ESPN and The Walt Disney Company have laid out a massive slate of National Hockey League coverage for the 2025-26 season, announcing that fans will have access to 100 exclusive games across ABC, ESPN, ESPN+ and Hulu. All games will also stream on the ESPN App via direct-to-consumer subscriptions or Pay TV authentication.
The upcoming schedule reflects ESPN’s growing emphasis on hockey since regaining league rights in 2021. In addition to regular season coverage, the network will present the league’s marquee events, including Opening Night, the NHL Frozen Frenzy, the NHL Stadium Series and, beginning in mid-April, the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs. The season will wrap with the Stanley Cup Final in June, exclusively on Disney platforms of ABC and ESPN.
Before the first puck drops, ESPN’s NHL studio show The Point returns October 7 at 4 p.m. ET on ESPN and ESPN+. Hosted weekly throughout the fall on ESPN2 and ESPN+, the program will serve as a lead-in to opening night.
The season begins that same evening with a tripleheader dubbed “Face-Off” on ESPN. At 5 p.m. ET, Connor Bedard and the Chicago Blackhawks face the two-time defending champion Florida Panthers, who will raise their latest Stanley Cup banner at Amerant Bank Arena. At 8 p.m., Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins meet the New York Rangers in Madison Square Garden, a storyline-heavy matchup that pits Crosby against his former coach Mike Sullivan. Closing the night, the Colorado Avalanche square off against the Los Angeles Kings at 10:30 p.m. in a Western Conference battle.
A few weeks later, the league and ESPN will spotlight every team during the second edition of Frozen Frenzy on October 28. ESPN will feature a tripleheader anchored by Penguins-Flyers, Capitals-Stars and Kings-Sharks. At the same time, 13 additional games will roll out on NHL Power Play with 15-minute staggered starts, ensuring wall-to-wall coverage. ESPN2 and ESPN+ will again carry a whip-around show providing live look-ins across all 32 teams in action.
Looking ahead to February, the 2026 NHL Stadium Series heads outdoors to Raymond James Stadium in Tampa. The primetime event will showcase the Tampa Bay Lightning against the Boston Bruins, continuing the NHL’s push to stage signature matchups in unique venues.
Beyond the national broadcasts, ESPN+ and Hulu will stream 47 exclusive games. More than 1,050 out-of-market contests will also be available through NHL Power Play on the ESPN App, which allows subscribers to choose between home or away broadcasts and even access Canadian feeds like Hockey Night in Canada.
With the Stanley Cup Final once again locked in for ABC and ESPN in June 2026, Disney’s platforms remain the league’s central media home.
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