The National Hockey League (NHL) 2021-2022 season kicks off next month and ESPN, ESPN+, Hulu and ABC will be bringing fans all the action.
What’s Happening:
- The NHL is returning to ESPN this fall with 103 regular season games slated to air across ESPN, ESPN+, Hulu and ABC.
- Additionally, diehard hockey fans can also catch more than 1,000 out-of-market games as part of their ESPN+ subscription.
- Beginning October 12th, ESPN, ESPN+ and Hulu will be the destination for Tuesday night hockey throughout the regular season.
- ESPN+ and Hulu will also showcase an exclusive game every Friday night until January, then every Thursday night for the remainder of the regular season.
- ABC will regularly carry Saturday games beginning in February.
- The season kicks off on October 12th with the 2021 NHL FaceOff doubleheader as the Pittsburgh Penguins vs Tampa Bay Lightning at 7:30 pm ET, followed by the Seattle Kraken’s debut against the Vegas Golden Knights at 10 pm ET. Both games will air on ESPN and will be simulcast on ESPN+.
ESPN+ AND HULU
- Each Tuesday in 2021 (October 19-December 28) ESPN+ will host at least one exclusive matchup and the 2021 Stanley Cup Final rematch between the Montreal Canadiens and the Tampa Bay Lightning.
- ESPN+ continues its premier slate in 2022 with Tuesday and Thursday night matchups through the remainder of the 2021-22 regular season.
- The final game of the ESPN+ schedule will feature Tampa Bay Lightning taking on the New York Islanders on Thursday, April 28, in a rematch of the 2021 Stanley Cup Semifinals.
- Additionally, ESPN+ will stream more than 1,000 out-of-market games, all as part of an ESPN+ subscription.
ESPN+ and Hulu Exclusive Game Schedule
|
Date |
Time (ET) |
Network |
Teams |
|
Oct. 15 |
10 pm |
ESPN+/Hulu |
Minnesota vs. Anaheim |
|
Oct. 19 |
7 pm |
ESPN+/Hulu |
Colorado vs. Washington |
|
Oct. 22 |
7 pm |
ESPN+/Hulu |
Boston vs. Buffalo |
|
8:30 pm |
ESPN+/Hulu |
Los Angeles vs. Dallas |
|
|
Oct. 23 |
10 pm |
ESPN+/Hulu |
Vancouver vs. Seattle |
|
Oct. 26 |
8:30 pm |
ESPN+/Hulu |
San Jose vs. Nashville |
|
Oct. 29 |
7 pm |
ESPN+/Hulu |
Florida vs. Detroit |
|
Nov. 2 |
10 pm |
ESPN+/Hulu |
New Jersey vs. Anaheim |
|
10:30 pm |
ESPN+/Hulu |
Buffalo vs. San Jose |
|
|
Nov. 5 |
10 pm |
ESPN+/Hulu |
Arizona vs. Anaheim |
|
10:30 pm |
ESPN+/Hulu |
New Jersey vs. Los Angeles |
|
|
Nov. 9 |
7 pm |
ESPN+/Hulu |
Florida vs. New Jersey |
|
10 pm |
ESPN+/Hulu |
Seattle vs. Vegas |
|
|
Nov. 12 |
7 pm |
ESPN+/Hulu |
Edmonton vs. Buffalo |
|
8:30 pm |
ESPN+/Hulu |
Arizona vs. Chicago |
|
|
Nov. 16 |
7 pm |
ESPN+/Hulu |
NY Islanders vs. Florida |
|
8:30 pm |
ESPN+/Hulu |
Detroit vs. Dallas |
|
|
Nov. 19 |
10 pm |
ESPN+/Hulu |
Colorado vs. Seattle |
|
Nov. 23 |
8:30 pm |
ESPN+/Hulu |
Edmonton vs. Dallas |
|
Nov. 26 |
3:30 pm |
ESPN+/Hulu |
NY Rangers vs. Boston |
|
6 pm |
ESPN+/Hulu |
New Jersey vs. Nashville |
|
|
Nov. 30 |
7 pm |
ESPN+/Hulu |
San Jose vs. New Jersey |
|
8 pm |
ESPN+/Hulu |
Tampa Bay vs. St. Louis |
|
|
Dec. 3 |
9:30 pm |
ESPN+/Hulu |
