.99/mo. View plans

Read DIRECTV review
DIRECTV STREAM $84.99–$154.99/mo. View plans

Read DIRECTV STREAM review
DISH $91.99–$121.99/mo. View plans

Read DISH review
Fubo $14.99–$94.99/mo. View plans

Read Fubo review
Hulu + Live TV $81.99–$95.99/mo. View plans

Read Hulu + Live TV review
Optimum $30.00–$160.00/mo. View plans

Read Optimum review
Philo $28.00/mo. View plans

Read Philo review
Sling TV $45.99–$60.99/mo. View plans

Read Sling TV review
Spectrum $45.00–$105.00/mo. Check Availability

Read Spectrum review
Xfinity $20.00–$80.00/mo.
Read Xfinity review
Verizon Fios $95.00–$139.00/mo. View plans

Read Verizon Fios review
YouTube TV $82.99/mo. View plans

Read YouTube TV review

Data effective as of post date.

How to watch the NHL preseason for free

Unfortunately, no straightforward viewing methods exist to watch NHL preseason games for free. In some metropolitan areas with NHL teams, you might catch a few matchups using an over-the-air (OTA) antenna—such as KMCC in Las Vegas airing Vegas Golden Knights preseason games. However, this option is not viable for most NHL fans, especially if you don’t live near your favorite team.

While scouring Reddit for free NHL streams is possible, we don’t endorse that approach due to its illegality, unreliability, and potential risks to your streaming device. Instead, a legitimate and inexpensive option is subscribing to ESPN+ at $10.99 a month, which provides access to over 40 preseason matchups with no additional commitments.

Are all NHL preseason games on TV?

Most NHL preseason games appear on TV or online, although some matchups may not have an official broadcast. Regional blackout restrictions can also prevent certain games from airing in your area.

For in-market coverage, you’ll need a TV plan with your local team’s regional sports network. You can also explore out-of-market options like ESPN+ and NHL Center Ice if you support a non-local team. In cases where no viewing option is available, games are typically still accessible through each team’s radio partner.

How to watch the NHL preseason FAQ

Can you stream NHL preseason games?

Yes, you can stream NHL preseason games on any live TV streaming service that offers NHL Network, TNT, and your local team’s RSN affiliate. ESPN+ also carries select out-of-market games during the preseason.

Are NHL preseason games blacked out?

Yes, broadcasting blackouts occur for all locally televised NHL preseason games. In-market games will appear on RSNs, while ESPN+ and NHL Center Ice will show some out-of-market matchups.

Does NHL Center Ice include preseason games?

Yes, NHL Center Ice carries select out-of-market preseason games. Unlike the regular season, NHL Center Ice doesn’t offer complete out-of-market access during the preseason. Blackout restrictions may also prevent certain games from airing in your area.

Where can I watch NHL preseason games in Canada?

In Canada, some NHL preseason games air nationally on Sportsnet, Sportsnet ONE, and TSN. Sportsnet+ (formerly Sportsnet NOW) will show select out-of-market preseason games, while in-market games may appear on TSN’s regional networks and individual team websites.

Why you should trust us

Our experts conducted thorough research and hands-on testing to identify the best ways to watch this year’s NHL preseason. We compiled a comprehensive list of preseason matchups and channel listings. Utilizing that data, we compared popular TV providers to determine the most efficient way to watch the most games—considering in-market, out-of-market, and nationally televised broadcasts.

Check out our How We Rank page to learn more about our methods.

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