NHL Playoffs 2017 begins: Wednesday, April 12 (see full schedule at the bottom of the page)
NHL Finals 2017 begin: mid-June 2017
Best NHL Playoff Streaming Channels: NBC, NBCSN, CNBC, USA Network, CBC and Sportsnet
Watch NHL Playoffs without a cable, best options: Sling TV, PlayStation Vue, DIRECTV NOW, fuboTV and DAZN
How to Watch NHL Playoffs Online Live
The best thing about living in the 21st century is the fantastic technology development that allows us to watch sports events from around the world online. Also, NHL fans can take advantage of having opportunities streaming NHL Playoffs online free from anywhere in the world.
Therefore, in this article, I will share with you the best ways to watch NHL games online. Furthermore, you will find out how to avoid NHL.TV blackouts, watch NHL Playoffs online without cable television and where you can watch NHL Playoffs in Canada, UK, Australia and the USA.
List of the 2017 NHL Playoffs Online Broadcasters
Here’s a list of the best Canadian and American NHL Playoff online broadcasters.
United States – NBC, NBCSN and USA Network (requires cable, satellite or telco TV subscription).
Canada – CBC (free), Sportsnet (with a TV subscription or online signup), NHL.TV (NHL playoff subscription required).
Although these channels allow streaming NHL Playoffs live, not all of them show all the games. Here’s a full schedule for USA NHL streaming sites and Canadian NHL streaming sites.
Note: NBC and NBCSN are only available for people who are in the USA, and CBC and Sportsnet are available for people living in Canada.
Here’s how you can access the 2017 NHL Playoff broadcasting channels online:
Watch Stanley Cup Playoffs on NBC. Visit NBC website, then click to sign in. Because NBC is only available to people with certain TV service subscription providers, then you’ll need to request access from your TV service provider.
Watch NHL Playoffs on NBCSN. Visit NBCSN website, then log in using the Username and Password you use on your cable, satellite or telco TV subscription that includes NBCSN providers website.
Stream NHL Playoffs online on CBC. Click here to access Hockey Night in Canada, where you can stream live NHL playoff games for free.
Watch NHL Playoff games on Sportsnet. You can access Sportsnet if you are a subscriber of a TV package that includes Sportsnet or you can sign up through its website http://www.sportsnet.ca/now/ for monthly access.
Stream Playoffs on NHL.TV. Visit NHL TV website and purchase a Stanley Cup Playoffs Pass for $74.99. Live games are only available for people residing in Canada.
How to Watch NHL Playoff Without Cable
Now that you know what the main 2017 NHL Playoff broadcasting channels in the US and Canada are, you may want to find out what are some of the alternatives to cable TV subscriptions to get access to earlier mentioned channels.
Therefore, below you will find out how you can watch NHL Playoff with online streaming platforms like Sling TV, PlayStation Vue, DIRECTV NOW, DAZN and fuboTV.
Watch NHL Playoffs Online on Sling TV
Sling TV is a perfect alternative to TV cable subscriptions. It is one of the best online streaming services that offer access many major global TV channels and on-demand content.
Although Sling TV offers two different subscription plans, to watch NHL playoffs online on Sling TV, you should get the Sling Blue package which cost only $25 per month and doesn’t require to sign a long term contract.
Sling Blue provides a live stream of NBCSN and USA Network. In a few regions, it will also provide access to NBC live.
Sling TV is available on all the leading devices, which lets you stream NHL playoff games even on the road.
However, Sling TV is only available in the USA. For people traveling or living outside of the US will need a VPN service to watch Sling TV outside of the United States. Later on, I will share more details how to use a VPN to watch NHL Playoff online.
Stream NHL Playoffs on PlayStation Vue
Vue is another excellent online streaming service that lets you watch NHL games without a cable subscription. Just like Sling TV, also PlayStation Vue offers live streaming of many major global TV channels for a lower subscription rate than TV cable providers typically charge.
