How to watch and live stream NHL ice hockey on ESPN+: In-market and out-out-of-market streams, NHL Power Play and more

ESPN has long been one of the homes of the NHL, broadcasting over 50 regular season games on its network of channels and a whopping 75 per season on ESPN+, the network's live-streaming platform.

ESPN+ has become a must-have for hockey fans, and if you're a hockey fan without it in your live-streaming arsenal, you may want to reconsider.

But how do you get ESPN+, and what NHL coverage do you actually receive with it? Below, GOAL takes a deep dive into how you can watch the NHL with ESPN+.

What NHL broadcasting rights does ESPN+ have?

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ESPN+ has exclusive rights to 75 regular-season games across the NHL season, but there's far more than that, too, with coverage of a wealth of out-of-market games.

More than 1,000 out-of-market games are available to stream on ESPN+ through its NHL Power Play platform, including options for home or away commentary feeds.

Some are subject to local blackout rules, and those games are available to stream 24 hours after they finish.

In addition, any NHL games broadcast on TNT or the NHL Network are available to replay on ESPN+ shortly after the game has ended.

There are simulcasts on ESPN+ for games live on ABC and ESPN, and the Stanley Cup Finals are available on the streaming platform.

So, in a nutshell, ESPN+ provides:

• Up to 75 exclusive regular season games
• Over 1,000 out-of-market games.
• If you're considered in-market for a game, a stream will be made available 24 hours post-match.
• Replays of TNT and NHL Network games
• Simulcasts of ESPN and ABC games
• Stanley Cup Finals live stream

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What is NHL Power Play?

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NHL Power Play is a section of ESPN+ that allows subscribers to watch out-of-market games. It's designed to serve hockey fans who live outside of their favorite teams' home markets and has proven a real game-changer.

It comes with an ESPN+ subscription at no extra cost. It allows fans to select from various commentary options and makes it easier for them to find their favorite teams within the ESPN+ application.

There will be some instances of blackouts on games. In these cases, NHL Power Play ensures that the games are added to ESPN+ for all fans within 24 hours.

Upcoming NHL games on ESPN+

How to watch and live stream NHL on ESPN+

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If that sounds good and you want to subscribe to ESPN+ to access the platform's exclusive games and in-market and out-of-market fixtures, it's relatively simple.

ESPN+ is available via an app on smart TVs, Android and Apple phones and tablets, and through desktop devices.

Multiple subscriptions are available, with the most basic monthly package priced at $11.99 per month on a rolling contract. Annual subscriptions are also available, priced at $119.99 for the year.

However, you can also integrate Disney+ and Hulu into a package. The Disney Bundle Trio Basic is priced at $16.99 per month and includes all three subscriptions, with adverts integrated into the on-demand content.

You can remove the adverts from Disney+ and Hulu (not ESPN+) with the Disney Bundle Trio Premium package, which will set you back $26.99 per month.

Across all packages, ESPN+ can be streamed simultaneously on five different devices, meaning all the family can enjoy the sport they want to watch.

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