Hockey fans puck up! This season, select NHL games are available to watch for all Disney+ and Hulu subscribers courtesy of ESPN.
Whether you’re new to hockey, a veteran player of the sport, or a super fan, it’s easier than ever to jump into a thrilling NHL game. We’ll show you how to watch and when the unlocked games air, with a quick hockey debrief for newcomers.
Watch 2025–26 NHL Games On Disney+ And Hulu With ESPN+ Hockey NightHow to watch unlocked NHL games on Disney+ and Hulu?
Have a Disney+ or Hulu subscription? If so, you’re all set. All unlocked games will be available to watch for all Disney+ and Hulu subscribers, regardless of which subscription bundle you have.
How many NHL games will be available on Disney+ and Hulu?
In total, ESPN+ Hockey Night is showcasing 48 unlocked games on Disney+ and Hulu throughout the 2025–2026 NHL season.
Can I watch every game in the 2025–2026 season on Disney+ and Hulu?
As mentioned, 48 games are unlocked for subscribers, while people with a Disney+, Hulu, ESPN Unlimited Bundle absolutely can stream the whole roster.
Full Unlocked NHL Games Schedule | 2025–2026 Season
The full list of unlocked regular–season games.
10/09/25 – New Jersey Devils vs. Carolina Hurricanes
10/09/25 – Vegas Golden Knights vs. San Jose Sharks
10/16/25 – Edmonton Oilers vs. New York Islanders
10/17/25 – San Jose Sharks vs. Utah Hockey Club
10/23/25 – Chicago Blackhawks vs. Tampa Bay Lightning
10/23/25 – Los Angeles Kings vs. Dallas Stars
10/24/25 – Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Buffalo Sabres
10/28/25 – Frozen Frenzy Whiparound
10/30/25 – New York Islanders vs. Carolina Hurricanes
11/04/25 – Edmonton Oilers vs. Dallas Stars
11/06/25 – Washington Capitals vs. Pittsburgh Penguins
11/06/25 – Florida Panthers vs. Los Angeles Kings
11/11/25 – San Jose Sharks vs. Minnesota Wild
11/13/25 – Edmonton Oilers vs. Columbus Blue Jackets
11/20/25 – Edmonton Oilers vs. Tampa Bay Lightning
11/20/25 – Los Angeles Kings vs. San Jose Sharks
11/26/25 – Minnesota Wild vs. Chicago Blackhawks
12/02/25 – Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Florida Panthers
12/02/25 – Chicago Blackhawks vs. Vegas Golden Knights
12/04/25 – Detroit Red Wings vs. Columbus Blue Jackets
12/04/25 – Chicago Blackhawks vs. Los Angeles Kings
12/09/25 – Columbus Blue Jackets vs. Carolina Hurricanes
12/12/25 – Chicago Blackhawks vs. St. Louis Blues
12/18/25 – Philadelphia Flyers vs. Buffalo Sabres
12/23/25 – Nashville Predators vs. Minnesota Wild
01/06/26 – New Jersey Devils vs. New York Islanders
01/13/26 – Carolina Hurricanes vs. St. Louis Blues
01/13/26 – Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Utah Hockey Club
01/22/26 – Chicago Blackhawks vs. Carolina Hurricanes
01/27/26 – Dallas Stars vs. St. Louis Blues
01/29/26 – Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Seattle Kraken
01/29/26 – Washington Capitals at Detroit Red Wings
02/03/26 – Buffalo Sabres vs. Tampa Bay Lightning
02/05/26 – Florida Panthers vs. Tampa Bay Lightning
03/04/26 – Toronto Maple Leafs vs. New Jersey Devils
03/04/26 – St. Louis Blues vs. Seattle Kraken
03/10/26 – Utah Hockey Club vs. Minnesota Wild
03/12/26 – Edmonton Oilers vs. Dallas Stars
03/13/26 – Edmonton Oilers vs. St. Louis Blues
03/19/26 – Chicago Blackhawks vs. Minnesota Wild
03/19/26 – Utah Hockey Club vs. Vegas Golden Knights
03/24/26 – Columbus Blue Jackets vs. Philadelphia Flyers
03/24/26 – Edmonton Oilers vs. Utah Hockey Club
03/31/26 – Carolina Hurricanes vs. Columbus Blue Jackets
04/02/26 – Washington Capitals vs. New Jersey Devils
04/02/26 – Utah Hockey Club vs. Seattle Kraken
04/09/26 – Toronto Maple Leafs vs. New York Islanders
04/09/26 – Minnesota Wild vs. Dallas Stars
NHL Explained: Learn The Basics
The National Hockey League (NHL) is North America’s top men’s pro hockey league.
