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How to Watch Hockey in Canada Without Cable (2026)
The 2026-27 season starts a new national TV deal, and a lot changed: no NHL games on CBC, Monday games on streaming only, and Wednesday nights on Prime Video. Here is how games reach Canadian viewers now, and how to watch without a cable box.
To watch hockey in Canada without cable in 2026, most fans combine an official streaming subscription such as Sportsnet+ with Prime Video for Wednesday games. Many then add TSN's streaming service or a French-language option, depending on their team and language. The 2026-27 NHL season is also the first year of a new national rights deal, so the map changed this fall.
The details below were checked at the end of September 2026. Broadcasters adjust schedules, packages and prices often, so confirm on their official sites before you subscribe. This page is a neutral overview of how games reach Canadian viewers, not an endorsement of any broadcaster.
Who shows NHL games in Canada in 2026-27?
Rogers holds the national NHL rights in Canada on every platform under a 12-year deal, according to the NHL's announcement of the Rogers deal. The deal started with the 2026-27 season and runs through 2037-38. Rogers keeps most national games on Sportsnet and passes some packages to partners:
| Games | Who carries them | Without cable |
|---|---|---|
| Saturday night national games (English) | Sportsnet | Sportsnet+ streaming |
| Monday Night Hockey | Sportsnet+, streaming only | Sportsnet+; TV customers may pay an add-on |
| Wednesday Night Hockey (English and French) | Prime Video | Included with a Prime membership |
| National games in French | TVA Sports (Quebecor) | TVA Sports Direct or illico+ |
| Stanley Cup Playoffs | Sportsnet in English, with select series on Prime Video; TVA Sports for most series in French | Sportsnet+, Prime Video, TVA Sports Direct |
What changed this season?
Three changes surprise most fans. First, CBC no longer airs NHL games. In June 2026, CBC and Rogers did not renew the agreement that put Hockey Night in Canada on CBC, ending a run of more than 70 years. Sportsnet keeps Saturday night hockey on its own channels.
Second, Prime Video is now the home of Wednesday Night Hockey for the length of the deal. That means at least 26 regular-season games a year in English and French, plus two first-round playoff series and one second-round series each spring. The NHL's Prime Video announcement says the games come at no extra cost to Prime members.
Third, Monday Night Hockey moved to Sportsnet+ only. According to The Globe and Mail's reporting, cable and satellite customers pay an add-on of about $13 a month to get those games unless their provider includes them. Cord-cutters with a Sportsnet+ plan already have them.
On the French side, Rogers and Quebecor signed a 12-year deal in September 2026. TVA Sports carries up to 350 national regular-season games a season in French, including 32 Montreal Canadiens games and every Canadiens playoff game.
How do regional hockey broadcasts work?
Any game that is not national is regional, which means only viewers inside the team's home region can watch it on the team's regional broadcaster. Each Canadian team splits its schedule between national games and regional games. Based on the arrangements reported for 2026-27:
| Team | Regional broadcaster |
|---|---|
| Toronto Maple Leafs | Split between Sportsnet and TSN |
| Montreal Canadiens | TSN in English, RDS in French |
| Ottawa Senators | TSN in English, RDS in French |
| Winnipeg Jets | TSN |
| Calgary Flames | Sportsnet |
| Edmonton Oilers | Sportsnet |
| Vancouver Canucks | Sportsnet |
Regional deals can change, and a team's region can be larger than its home city. Your team's official broadcast schedule lists the channel for each game.
What do blackouts and regional restrictions mean?
A blackout means a game is blocked on one service in your area because a different broadcaster holds the rights there. It is a rights rule, not a technical fault.
Two examples make it clearer. A Leafs fan in Toronto opens Sportsnet+ for a Leafs game that TSN holds that night; Sportsnet+ blocks it, and TSN carries it. An Oilers fan who moved to Halifax wants an Oilers regional game; Halifax is outside the Oilers' region, so the game is "out-of-market", and it sits in the Sportsnet+ Premium tier instead of Standard.
Streaming apps decide where you are from your account's postal code and your internet connection. Rogers has said the new deal brings fewer regional blackouts than before, but it does not remove them. The only reliable way to see a game is the service that holds it where you live.
What are the official ways to stream hockey without cable?
Four official streaming options cover most NHL games shown in Canada, and most fans need two of them at most. They are Sportsnet+, Prime Video, TSN's streaming plan, and TVA Sports Direct or illico+ for games in French. Which two you need depends on your team and your language.
- Sportsnet+. Standard includes Sportsnet's national games, Monday Night Hockey and the Sportsnet regional games of your local team. Premium adds out-of-market regional games for fans who follow a team from another region. The Globe and Mail reported prices of about $270 a year for Standard and about $345 for Premium for 2026-27, before tax, with monthly options too.
- Prime Video. Wednesday Night Hockey and select playoff series, in English and French, inside a regular Prime membership.
- TSN's streaming plan. Carries TSN's regional games for the Leafs, Canadiens, Senators and Jets to viewers inside each team's region, along with TSN's other sports. Check TSN's site for which games your plan includes.