Vegas vs. Arizona |
|
Dec. 7 |
7 pm |
ESPN+/Hulu |
Nashville vs. Detroit |
|
7:30 pm |
ESPN+/Hulu |
Anaheim vs. Buffalo |
|
|
Dec. 10 |
7 pm |
ESPN+/Hulu |
Pittsburgh vs. Washington |
|
7:30 pm |
ESPN+/Hulu |
Nashville vs. New Jersey |
|
|
Dec. 14 |
8 pm |
ESPN+/Hulu |
Carolina vs. Minnesota |
|
9 pm |
ESPN+/Hulu |
NY Rangers vs. Colorado |
|
|
Dec. 17 |
8 pm |
ESPN+/Hulu |
Dallas vs. St. Louis |
|
10 pm |
ESPN+/Hulu |
Arizona vs. Anaheim |
|
|
Dec. 21 |
7 pm |
ESPN+/Hulu |
Washington vs. Philadelphia |
|
10 pm |
ESPN+/Hulu |
Arizona vs. Seattle |
|
|
Dec. 28 |
7 pm |
ESPN+/Hulu |
Montreal vs. Tampa Bay |
|
10:30 pm |
ESPN+/Hulu |
Arizona vs. San Jose |
|
|
Jan. 4 |
8:30 pm |
ESPN+/Hulu |
Colorado vs. Chicago |
|
10 pm |
ESPN+/Hulu |
NY Islanders vs. Seattle |
|
|
Jan. 6 |
7 pm |
ESPN+/Hulu |
Pittsburgh vs. Philadelphia |
|
Jan. 11 |
10:30 pm |
ESPN+/Hulu |
Detroit vs. San Jose |
|
Jan. 13 |
7 pm |
ESPN+/Hulu |
Columbus vs. Carolina |
|
Jan. 17 |
4 pm |
ESPN+/Hulu |
Montreal vs. Arizona |
|
Jan. 18 |
7 pm |
ESPN+/Hulu |
Columbus vs. NY Islanders |
|
Jan. 20 |
7 pm |
ESPN+/Hulu |
Washington vs. Boston |
|
Jan. 25 |
7 pm |
ESPN+/Hulu |
Dallas vs. New Jersey |
|
10 pm |
ESPN+/Hulu |
Nashville vs. Seattle |
|
|
Jan. 27 |
7 pm |
ESPN+/Hulu |
Los Angeles vs. NY Islanders |
|
Feb. 1 |
7 pm |
ESPN+/Hulu |
Florida vs. NY Rangers |
|
10 pm |
ESPN+/Hulu |
Buffalo vs. Vegas |
|
|
Feb. 24 |
7 pm |
ESPN+/Hulu |
Columbus vs. Florida |
|
March 1 |
7 pm |
ESPN+/Hulu |
New Jersey vs. Columbus |
|
March 4 |
7 pm |
ESPN+/Hulu |
Minnesota vs. Buffalo |
|
March 7 |
7:30 pm |
ESPN+/Hulu |
Toronto vs. Columbus |
|
March 8 |
7:30 pm |
ESPN+/Hulu |
Arizona vs. Detroit |
|
March 10 |
7 pm |
ESPN+/Hulu |
Minnesota vs. Detroit |
|
8 pm |
ESPN+/Hulu |
Anaheim vs. Nashville |
|
|
March 15 |
10:30 pm |
ESPN+/Hulu |
Florida vs. San Jose |
|
March 17 |
10 pm |
ESPN+/Hulu |
San Jose vs. Los Angeles |
|
10:30 pm |
ESPN+/Hulu |
Florida vs. Vegas |
|
|
March 22 |
10:30 pm |
ESPN+/Hulu |
Nashville vs. Los Angeles |
|
March 24 |
8 pm |
ESPN+/Hulu |
Philadelphia vs. St. Louis |
|
10 pm |
ESPN+/Hulu |
Chicago vs. Los Angeles |
|
|
March 25 |
10 pm |
ESPN+/Hulu |
Seattle vs. Anaheim |
|
March 29 |
7 pm |
ESPN+/Hulu |
Carolina vs. Tampa Bay |
|
March 31 |
7 pm |
ESPN+/Hulu |
Columbus vs. NY Islanders |
|
April 5 |
7 pm |
ESPN+/Hulu |
Carolina vs. Buffalo |
|
8 pm |
ESPN+/Hulu |
Minnesota vs. Nashville |
|
|
April 7 |
7 pm |
ESPN+/Hulu |
Pittsburgh vs. NY Rangers |
|
7:30 pm |
ESPN+/Hulu |
Buffalo vs. Carolina |
|
|
April 14 |
7 pm |
ESPN+/Hulu |
Detroit vs. Carolina |
|
April 19 |
8 pm |
ESPN+/Hulu |
Boston vs. St. Louis |
|
April 21 |
7 pm |
ESPN+/Hulu |
Detroit vs. Florida |
|
April 25, |
8 pm |
ESPN+/Hulu |
Philadelphia vs. Chicago |
|
April 26 |
7 pm |
ESPN+/Hulu |
Edmonton vs. Pittsburgh |
|
April 28 |
7 pm |
ESPN+/Hulu |
Tampa Bay vs. NY Islanders |
ESPN
- ESPN will carry 18 exclusive regular-season games beginning with the NHL FaceOff on Opening Night. ESPN will air an exclusive game each Tuesday throughout October.