Official NHL teams from the United States and Canada compete during the regular season. When that concludes, the top three teams in each of the four divisions (more on those below), plus an additional two wild card teams per conference, compete in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
The playoffs consist of a tournament-style bracket, where eight games are played in the first round and four in the second, before the two Conference finals decide which teams will compete for ultimate glory in the Stanley Cup Final.
What is the Stanley Cup?
The Stanley Cup is the biggest prize in the NHL. It’s the championship trophy awarded to the playoff winners each year.
Fun Fact: Current champions, the Florida Panthers, defeated the Edmonton Oilers in the 2024–2025 Stanley Cup Final, a rematch of the previous year’s final, to claim their second Stanley Cup.
There’s a total of 32 teams in the NHL, split equally between two conferences (Eastern and Western), each with two divisions. Conferences consist of 16 teams, and each division has 8 teams
The Eastern Conference is divided into the Atlantic and Metropolitan divisions, while its counterpart, the Western Conference, is divided into the Central and Pacific.
Eastern Conference – Atlantic
Boston Bruins
Buffalo Sabres
Detroit Red Wings
Florida Panthers
Montréal Canadiens
Ottawa Senators
Tampa Bay Lightning
Toronto Maple Leafs
Eastern Conference – Metropolitan
Carolina Hurricanes
Columbus Blue Jackets
New Jersey Devils
New York Islanders
New York Rangers
Philadelphia Flyers
Pittsburgh Penguins
Washington Capitals
Western Conference – Central
Chicago Blackhawks
Colorado Avalanche
Dallas Stars
Minnesota Wild
Nashville Predators
St. Louis Blues
Utah Mammoth
Winnipeg Jets
Western Conference – Pacific
Anaheim Ducks
Calgary Flames
Edmonton Oilers
Los Angeles Kings
San Jose Sharks
Seattle Kraken
Vancouver Canucks
Vegas Golden Knights.
How many games are in an NHL season?
Each NHL season consists of 82 regular-season games (84 from the 2026–2027 season), up to 98 Stanley Cup Playoff games, and the Stanley Cup Final itself.
During the regular season, each NHL team plays its seven division opponents three or four times, every team from the other division in its conference three times, and every team from the opposite conference twice.
However, starting from the 2026–2027 season, the regular season will expand to an 84-game schedule, guaranteeing each team four games against all of its division rivals.
Playoff games aren’t quite as simple. Every game is a best–of–seven series, where the first team to win four games progresses to the next round. With 16 teams competing, there are at least 56 games played during the playoffs, with a potential high of 98.
The Stanley Cup Final itself is also a best-of-seven series with the winner taking home the prize.
A standard NHL game has a regulation time of 60 minutes, consisting of three 20-minute periods split by two 18-minute intermissions.
However, if a game is tied at the end of the regulation period, it goes into sudden–death overtime.
Regular Season: During the regular season, the overtime period will last 5 minutes. If neither team scores, a shootout will commence to determine the winner.
Playoffs: In the playoffs, overtime periods are scheduled for 20 minutes and are played continuously, with standard intermissions at the end of each period, until a goal is scored and a winner determined.
NHL games typically feature 60 minutes of standard play, but a game can take around two to three hours to complete when accounting for intermissions and the potential for overtime.
When does the NHL regular season start and end?
The NHL regular season starts in early October and ends around April of the following year.
The 2025–2026 regular season started October 7, 2025, and the final games are currently scheduled for April 16, 2026. Due to the 2026 Winter Olympics, the NHL will be taking a mid-season break in February this season.
When do the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs start?
The Stanley Cup Playoffs are expected to start in April 2026, following the mid-season break for the Winter Olympics.