How to watch blackout NHL games on ESPN+ and NHL.tv (2026)
The 2022-2023 NHL season started on the 7th of October, 2022, but that’s not all fun and games for the fans. Those who are into NHL will likely be aware that NHL games in some regions are blacked out or unavailable. If you find yourself not being able to access NHL, you’ve come to the right place.
In this article, we’ll walk you through how a top-notch VPN service can help you access NHL.tv or ESPN+ and watch whatever games you’d like. Let’s get started!
How to watch blackout NHL games with a VPN
- Get a reliable VPN service. Our best-ranked provider is NordVPN, now 75% off
- Download and install the VPN
- Launch the VPN and connect to one of the countries supported by NHL
- Visit NHL.tv or ESPN+ and start watching some hockey
What is NHL.tv & ESPN+ NHL blackout?
NHL game blackouts happen because of one simple reason – many users are located outside of the countries or US states where the NHL is available. These include, but are not limited to, the UK, Ireland, France, Germany, Georgia, Ukraine, and Luxembourg. If you’re not from one of the supported countries and still want to watch some NHL, you need to use a VPN (Virtual Private Network).
Before we dive into VPNs that can bypass blackouts on the service, let us tell you one thing. NHL decides who can watch sports games regionally according to agreements made between leagues or teams.
What does this mean for you? Not all games by all teams can be seen in all US states or countries due to NHL blackout rules – this is so problematic that many users even create a map to signify which teams can be seen in which regions across the US. This is the so-called NHL blackout map that’s made according to the NHL blackout rules:
To know if you’re blacked out, visit NHL.tv, and if you see a very warm and welcoming message that looks like this, you’ve got some problems:
Such a message is a problem for many – not all NHL fans are located in the US (ESPN+ only supports this country), some might also not be in Canada (where Sportsnet NOW Premium is the only broadcaster).
In many cases, users who want to access NHL.tv do not reside in any of the supported countries, and as such, many games for them are simply referred to as out-of-market games – the games that they can’t watch.
There are many discussions about blackout implementations in NHL, and that’s not without reason – NHL blocking certain US states and countries is a problem. Luckily, the NHL blackout problem can be solved with a VPN.
3 Best VPNs to avoid NHL blackouts on ESPN+
- NordVPN – best VPN to avoid NHL blackouts
- Surfshark – cheaper VPN against NHL blackouts
- CyberGhost – reliable VPN to remove NHL blackouts
Best VPNs to get around NHL blackouts on ESPN+ and NHL.tv
All of the aforementioned VPNs will do their job. They will connect you to countries or regions that are not blacklisted by NHL, and you will be able to watch your matches without any issues. When choosing the top VPNs for avoiding NHL blackouts on NHL.tv and ESPN+, we looked at their performance, security, server list, and other important factors.
1. NordVPN – top VPN against blackouts on NHL
NordVPN is the best for unblocking ESPN+ and NHL.tv from anywhere. It offers excellent performance on any platform, including Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, Android TV, and Amazon Fire Stick. In total, there are 9,200 bare-metal servers in 137 countries to choose from.
Its no-logs policy has been independently audited three times, ensuring top-notch privacy and security. Most importantly, NordVPN will let you watch not only NHL but also Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, and other streaming content.
You can get NordVPN for just $3.49. Alternatively, there's a 7-day free trial (requires Android) for testing the service. Finally, all clients get a 30-day money-back guarantee.
2. Surfshark – VPN to avoid NHL blackouts with no device limit
Searching for the one VPN that has superb customer support, unblocks NHL.tv, ESPN+, and more streaming platforms, and is one of the cheapest VPNs on the market? Yeah, that’s Surfshark for you – especially if you apply the Surfshark discount code "OFFCN". And did you know that it allows unlimited devices per account?
When it comes to privacy and security, Surfshark has plenty to offer. All of its 4,500 servers in 100 countries are RAM-only, meaning no data is permanently stored. Moreover, its no-logs policy has been audited.
Surfshark’s prices start from $2.79. You can also opt-in for a 7-day free trial with your smartphone. Last but not least comes the 30-day money-back guarantee.
3. CyberGhost – VPN for removing NHL blackouts with loads of servers
CyberGhost is another great VPN to use against ESPN+ and NHL.tv blackouts. This provider is widely touted for its massive server list – more than 11,500 servers in 100 countries across the world. CyberGhost has been upgrading its fleet to 10Gbps, which means better performance for all users.
This VPN supports up to 7 devices to be used simultaneously, but you can also remove this limit by configuring it on your router. In addition to all major platforms, CyberGhost also supports smart TVs, game consoles, and other streaming devices. Their no-logs policy has been audited independently, and the bank-grade encryption ensures your data stays safe all the time.
