- How to watch blackout NHL games using a VPN?
- Why are NHL games blacked out?
- Best VPN for NHL blackouts
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How to watch NHL games with VPN and streaming services
- ESPN+ (with NHL Power Play) – main streaming home of the NHL in the US
- TNT and TBS – national TV coverage
- Sportsnet and Sportsnet+ (Canada) – all national and regional NHL games
- Hulu + Live TV – includes ESPN, TNT, and ABC for full NHL coverage
- Fubo and Sling TV – alternatives for ESPN and regional coverage
- DAZN – international streaming home of NHL.TV
- ABC – select Saturday night and playoff games
- NHL blackout map 2026
- How to check if a game is blacked out in your area
- Do blackout rules apply in Canada?
- Conclusion on the blackout NHL games bypass
- FAQ
The NHL blackouts occur when a local or national broadcaster holds exclusive rights to air a team’s games in specific locations. This means that even if you have a full subscription to one of the NHL streaming services, such as ESPN+ or DAZN, you will still not be able to watch all NHL games in the 2026 season without blackout restrictions. Because of this, many hockey fans are searching for ways how to watch blackout NHL games.
After researching and testing, I found that using a VPN is the best way to watch all NHL games. That’s because with a VPN, you can easily change your virtual location with just a click and watch NHL blackout games without restrictions, as if you were in an area where they are available. In this guide, I’ll share detailed information on how to use a VPN to bypass NHL blackouts, which services are the best for this purpose, and which streaming platforms offer the most comprehensive coverage of the 2026 NHL season.
How to watch blackout NHL games using a VPN?
- Choose a reliable VPN. Pick a fast VPN with servers outside blackout zones, like NordVPN, Surfshark, or Proton VPN.
- Download the VPN on your device, install it, launch it, and sign in.
- Connect to a server outside your region. For example, if the game is blacked out in Illinois, connect to a server in another US state or in Canada.
- Open your NHL streaming service. Go to ESPN+ or Sportsnet and refresh the page. The blackout restriction should now be gone.
- Enjoy the stream. You can now watch your NHL game live without local blackout restrictions.
Why are NHL games blacked out?
NHL blackouts are viewing restrictions that block certain games in your location because a local or national broadcaster holds exclusive rights to air them in that area.
In the US, almost all sports broadcasting is divided into TV markets, which really are geographic regions tied to specific teams. Thus, regional sports networks, such as Bally Sports, can buy exclusive rights to air local games within their markets. On the other hand, national broadcasters, such as ESPN, TNT, or ABC, can then share coverage of select matchups nationwide. Because of these agreements, streaming platforms like ESPN+ with NHL Power Play can only show out-of-market games, while in-market games will be affected by blackouts. So, if you live in the same market as your team, all of their games will be blacked out on ESPN+ or NHL.tv on DAZN, because the rights to air the game belong to the local channel.
In Canada, the same NHL blackout rules apply to Sportsnet and its regional feeds, while online NHL streaming platforms will also have blackout restrictions on local games. Your IP address determines your location, so even if you pay for a streaming package, the service will block in-market games to protect regional contracts. That’s the main reason why hockey fans experience blackouts, even if they have the right subscription. Because of this, many NHL fans turn to a VPN to bypass restrictions. The technology allows anyone to change their IP address to a region where blackout games are available, making it the most convenient way to bypass NHL blackout restrictions and stream every game uninterrupted.
Why do I need a VPN to bypass NHL blackouts?
A VPN can help you bypass NHL blackout restrictions by changing your virtual location. When you connect to a VPN server outside your team’s market or in another country, the streaming service detects the VPN server’s IP address instead of your real one, which is now safely masked, allowing you to unblock blacked-out games.
This single step of connecting to a VPN server allows you to stream otherwise blacked-out games on ESPN+, NHL Power Play, Sportsnet+, or any other NHL streaming platform, as if you were actually located in a region where the games are available. So, instead of switching around NHL streaming platforms or missing your team’s games, you can watch every NHL 2026 season game without any restrictions by just using a VPN service.
Besides being indispensable at bypassing NHL blackouts, a VPN also protects your privacy and secures your network connection against snooping or data exploitation. Using a VPN is especially handy when traveling abroad, as it can guarantee uninterrupted access to your usual NHL streaming services. With the technology, hockey fans have both the freedom to watch every NHL game without blackouts and enhanced online security, no matter where they are watching from.