- TVA Sports Direct or illico+. National games in French, including 32 Canadiens regular-season games.
A quick rule: Flames, Oilers or Canucks fans in their home region are mostly covered by Sportsnet+ Standard plus Prime Video. Leafs, Senators, Jets and Canadiens fans usually need TSN's service as well for regional games, and French-speaking fans add TVA Sports Direct or RDS's options. Our answer on IPTV for sports covers other leagues.
Can you watch hockey for free with an antenna?
Not much NHL hockey in 2026-27. With CBC out of the NHL, no regular national NHL games air on free over-the-air TV this season. Special events have sometimes been simulcast on conventional channels in the past, so a quick look at local listings during the playoffs does no harm.
An antenna is still worth having. CBC carries eight PWHL games on Saturday nights this season under the Hockey Night in Canada name, free over the air. An antenna also picks up local news and other Canadian channels in HD with no monthly fee. A small indoor antenna works in most cities; rooftop antennas reach farther in rural areas.
Where does IPTV fit in?
IPTV is simply live TV delivered over the internet instead of a cable line, and it is one of the ways Canadians replace a cable box. Canada's big TV companies deliver their own packages over IPTV technology, and independent IPTV subscriptions deliver channel lists through an app on a streaming device or Smart TV.
King IPTV includes Canadian sports channels in English and French, along with American and international sports categories, all listed by type on our channel list. We do not promise any specific network, league package or game, and lineups can change. The fair test is the free 24-hour trial: start it a few hours before a game you care about and watch on your own TV and internet. Questions about the rules in Canada are covered in our plain-language guide is IPTV legal in Canada.
If you are replacing cable completely, the cord-cutting checklist for Canada walks through contracts, rented boxes and devices step by step.
Internet tips for watching live hockey
A wired connection, a steady speed and the right frame rate setting matter more for hockey than for most TV, because the puck moves quickly and the camera pans constantly. These tips apply whichever service you use.
Use Ethernet when you can
A network cable gives the steadiest picture. Fire TV Sticks take an Ethernet adapter, and most Android TV boxes and Smart TVs have a port built in. On Wi-Fi, use the 5 GHz band and keep the router in the same room or add a mesh point. Test your speed on a Saturday evening when the whole street is streaming. Our guide to IPTV internet speed in Canada has the numbers per stream.
Match the frame rate (60 fps)
Hockey in North America is broadcast at about 60 frames per second. If your device outputs a different rate, fast skating can look jerky. Turn on frame rate matching:
- On Fire TV it is usually called Match Original Frame Rate, under Display settings.
- On Android TV and Google TV it is often under Display options.
- TiviMate has an auto frame rate option in its player settings.
Menu names vary by model.
Expect some delay
Every stream runs behind the live action, from about 20 seconds to a minute or more compared with an antenna. Apps with a large buffer add more delay but stutter less; a smaller buffer gets you closer to live but can freeze on a weak connection. If games keep freezing, start with our buffering and freezing fixes.
Avoid spoilers from the delay
Your phone is faster than your TV. Turn off goal alerts in score apps and team apps during the game, mute busy group chats, and keep social media closed until the final buzzer. If friends text during games, ask them to wait, because a goal alert that lands 30 seconds early ruins the moment.
Reader questions
Is Hockey Night in Canada still on CBC?
Not for NHL games. In June 2026, CBC and Rogers announced they would not renew their agreement, so from the 2026-27 season CBC no longer airs NHL games, ending a run of more than 70 years. Sportsnet keeps Saturday night NHL hockey. CBC still uses the Hockey Night in Canada name for eight PWHL games on Saturday nights this season, free over the air.
Can I watch NHL games for free in Canada?
Very few, in 2026-27. With CBC out of the NHL, no regular national NHL games air on free over-the-air TV this season. If you already pay for Amazon Prime, Wednesday Night Hockey on Prime Video comes at no extra cost, in English and French. Everything else needs a paid service such as Sportsnet+, TSN's streaming plan, TVA Sports or a TV provider.
Why is a hockey game blacked out on my streaming app?
Because another broadcaster holds that game where you live. Regional games belong to the team's regional broadcaster inside its home area, so Sportsnet+ cannot show a game that TSN holds in your region, and the other way round. Apps check your location from your account and your internet connection. The fix is the service that owns that game in your area.
What internet speed do I need to stream hockey?
Plan on a steady 10 Mbps for one Full HD game and about 25 Mbps for 4K, with extra room for other people online at home. Steadiness matters more than top speed, so use a wired Ethernet connection for the TV if you can. Test your speed on a Saturday evening, when networks are busiest, rather than in the morning.
Does King IPTV carry hockey games?
King IPTV includes Canadian sports channels in English and French, plus American and international sports categories, listed by type on our channel page. We do not promise any specific network, league package or game, and channel lineups can change. The honest way to find out is the 24-hour free trial: run it during a game you care about, on your own TV and internet.