You can get CyberGhost for as low as $1.59. The provider has a free trial of up to seven days. If that wasn’t enough, CyberGhost also offers an extended 45-day money-back guarantee.
How we picked best VPNs for NHL streaming on ESPN+ and NHL.tv
Interested in how we curated our list? We chose the VPNs best for avoiding NHL blackouts according to these factors:
- Price: it may be cheap, but is it good? And what’s the price-to-feature ratio of the VPN?
- Reputation: Is the VPN made by a known company or some guy from his mother’s basement?
- Performance: are the speeds good enough for streaming NHL in high video quality?
- Server list: how many locations does the VPN connect us to? Is there a country nearby that offers NHL.tv or ESPN+?
- Security and privacy: can I be sure that my data is safe with this VPN provider?
The answers to all of these questions are absolutely vital for any VPN. The price-to-feature ratio has to be reasonable for someone to buy a service. Also, no one wants a VPN that logs all of the information about its users.
Moreover, the number of countries we can connect to will make or break a deal if we’re bypassing any streaming service. Finally, there’s no point if a VPN unblocks NHL games but is too slow to offer a buffer-free HD experience.
Is a free VPN a good option in this case?
Naturally, if you’re considering a VPN, you will ask yourself if free VPNs are even an option. And yes, some of them might be, albeit not without big drawbacks.
When using a free VPN, you (or your traffic) will be the product. After all, these providers have to earn money somehow? Almost no VPN will offer this data-consuming feature for free.
Next, there’s an issue with performance. Free VPNs offer few locations and servers, which are often overcrowded. So watching NHL with constant buffering might not be that fun after all.
Then we have security and privacy concerns. Most free VPNs sell your data to third parties, and some even inject malware into your device.
Having this in mind, we strongly suggest you use a free trial of a premium VPN, such as NordVPN.
Why doesn’t VPN work with NHL.tv?
Some VPNs may not bypass NHL.tv. No, not because they’re terrible as a provider – most likely because you’re connected to the countries that NHL.tv blocks access to their service from. Get the point?
VPNs don’t work to bypass NHL.tv or ESPN+ because the servers you’re connected to are based in a country that blocks access to them. So, all you have to do is get a VPN with servers in many countries and choose the one that’s not under the NHL blackout.
Before routing your traffic through any server using a VPN, know that not all VPNs are built equally. What’s best for us may not be what’s best for you. Therefore, choose a VPN provider by weighing all of its pros and cons according to your specific situation.
After testing dozens of providers, we came up with the conclusion that NordVPN and Surfshark are the most reliable options for unblocking NHL streams. We had no issues when connecting or streaming in HD video quality.
Conclusion
The NHL blackout and the ESPN+ blackout is a really big problem – so big, in fact, that if you google NHL, the second or third result you will see is either “how to get around ESPN+ blackout” or other queries related to the service being unavailable. However, with a good VPN, that’s no longer a problem.
The best VPN to bypass both ESPN+ and NHL.tv services is NordVPN. It easily unblocks these streaming platforms and provides good speeds for watching without buffering. With NordVPN being recommended by privacy experts and used by millions of people, you simply can’t go wrong.
We hope that this article was helpful. Stay around the CoolTechZone for more cybersecurity tips and trips. Until next time!
You may also like to read:
- Best VPN for MLB.tv in 2023
- Bypass NBA League Pass blackouts with a VPN
- How to watch out-of-market NFL games with VPN
FAQ
Why are some NHL games blacked out on ESPN+?
Such blackouts are in place to allow regional networks to broadcast as many games as possible. However, you can still watch them by connecting to a VPN and choosing a region that’s not blacked out.
Does ESPN+ blackout local NHL games?
Yes. All games broadcast on local TV in your area are subject to blackout.
Why does ESPN blackout games?
Blackouts are implemented for copyright purposes. Regional channels get the rights to show certain games, and that makes them unavailable elsewhere.
Can I see the NHL blackout map to get more information about blackouts?
Yes. Scroll up a little and read the first part of this article.
How do I watch blacked-out NHL games?
Use one of the VPN services we have provided in this article. The best choice for most watching blacked-out NHL games is NordVPN.
Can I watch blackout games on NHL live?
Yes. For that, you need to use a VPN and route your connection through another server to get a different IP. Use NordVPN for the best results.
Does Hulu blackout local NHL games?
Yes. According to Hulu themselves, NHL games are subject to blackouts and other restrictions. To bypass those restrictions, we recommend you use NordVPN wherever possible.