Best VPN for NHL blackouts
To find the best VPNs to stream NHL blackout games in the 2026 season, I tested 18 services. I looked for VPNs with plenty of servers in the US for an easy virtual location change regarding local blackouts, fast connection speeds for smooth streaming, and strong security features for privacy and to ensure bypass of geo-restrictions on NHL streaming services.
- NordVPN: The overall best VPN to bypass NHL blackouts. NordVPN offers 1,970+ servers in 16 US locations, making it easy to avoid local blackout restrictions. Additionally, the service has the fastest connection speeds and the most comprehensive security features, ensuring guaranteed online privacy.
- Surfshark: An affordable and speedy VPN to watch blackout NHL games. Surfshark offers fast and secure servers in US locations, is capable of efficiently bypassing NHL blackouts, and offers unlimited device connections for convenient use.
- Proton VPN: Privacy-oriented NHL VPN, capable of bypassing blackout restrictions from anywhere. This premium VPN ensures your privacy with the latest technology, while also providing a smooth streaming experience, thanks to its fast servers.
Although all of my top 3 NHL VPNs are excellent at bypassing NHL blackout restrictions, NordVPN proved to be the best overall. You can try the service without commitment during the 3-day free trial or subscribe to NordVPN immediately, risk-free, with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
How to watch NHL games with VPN and streaming services
For the 2026 NHL season, fans in the US and Canada can choose at least seven different streaming platforms that offer comprehensive coverage of the season’s games and playoffs. However, regardless of which one you prefer, you will also need to use a VPN if you want to bypass blackouts and geo-restrictions imposed on some streaming services. Below, you will find a detailed breakdown of the streaming platforms that offer NHL content this season and how to access them with a VPN:
ESPN+ (with NHL Power Play) – main streaming home of the NHL in the US
With hundreds of out-of-market NHL games every season, ESPN+ with NHL Power Play is the main home of NHL streaming for US hockey fans. You can subscribe to the service for as low as $10.99/month, but remember that ESPN+ still falls under the NHL blackout rules. This means that even with the subscription, you won’t be able to stream your local team’s games. To avoid these restrictions on NHL, you can use a VPN to connect to another US city or Canada to bypass the blackouts and stream your local team’s games without interruptions.
TNT and TBS – national TV coverage
Turner Sports airs select NHL regular-season and playoff games via TNT and TBS. To access Turner Sports, you will need to subscribe to a live US TV provider, like Sling TV for $40/month, Hulu + Live TV for $76.99/month, or YouTube TV for $82.99/month.
If you choose TNT and TBS as your go-to NHL providers, I recommend using a reliable streaming VPN, like NordVPN, to bypass regional blackouts and access Turner’s feeds across all states.
Sportsnet and Sportsnet+ (Canada) – all national and regional NHL games
If you’re located in Canada, then Sportsnet is your main NHL broadcaster. Here, you can watch all Hockey Night in Canada, national, and local games. A subscription to Sportsnet+ costs around $19.99/month. If you’re abroad and would like to access Sportsnet+, use your VPN to connect to a server in Canada, and you will be able to access the streaming platform without any geo-restrictions.
Hulu + Live TV – includes ESPN, TNT, and ABC for full NHL coverage
Hulu + Live TV carries the same national networks, such as ESPN, TBT, and ABC, that air NHL games. Hulu + Live TV subscriptions start at around $76.99/month and offer hockey fans access to regular-season games and the Stanley Cup playoffs. If you’re currently outside the US or if your local market blacks out certain matchups, use a VPN to change your virtual location and bypass the restrictions.
Fubo and Sling TV – alternatives for ESPN and regional coverage
Fubo and Sling TV are good NHL streaming alternatives that offer NHL broadcasts via ESPN, TNT, and local affiliates. Sling TV is a bit more budget-friendly option with subscriptions at around $40/month; however, it offers fewer options for regional sports. On the other hand, Fubo TV offers more sports coverage, but is a bit more expensive at around $79.99/month. To stream blackout NHL games on Sling TV or Fubo, use a VPN to change your virtual location and unlock restricted games.
