Viewing guide
Watching NHL hockey: puck drop times, national games and team broadcasts
By the MethStreams editors · Published
Hockey is one of the easier sports to follow online once you know the basics: games start close to the listed time, they last about two and a half hours, and most nights have several games spread across the evening. Here is what to know before you open our NHL page.
When the puck drops
Most games start in the evening in the home team's city. That spreads a typical night out from the eastern evening into late at night for the West Coast games. Weekends add afternoon games. Every start on MethStreams is shown in the time zone set on your device, which matters for hockey because so many fans follow teams from other parts of North America, or from Europe.
National games and team games
In the week we checked, national US games were on ESPN+, TNT, truTV and NHL Network, with some also on Hulu and Disney+. Most other games were shown by each team's own regional channel or local station, and only inside that team's area.
For a game between a Canadian team and an American team, there can be three broadcasts running at the same time: a national feed from Canada, the American team's own feed and a regional one. Our game pages carry as many as three links, so you will often see more than one feed of that game.
The season
The schedule grew in 2026-27: 84 games per team instead of 82, running October to April. After that, sixteen clubs fight through four rounds, each a best-of-seven, and the Cup is lifted in June. Outdoor games and the European Global Series are on the page like any other night, converted to the time zone set on your device.
Overtime and long games
A regular-season game that is tied after three periods goes to a short overtime with three skaters on each side, and then a shootout if needed. There is no shootout in the playoffs: teams keep playing full overtime periods until a goal, which can stretch a game well past midnight. If you see a playoff game still marked LIVE long after you expected it to end, that is why.
Getting the best stream
- Open the game page shortly before puck drop. Links usually appear about an hour before the start.
- If your stream lags far behind live scores, try the second link. Different feeds can be minutes apart.
- On a slow connection, shut any other tab with video.
If a player will not load
Reload the player page first, then try the next link. Some players refuse certain VPN servers, so switch the VPN location or turn it off for that tab. Our troubleshooting guide has the rest.
Quick answers
Where are national NHL games shown in the US?
In the week we checked, national games were on ESPN+, TNT, truTV, NHL Network, Hulu and Disney+. Other games were on each team's own channel.
Why does a Canadian team's game have several links?
A game can have a Canadian broadcast, a regional broadcast and the other team's American broadcast, all at once. Each can be a separate link.
How long does an NHL game last?
Usually about two and a half hours including breaks. Playoff overtime has no shootout, so playoff games can run much longer.