- In February, ESPN will also carry the 2022 NHL All-Star Skills Competition on Friday, February 4th in primetime from Las Vegas.
- Following the Winter Olympic Break, as the regular season pushes towards the playoffs, ESPN ramps up its coverage with three doubleheaders in the month of April.
ESPN Exclusive Game Schedule
|
Date |
Time (ET) |
Network |
Teams |
|
Oct. 12 |
7:30 pm |
ESPN/ESPN+ |
Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Tampa Bay Lightning |
|
10 pm |
ESPN/ESPN+ |
Seattle Kraken vs. Vegas Golden Knights |
|
|
Oct. 19 |
8 pm |
ESPN |
New York Islanders vs. Chicago Blackhawks |
|
Oct. 26 |
8 pm |
ESPN |
Vegas Golden Knights vs. Colorado Avalanche |
|
Jan. 6 |
7 pm |
ESPN |
Minnesota Wild vs. Boston Bruins |
|
Jan. 13 |
7 pm |
ESPN |
Philadelphia Flyers vs. Boston Bruins |
|
Jan. 20 |
9:30 pm |
ESPN |
Colorado Avalanche vs. Los Angeles Kings |
|
Feb. 24 |
7 pm |
ESPN |
Washington Capitals vs. New York Rangers |
|
March 3 |
9 pm |
ESPN |
Boston Bruins vs. Vegas Golden Knights |
|
March 24 |
7 pm |
ESPN |
Dallas Stars vs. Carolina Hurricanes |
|
April 12 |
7 pm |
ESPN |
Philadelphia Flyers vs. Washington Capitals |
|
9:30 pm |
ESPN |
Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Dallas Stars |
|
|
April 14 |
8 pm |
ESPN |
Minnesota Wild vs. Dallas Stars |
|
April 19 |
10 pm |
ESPN |
Los Angeles Kings vs. Anaheim Ducks |
|
April 21 |
8 pm |
ESPN |
Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Tampa Bay Lightning |
|
10:30 pm |
ESPN |
St. Louis Blues vs. San Jose Sharks |
|
|
April 26 |
7 pm |
ESPN |
New York Islanders vs. Washington Capitals |
|
9:30 pm |
ESPN |
St. Louis Blues vs. Colorado Avalanche |
ABC
- ABC will carry 10 regular season games, including the 2021 Thanksgiving Showdown between the St. Louis Blues and the Chicago Blackhawks on Friday, November 26th.
- Additional highlights include the 2022 All-Star Game on Saturday, February 5 from Las Vegas.
- Beginning February 26th, ABC will host a weekly Saturday NHL game throughout the remainder of the regular season. All ABC games will be simulcast on ESPN+.
Exclusive ABC Schedule
|
Date |
Time (ET) |
Network |
Teams |
|
Nov. 26 |
1 pm |
ABC/ESPN+ |
St. Louis Blues vs. Chicago Blackhawks |
|
Feb. 5 |
3 pm |
ABC/ESPN+ |
2022 NHL All-Star Game |
|
Feb 26 |
3 pm |
ABC/ESPN+ |
New York Rangers vs. Pittsburgh Penguins |
|
March 5 |
3 pm |
ABC/ESPN+ |
Chicago Blackhawks vs. Philadelphia Flyers |
|
March 12 |
3 pm |
ABC/ESPN+ |
Philadelphia Flyers vs. Carolina Hurricanes |
|
March 19 |
8 pm |
ABC/ESPN+ |
New York Rangers vs. Tampa Bay Lightning |
|
March 26 |
3 pm |
ABC/ESPN+ |
Chicago Blackhawks vs. Vegas Golden Knights |
|
April 2 |
3 pm |
ABC/ESPN+ |
Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Colorado Avalanche |
|
April 9 |
3 pm |
ABC/ESPN+ |
Washington Capitals vs. Pittsburgh Penguins |
|
April 16 |
3 pm |
ABC/ESPN+ |
Minnesota Wild vs. St. Louis Blues |
|
April 23 |
3 pm |
ABC/ESPN+ |
New York Rangers vs. Boston Bruins |
Stanley Cup Playoffs
- The NHL’s Stanley Cup Final and Stanley Cup Playoffs action will return to the ABC and ESPN networks beginning with the 2021-22 season.
- ESPN and ABC will have live, exclusive coverage of one Conference Final series and half of all First Round and Second Round games from the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
- In March, The Walt Disney Company, ESPN and the National Hockey League announced a seven-year television, streaming and media rights deal, beginning with the 2021-2022 season and continuing through the 2027-28 season.