DAZN – international streaming home of NHL.TV
Outside the US and Canada, NHL.tv is now available exclusively through DAZN. The platform offers every game live and on demand without any blackout restrictions in most countries. DAZN subscription prices vary by region; for example, it costs £19.99/month in the UK. If you’re located in an area without access to NHL.tv on DAZN, use a VPN to connect to a supported country, such as the UK or Germany, and bypass all geo-restrictions.
ABC – select Saturday night and playoff games
ABC broadcasts all of the main NHL games and includes Stanley Cup playoff matches in its roster. You can access ABC in the US via Hulu + Live TV, YouTube TV, or the ABC app. For blackout games, use a VPN to switch locations and watch the NHL 2026 season games live.
NHL blackout map 2026
Here’s how blackout restrictions are mapped across the U.S. and Canada in 2026: each NHL team has a “home territory” or region where its games are considered local. In those regions, streaming services blackout games if a regional broadcaster holds exclusive rights. Meanwhile, outside these defined “home territories,” the same games are available without any restrictions.
You can find the official NHL blackout map on the NHL website. On the site, you can enter your ZIP code and check which teams fall into the blackout restriction zone for you. For instance, in 2026, a Blackhawks home game will be blacked out in almost all of Illinois, Indiana, and parts of Wisconsin, while Lightning games will be unavailable in the Tampa Bay area and the rest of the state. Additionally, on the same site, you can find a table listing all teams and the local broadcasters that hold exclusive rights to broadcast their games in your area.
Note that the list of local and regional broadcasters holding exclusive rights to air specific teams’ games is periodically updated on the official NHL site, as broadcasting rights may change over the seasons. My tip is to check the NHL blackout map just before game day, as streaming services sometimes update blackout boundaries days before the game is scheduled to air. Additionally, remember that playoff games often do not fall under the blackout restrictions, but double-check just in case.
Now that you know how the blackouts work and where they apply, let’s look at how a VPN can help you bypass them.
How to check if a game is blacked out in your area
Hockey fans in the US and Canada can check game availability in their area via the NHL website or the Sportsnet+ platform, respectively. Here’s how it works:
- On the official NHL website, head to the Local Broadcaster Guide. There, you will see the option to enter your ZIP code. If you enter it, you will get a full list of teams in your broadcast area, which means that the same teams will fall under the blackout restriction rules on ESPN+ or any other online streaming platform. Additionally, on the same NHL site, you will find a detailed table with every team and the broadcaster that owns exclusive rights to air their games in the home market.
- On the Sportsnet+ platform, head to the NHL Game Finder site. The principle is similar to the NHL Broadcaster Guide, and you will also have to enter your ZIP code and area to figure out which games are available to you on the streaming platform and which ones will be blacked out in your area.
If, after checking NHL game availability on either of the sites, you see that your ZIP code falls under the blackout restrictions for the team you want to support, connect your VPN to a different region. This way, you can avoid NHL blackouts and stream all games without any restrictions.
Do blackout rules apply in Canada?
Yes, blackout rules also apply in Canada, but they are different than those in the US. In Canada, Sportsnet and TSN hold all regional broadcasting rights, meaning that certain games, such as Maple Leafs or Flames matchups, may be blacked out on Sportsnet+ in local markets. Such rules are intended to ensure that local fans watch NHL games through their regional TV provider, rather than relying on streaming services.
However, many hockey fans use VPN services to connect to a server in another Canadian city or even outside of Canada to bypass these NHL restrictions. This simple move allows anyone to mask their real location and access every NHL game in the 2026 season on Sportsnet+ or any other NHL streaming platform without blackouts.
Conclusion on the blackout NHL games bypass
With the NHL 2026 season in full swing, many hockey fans are looking for ways how to watch NHL blackout games. The reason for this is that no matter which online NHL streaming platform you subscribe to in the US and Canada, you will run into blackout restrictions for your home team’s game. Of course, this situation is not ideal if you want to watch all hockey games on one platform, but I found a straightforward solution to bypass the blackouts – using a VPN.
With a VPN, hockey fans can easily change their virtual location to one outside the NHL blackout zones and stream all 2026 season games without any restrictions. After testing various VPNs, I found that NordVPN works the best for bypassing NHL blackouts, regardless of your location. That’s because NordVPN offers thousands of servers in the US and Canada, providing the fastest connection speeds for smooth streaming, as well as the latest security features to protect your online privacy while you stream NHL matchups.