For $29.99 a month, Vue subscribers can gain access to NBCSN, USA Network, and CNBC. Furthermore, Vue provides cloud DVR at no additional cost. Therefore it allows you to record NHL games and watch it later instead.
Also, PlayStation Vue service is only available in the USA. To watch Vue outside of the US, you need a VPN service with a server located in the United States. Read more to find out how VPN service lets you unblock PlayStation Vue and watch NHL playoffs from anywhere in the world.
Watch NHL Playoffs Online on DIRECTV NOW
DIRECTV NOW is a similar service like Sling TV and PlayStation Vue. It offers over 145 TV channels for a monthly subscription fee of $50 per month.
DIRECTV NOW provides live streaming of CNBC and USA Network. Furthermore, DIRECTV allows streaming videos on all devices and operating systems.
Just like previously mentioned streaming services, also DIRECTV NOW is only available in the United States of America. Read more to find out how you can unblock DIRECTV and watch NHL playoffs online live with a VPN service help.
Watch NHL Playoffs Streaming Live on DAZN
DAZN is one of the newest online streaming services which focus only on sports events. DAZN was launched in 2016, and since then it is also known as “Netflix of Sports.”
For as low as low as $11 per month, DAZN users can watch live sports events like NHL, NBA, NFL and much more.
However, DAZN is currently only available in Japan, Austria, Germany, and Switzerland. To find out how you can watch NHL games online on DAZN from anywhere in the world, read an article how to unblock DAZN with a VPN service.
Watch NHL Playoff Games on fuboTV
fuboTV is another live sports streaming service. It offers subscription package with 52 TV channels. Also, it includes some of the most popular sports channels like NBA TV, beIN Sports, Football Report TV, FS1, FS2 and many others. Furthermore, fuboTV offers a live stream of channels like NBC, NBCSN, and USA Network. All of these channels allow streaming NHL playoffs online live.
fuboTV subscription starts as low as $49.99 per month with a 7-day free trial. However, like other previously mentioned streaming services, also fuboTV is available only in the USA. Read more how you can use VPN service to access fuboTV and watch NHL playoffs online from anywhere in the world.
Watch NHL Playoff Games Outside USA
National Hockey League is the most popular hockey league in the world. Therefore, many people from around the globe are interested in following Stanley Cup playoffs. Unfortunately, outside of the USA and Canada, NHL online streaming options aren’t as high as in the US. Therefore, in this section, I will tell you more how to watch NHL Playoffs online with a VPN service from anywhere in the world. Furthermore, I will share the best options for watching Stanley Cup playoffs online in Canada, Australia, and the UK.
Watch NHL Playoffs Streaming With a VPN
VPN or Virtual Private Network can be used for several purposes. Mostly people use VPN service to achieve online anonymity and security. However, VPN service can also be used to change an IP address to another location and therefore gaining access to websites that otherwise would be unavailable. Therefore, VPN is the best tool to have if you are interested in streaming NHL playoffs online live.
VPN service is handy for Americans and Canadians who have a cable TV subscription but are traveling abroad a lot. VPN service allows users to connect to a VPN server in the USA and Canada. Then it allows its users to appear as they are living in Canada or United States, which gives them access to online TV channels like NBC, NBCSN, USA Network, Sling TV, PlayStation Vue, DIRECTV NOW and fuboTV.
Also, people who aren’t from the USA or Canada can highly benefit from a VPN service. VPN service allows unblocking websites and services that are unavailable in their country. With a VPN service, internet users in Europe and Asia can unblock and sign up to US and Canada online streaming services.
Using a VPN service is the easiest way to gain access to online streaming services that allows watching NHL playoffs online from anywhere in the world.
How to Watch NHL Playoffs Online With a VPN
Here’s a step by step guide on how to unblock online channels that stream NHL playoff games online:
1: Decide which online streaming channel you plan to access. Figure out in which country it is available. For example, if you intend streaming NBC then you’ll need a VPN service that has servers in the USA. If you wish to gain access to Canadian service, then you’ll need a VPN with servers in Canada.
