How to watch NHL games on ESPN, ABC, ESPN+ and Hulu this season

The NHL season returns on Oct. 12 with a doubleheader that will air on ESPN. The first game will feature the Pittsburgh Penguins at the Tampa Bay Lightning at 7:30 p.m. ET, and the nightcap will showcase the Seattle Kraken, the NHL's newest franchise, against the Vegas Golden Knights. Both games will also have simulcasts available on ESPN+.

This will mark the first time ESPN has aired NHL games since 2004. ESPN+ will broadcast 75 exclusive regular-season games, with ABC and ESPN airing a combined 28 exclusive regular-season games for a total of 103 games.

Watch the video in the player above to see NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman discuss the upcoming season on "Good Morning America."

The complete broadcast schedule can be found here.

Subscribe to ESPN+ | Stream the NHL on ESPN

How to watch

Upcoming games exclusively on ESPN networks

• 10/12: Pittsburgh Penguins at Tampa Bay Lightning, 7:30 ET (ESPN)
• 10/12: Seattle Kraken at Vegas Knights, 10 ET (ESPN)
• 10/15: Minnesota Wild at Anaheim Ducks, 10 ET (ESPN+/Hulu)
• 10/19: Colorado Avalanche at Washington Capitals, 7 ET (ESPN+/Hulu)
• 10/19: New York Islanders at Chicago Blackhawks, 8 ET (ESPN)

On ESPN+ and Hulu

• ESPN+ will air one exclusive matchup every Tuesday from Oct. 19 to Dec. 28.
• ESPN will have an exclusive Friday night matchup with Hulu until January.
• In 2022, exclusive matchups on ESPN+ will be on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
• More than 1,000 out-of-market games will be available on ESPN+.

Subscribe to ESPN+.

On ESPN

• ESPN will air 18 exclusive games throughout the regular season.
• The 2022 NHL All-Star Skills Competition will be aired on ESPN in February.

On ABC

• ABC will air 10 regular-season games.
• One of those 10 games will be the2021 Thanksgiving Showdown between the St. Louis Blues and the Chicago Blackhawks on Friday, Nov. 26.
• The 2022 NHL All-Star game will air on ABC.
• Beginning Feb. 22, ABC will air a weekly game on Saturday night.
• All ABC games can be watched on ESPN+.

Stanley Cup playoffs

• The Stanley Cup playoffs and Stanley Cup Final will return to ESPN and ABC starting with the 2021-2022 season.
• As part of the seven-year TV deal between ESPN and the NHL,ESPN and ABC will have exclusive coverage of one conference finals and half of all first- and second-round games.

Featured games and networks

• Minnesota Wild vs. Anaheim Ducks: Oct. 15 on ESPN+ and Hulu
• Chicago Blackhawks vs. New York Islanders: Oct. 19 on ESPN
• Colorado Avalanche vs. Washington Capitals: Oct. 19 on ESPN+and Hulu
• Vegas Golden Knights vs. Colorado Avalanche: Oct. 26 on ESPN
• Tampa Bay Lightning vs St. Louis Blues: Nov. 30 on ESPN+and Hulu
• New York Rangers vs. Colorado Avalanche: Dec. 14 on ESPN+and Hulu
• Washington Capitals vs. Philadelphia Flyers: Dec. 21 on ESPN+and Hulu
• Colorado Avalanche vs. Chicago Blackhawks: Jan. 4 on ESPN+and Hulu
• Minnesota Wild vs. Boston Bruins: Jan. 6 on ESPN
• Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Philadelphia Flyers: Jan. 6 on ESPN+and Hulu
• Colorado Avalanche vs. Los Angeles Kings: Jan 20 on ESPN
• Washington Capitals vs. Boston Bruins: Jan. 20 on ESPN+and Hulu
• New York Rangers vs. Pittsburgh Penguins: Feb. 26 on ABC
• Minnesota Wild vs.Detroit Red Wings: March 8 on ESPN+
• St. Louis Blues vs. Philadelphia Flyers: March 24 on ESPN+and Hulu
• Washington Capitals vs. Pittsburgh Penguins: April 9 on ABC
• Philadelphia Flyers vs. Washington Capitals: April 12 on ESPN
• Boston Bruins vs. St. Louis Blues: April 19 on ESPN+and Hulu
• Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Tampa Bay Lightning: April 21 on ESPN
• New York Rangers vs. Boston Bruins: April 23 on ABC
• Philadelphia Flyers vs. Chicago Blackhawks: April 25 on ESPN+and Hulu
• New York Islanders vs. Washington Capitals: April 26 on ESPN

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