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How to watch NHL opening night via live stream

There are two games on tap for NHL opening night and the broadcast rights are new. We go over how you can watch NHL opening night on ESPN.

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Sidney Crosby #87 of the Pittsburgh Penguins skates against the New York Islanders in Game Six of the First Round of the 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs at the Nassau Coliseum on May 26, 2021 in Uniondale, New York. Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images

The 2021-22 NHL season gets going on Tuesday night with two games. Unlike seasons past, the NHL broadcasting rights have shifted heading into the regular season. Instead of NBC having the exclusive rights to broadcast hockey, this season it’s ESPN and TNT where you’ll be able to watch all of the games.

ESPN has both the Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Pittsburgh Penguins and Seattle Kraken vs. Vegas Golden Knights on opening night. Bolts-Pens will start at 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN and ESPN+. Kraken vs. Golden Knights will follow at 10:15 p.m. ET. So right away, the start times are a little different for the first two games — at least the later contest.

The games will be nationally broadcast on ESPN in the U.S., and TVA Sports and Sportsnet in Canada. If you aren’t around a TV, you can stream the game via WatchESPN or the ESPN app. But keep in mind — you’ll need a subscription to ESPN+. You can subscribe to ESPN+ on the ESPN website, where you can get a monthly subscription for $5.99, or get the ESPN/Disney/Hulu bundle for $13.99 per month.

How to watch NHL opening night

Penguins vs. Lightning

Location: Amalie Arena, Tampa, Florida
Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
ML odds: Lightning -210, Penguins +170
TV channel: ESPN

Kraken vs. Golden Knights

Location: T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada
Time: 10:15 p.m. ET
ML odds: Golden Knights -250, Kraken +200
TV channel: ESPN