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FAQ
The regional blackouts in NHL broadcasts are there because local networks purchase exclusive rights to air specific teams’ games. This means that you won’t be able to stream your local team’s matchups on any online streaming platforms, like ESPN+ or Hulu + Live TV. Fortunately, you can bypass the NHL blackouts by using a VPN, like NordVPN , by connecting to a server outside the restricted area and accessing the otherwise-blackout games.
To check if a specific NHL game is blacked out in your ZIP code, you can head to the official NHL website and enter your ZIP code into the Local Broadcaster Guide checker. If you find your ZIP code is blocked for a specific team’s game, you can use a VPN, like NordVPN, to switch your virtual location and access the game on your preferred streaming platform without restrictions.
Yes, there are some blackout policy changes for the 2026 season, with the main one being that from now on, all NHL.tv content is only available through DAZN. However, the rest stays the same, and blackouts are still applicable to home team games both in the US and Canada. If you’d like to bypass these restrictions, you can use a VPN, like NordVPN, to connect to a server outside the blackout zone and access all NHL games this way.
The Bruins game is most likely blacked out on ESPN+ tonight because you are located in the team’s home market, which covers Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Maine, Vermont, Rhode Island, and most of Connecticut. In these areas, the Bruins game can only be watched on NESN. Alternatively, you can use a VPN, like NordVPN, to connect to a server outside the Bruins’ home market and stream the game on ESPN+ without restrictions.
The Blackhawks game is blacked out in Illinois because a regional broadcaster, Chicago Sports Network, owns exclusive rights to broadcast Blackhawks’ games in the area. To stream the game on your preferred online platform, use a VPN, such as NordVPN, to connect to a server outside of Illinois and bypass the NHL blackouts on their matchups.
The Red Wings game is blacked out in Michigan because this is their home market. It means that a local network, FanDuel Sports Network Detroit, owns the rights to air its games in the area, and it won’t be available on any NHL online streaming services. Fortunately, you can use a VPN, like NordVPN, to change your virtual location to outside Detroit via a server connection and bypass the blackout restrictions.
The Avalanche game is blacked out today because you’re currently located in their home market area, spanning Colorado, Utah, and parts of Wyoming, Nebraska, Kansas, and New Mexico. Here, Avalanche games are only available on the Altitude Sports channel, as it holds exclusive rights to air the team’s games in the area. However, you can bypass these NHL blackouts by using a VPN, like NordVPN, to change your virtual location outside the restriction zone and access the game this way.
The Wild game is blacked out on ESPN+ because a local network, FanDuel Sports Network North, owns the rights to air Wild games in their home market – Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa, and parts of Wisconsin. If you’d rather stream the game on ESPN+, you can use a VPN, like NordVPN, to change your virtual location to outside the restricted area via a server connection. This way, you’ll bypass the blackouts and will be able to stream Wild games on ESPN+.
To fix ESPN+ NHL blackout issues with a VPN, make sure you’re connected to a US server outside your home market and have cleared your browser cookies and cache to prevent ESPN+ from tracking your real location. I also recommend using a truly reliable and capable VPN, like NordVPN, to avoid any further interruptions when streaming the NHL 2026 games live.
Using a VPN to mask your real location and access NHL games is legal in the US. You may violate your chosen streaming platform’s Terms of Service in the process, but it is still not illegal and will not result in a ban from accessing the service. However, to ensure everything goes smoothly, I strongly recommend using only a trusted VPN, such as NordVPN, to protect your real IP address and keep it secure.
The streaming service that shows every NHL game without blackout is NHL.tv on DAZN. However, the service is only available outside the US and Canada, in countries like the UK and Germany. If you’d like to access NHL.tv on DAZN from abroad, use a VPN to change your virtual location and bypass the geo-restrictions. Based on my experience, NordVPN effectively bypasses DAZN blocks, allowing seamless streaming of all NHL games on the platform from anywhere without interruption.
ESPN+ and Sportsnet block local NHL games because local broadcasters own exclusive rights to air those games in your area. If you’d rather stream your local team’s games online, you can use a VPN, like NordVPN, to change your location to one outside your home market. That way, you will easily bypass the NHL blackouts and stream your team’s games from anywhere.