2: Sign up for a VPN service. Get a VPN service with servers in a country where the streaming service is available. For example, if you intend to stream CBC then you’ll need a VPN service with servers in Canada. Or if you want to unblock DAZN from Japan, then you’ll need a VPN service with servers in the Japan.
3: Download and install VPN software on devices that you intend to use.
4: Login on to the VPN software and look out for a server in the location where you want to connect.
5: Connect to a VPN server in the place of your choice. For example, if you are in France and you want to watch Sling TV outside of the USA then you need to connect to a VPN server in the USA, cause that is the only country where Sling TV is currently available.
6: Open the service you intend streaming and enjoy watching Stanley Cup Playoffs online.
Note: if you mean accessing Sling TV, DIRECTV NOW, PlayStation Vue, fuboTV, NBC, CNBC or USA Network from outside of the United States, then you need to connect to a server in the USA. If you intend watching CBC or Sportsnet outside of Canada, then you need to connect to a Canadian VPN server. If you plan to access DAZN, then you need a VPN service with servers either in Germany, Austria, Switzerland or Japan, depending on a location you want to gain access.
Watch NHL Playoffs in the UK
If you are living in the UK and want to watch, 2017 NHL Playoffs live online then the best option in Premier Sports. Premier Sports allows you to stream NHL games all season long, including NHL playoffs and Stanley Cup.
You can gain Premier Sports access through Sky platform or by signing up to its online subscription plan. The Premier Sports standard package cost is as low as £9.99 per month. Furthermore, it provides 7 days of on-demand catch-up for the users that missed the live action.
When traveling abroad, you can access and watch Premier Sports outside of the UK with a VPN service help. Connect to a server in the UK and unblock Premier Sports from anywhere in the world.
Where to Watch NHL Playoffs in Canada
The best way to stream NHL playoffs in Canada is by streaming it live on CBC TV channel. However, it doesn’t broadcast all the NHL playoff games. Some of the NHL games you can watch on Sportsnet. However, it requires cable TV subscription or paid online subscription on its website.
If you are traveling outside of Canada, then you’ll need a VPN service to access both CBC and Sportsnet. Connect to a server in Canada, and you can enjoy a live stream of Stanley Cup playoff from anywhere in the world.
Watch NHL Playoffs Online in Australia
In Australia, Fox is the leading NHL broadcaster. By getting a Foxtel subscription plan, you will be able to watch Fox Sport that shows several 2017 NHL playoff games online.
Watch NHL Playoffs Online Free
The best way to stream NHL Playoffs online for free is to access CBC in Canada. Although CBC doesn’t stream all the NHL playoff games, you’ll gain access to many of them.
Here’s a step by step guide how you can access CBC and watch NHL playoffs online for free:
1: Get a VPN software with servers in Canada
2: Download and set up VPN client on your device
3: Open and login to your VPN service
4: Connect to a server in Canada
5: Go to CBC website and enjoy free streaming of NHL playoff games online.
Watch following NHL playoff second round games on CBC for free:
- Ottawa Senators vs. New York Rangers (first four games)
- Washington Capitals vs. Pittsburgh Penguins (second, third and fourth game)
- St. Louis Blues vs. Nashville Predators (first and second game).
Conclusion
The 2017 NHL regular season is over, and now it’s time for some real action. If you are interested in following NHL teams in their endeavor for Stanley Cup, then you may want to find out how you can watch NHL playoffs online live. It’s straightforward if you are Canadian or US resident, but if you are living abroad, then the options become limited. Therefore, to access US or Canadian online streaming services you can by using a VPN service. You can even connect to a server in Canada, access CBC and watch NHL playoff games for free. But if you are in the UK or Australia, there are other better options for you.
Author: Inga
I’m a freelance writer living in Canada. Highly interested in topics on technology, online surveillance, and censorship. Love traveling and outdoor activities.