The NHL on ESPN and what it means for NHL.tv, explained

Here's how to watch NHL games with the new ESPN deal.

Welcome to FTW Explains, a guide to catching up on and better understanding stuff going on in the world. Are you unsure about where you’ll be able to watch the NHL for the upcoming season thanks to the new broadcast deal? We’re here to help.

For the first time in 16 years, the NHL will no longer have a home on NBC or its subsidiaries. When the 2021-22 NHL season begins in mid-October, the national broadcast of hockey games will now be handled by ESPN and Turner Sports.

It’s a big change for hockey fans after having NBC broadcasts since 2005. For a whole subsection of viewers, they’ve never known anything but NBC’s coverage! With such a substantial shift in broadcasting rights, the way you as a fan will view national NHL games will also have to change.

From how to watch ESPN’s schedule of hockey games to what happens with NHL.tv and other ways to view out of market games, here’s everything you need to know about how to watch the NHL for the 2021-22 season and beyond.