Hockey is probably the last sport you would think of during the dog days in the summer, but in this most unusual year, the NHL returns to the ice on August 1st. Instead of resuming their regular season, which was interrupted in March, the NHL jumps straight into the Stanley Cup playoffs with 24 of its 31 teams.
Similar to NBA bubble in Orlando, Floridathe NHL will play in two hub cities again. The 12 Eastern Conference teams will play in Toronto and the 12 Western Conference teams will be in Edmonton, Alberta. The Stanley Cup Finale also takes place in Edmonton.
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Here's what cable cutters need to know to watch the Stanley Cup playoff action this summer.
Which teams are in the playoffs?
The four best teams from each conference - the Boston Bruins, the Philadelphia Flyers, the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Washington Capitals in the east, and the Colorado Avalanche, the Dallas Stars, the St. Louis Blues and the Vegas Golden Knights in the west - play a round -robin games to establish sowing for the next round of playoffs as the other 16 teams join forces and play the best-of-five qualification series. The last seven teams in the frozen classification have been excluded from the playoffs and can start working on their golf games.
Check out the matchups in the east and west for the qualification series. The eight qualifying winners will then compete against the eight best teams in the best-of-seven series in the next round of playoffs.
How can I watch the Stanley Cup playoffs on TV?
In the United States, games are shown nationwide on NBC, NBCSN and the USA Network. The NHL network will also broadcast seven games from the round robin and qualifying rounds. In addition, NHL.tv broadcasts 21 qualifiers live and costs $ 4.99 for an all-access pass and $ 3.99 for a single team pass.
If you're a fan of your local team, you can see most games on your team's Regional Sports Network (RSN) - in most cases a regional Fox Sports or NBC Sports channel (Fox Sports Midwest for St. Louis) for example Blues games or NBC Sports Washington for Washington Capitals games).
Depending on where you live, one of the most important live TV streaming services can broadcast the local RSN, which broadcasts the games of your local team. However, not every service broadcasts every RSN or local area network like NBC, and some teams are not available in any live TV streaming service. Therefore, check each team using the links below to ensure that it includes the network you want in your region. I have also included information for NBC, NBCSN, the NHL Network and the USA Network for national hockey broadcasts.
Sling TV's $ 30 / month Sling Blue package includes local NBC Sports RSNs, but does not include Fox Sports RSNs. Sling Blue also includes NBCSN and USA Network. NBC is also part of Sling Blue, but can only be followed live in a few markets. The $ 10 monthly Sports Extra add-on includes NHL Network. Read our Sling TV test.
FuboTV costs $ 55 a month (up to $ 60 on August 1) and includes RSNs from Fox and NBC Sports, as well as NBC, NBCSN and USA Network. With the Sports Plus add-on, you get NHL Network for an additional $ 11 a month. Click here to see which local channels you get. Read our FuboTV test.
Hulu with live TV costs $ 55 a month and includes Fox and NBC Sports RSNs. It also offers NBC, NBCSN and USA Network, but not NHL Network. On the welcome page, click the "Show nearby channels" link to see which local channels are offered in your zip code. Read our Hulu with live TV test.
YouTube TV costs $ 65 per month and includes RSNs from Fox and NBC Sports, as well as NBC, NBCSN and USA Network, but not the NHL Network. Enter your zip code on the welcome page to see which local networks are available near you. Read our YouTube TV test.
AT&T Now TV Now's $ 65 per month plus package includes NBC, NBCSN and USA Network. However, you'll need to opt for the Max package for $ 80 a month to get your local Fox or NBC Sport RSN as well. None of the plans include NHL Network. You can use the channel search tool to see which local channels are available where you live. Read our AT&T TV Now report.
