It's time to drop the puck, as NHL Opening Night 2023 is here and a trio of games are available to watch, with both streaming and traditional TV viewing options. The road to the Stanley Cup begins, and we've got all the details that you need to know to celebrate the return of hockey.
► Date: Tuesday, October 10
US: ESPN, ESPN Plus
Canada: Sportsnet, TVA Sports, Sportsnet Plus
UK: Viaplay
Throughout the 2023-2024 season, fans are going to be able to watch the NHL on ESPN, ESPN Plus, Hulu and ABC, while there are also going to weekly national games for the NHL on TNT. Also, for the first time, US hockey fans are going to have the ability to live stream select games on the Max streaming platform.
That's the big picture though, if you're here just looking for info on how to watch the trio of NHL Opening Night games on Tuesday, October 10, we've got you covered.
It's quite a trio of games to enjoy. Things kick off with a battle between the Nashville Predators and the Tampa Bay Lightning at 5:30 pm ET/2:30 pm PT. Then we get into the NHL debut of rookie Connor Bedard against former rookie phenom Sidney Crosby as the Chicago Blackhawks take on the Pittsburgh Penguins at 8 pm ET/5 pm PT. The night concludes with the defending Stanley Cup Champions Vegas Golden Knights raising the banner at home against the Seattle Kraken at 10:30 pm ET/7:30 pm PT.
Here is everything you need to know about how to watch these NHL Opening Night games.
How to watch NHL Opening Night 2023 in US
All three of the NHL Opening Night 2023 games are airing on ESPN on traditional TV, but are also going to live stream on ESPN Plus.
ESPN is a cable channel that is available through just about every traditional pay-TV cable provider. If you’ve opted to go with a live TV streaming service, the sports network is still readily available on the major platforms, including Fubo, Hulu with Live TV, Sling TV (Orange or Orange & Blue combo) and YouTube TV. Sling TV is currently the cheapest option, as a deal offers Sling TV packages for half off their first month.
If you don't want to pay for a full package of live TV channels and only want to be able to stream these NHL Opening Night games and other games throughout the season, then ESPN Plus may be your best option. The live streaming platform not only offers live broadcasts of most ESPN nationally televised NHL games, but it also offers live streams of regional broadcasts for most NHL teams and the occasional exclusive game. You can sign up for ESPN Plus as a standalone service, bundle it with other streaming services Disney Plus and Hulu as part of the Disney Bundle, or if you want both ESPN Plus' exclusive streaming content and live TV, it is included as a feature with Hulu with Live TV.
How to watch NHL Opening Night 2023 in Canada
Canadian audiences wanting to watch the NHL Opening Night games are going to be able to do so if they have access to either Sportsnet or TVA Sports (if they want to hear the French-language broadcast). Sportsnet and TVA Sports are both cable channels that require subscriptions.
There is also a streaming option for Canadian viewers, with Sportsnet Plus carrying all three of the Opening Night games. A subscription to Sportsnet Plus starts at CA$19.99 per month.
How to watch NHL Opening Night 2023 in UK
You can watch all of the NHL Opening Night 2023 games in the UK on Viaplay, which you can sign up for £14.99 per month or £9.99 per month if you commit to a full year.
The game times are going to be a bit different for those in the UK, here is the schedule:
- Nashville Predators vs Tampa Bay Lighting, 10:30 pm UK
- Chicago Blackhawks vs Pittsburgh Penguins, 1 am UK (October 11)
- Seattle Kraken vs Vegas Golden Knights, 3:30 am UK (October 11)
