How to watch

TheOtherOne

Registered User
Jan 2, 2010
8,265
5,257
I'm trying to figure out the best way to watch games this year and thought it might be worth it to summarize the options here. If you guys fill in blanks or add more options, I'll try to update OP later.

- NHL Gamecenter
$140 for the season, all teams
$110 for the season, 1 team
No local games or nationally televised games (NBC for US)
No playoffs for US

- regular cable
Free if you already have cable
Only local games and NBC games

- DirecTV Center Ice
$160 for the season
Not all games (how many?)

- cable with NHL network
$$$?
All games
Can you get NHL network without cable

- Hulu live
$40/mo
Playoffs only?

- "other"
Low quality, hit or miss
Nefarious
 
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Mister Ed

Registered User
Dec 21, 2008
5,254
968
I have Rogers cable in Canada, I get NHL package free, but I have to watch it on AppleTV or XboxOne App.
 

guinness

Not Ingrid for now
Mar 11, 2002
14,521
301
Missoula, Montana
www.missoulian.com
I had NHL GC for a season (2009?) when I lived in California, and I hated it. a) connection issues when loads were high, which was like every Saturday and b) so many blackouts. I couldn't even watch Sharks games, because I technically fell in the SJ market, and at the time, the Wings were still decent, so many games were on cable, and I couldn't get those either.
 

Hammettf2b

oldmanyellsatcloud.jpg
Jul 9, 2012
22,489
4,612
So California
Center Ice is always the choice for me. (it might be worse for others because of HD options available with certain cable companies) I live in California and can't watch the start of Wings games because of work so I always just dvr the games. I love it because I skip all the commercials and intermissions. Towards the end of the 3rd period I catch up to the game being live. Wouldn't have it any other way.
 
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Oddbob

Registered User
Jan 21, 2016
15,767
10,309
I'm trying to figure out the best way to watch games this year and thought it might be worth it to summarize the options here. If you guys fill in blanks or add more options, I'll try to update OP later.

- NHL Gamecenter - This isn't entirely accurate, as you get NBC games and playoffs with Game Center. I have had Rogers NHL GameCenter Live for at least 4 years, and you get all the games, minus local blackouts, so for me in the Toronto Maple Leaf region, means no Leaf games on the local networks Rogers Sportsnet, so I would guess if you live in Detroit maybe that means no Wings games on main networks, not sure, but I can watch any other game I want. Including NBC, or any of the other networks out there. The price is $180 or so plus tax in Canadian funds. Maybe the GC works different in the States, I don't know, but that is how it works here, where I live.
If you get a Roku, PS4, XBox or similar streaming device, you just download the free NH
If you get a Roku, PS4, XBox or similar streaming device, you just download the free NH
If you get a Roku, PS4, XBox or similar streaming device, you just download the free NH

$110 for the season, 1 team - Can watch all games for all teams, minus local blackouts. (180+tx CDN)

No local games or NBC games

No playoffs - Get all playoff games.


- regular cable
$?
Only local games and NBC games

- DirecTV Center Ice
$160 for the season
Not all games (how many?)

- cable with NHL network -
$$$?
All games
Can you get NHL network without cable

- Hulu live
$40/mo
Playoffs only?

- "other"
Low quality, hit or miss
Nefarious
 

Ezekial

Cheap Pizza, Bad Hockey
Sponsor
Nov 22, 2015
22,395
14,896
Chicago
NHL Gamecenter - This isn't entirely accurate, as you get NBC games and playoffs with Game Center. I have had Rogers NHL GameCenter Live for at least 4 years, and you get all the games, minus local blackouts, so for me in the Toronto Maple Leaf region, means no Leaf games on the local networks Rogers Sportsnet, so I would guess if you live in Detroit maybe that means no Wings games on main networks, not sure, but I can watch any other game I want. Including NBC, or any of the other networks out there. The price is $180 or so plus tax in Canadian funds. Maybe the GC works different in the States, I don't know, but that is how it works here, where I live.
If you're in Canada probably wouldn't black out NBC games, so you'd get them.
NHL Playoffs are all on national television here now.

We get blacked out down here. That's why a VPN is best with gamecenter.
If it's nationally televised I get it anyway with my cable.
I think being able to watch all the games is worth the extra $29.99, NHL.tv is a good product for me.
 
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TheOtherOne

Registered User
Jan 2, 2010
8,265
5,257
Updated the OP with details/clarification.

Couple questions.

I'm unclear on the difference between "Center Ice" and "NHL Network". Is "Center Ice" the cable package you buy to get "NHL Network" the channel? Or are they two separate things, or what?

Also, out of curiosity, would you consider using VPN to be nefarious? I've never really thought about it or looked into it.

I wish there was some middle ground, what I really want is a cheap barebones package that gives me all the DRW games and nothing else. I don't care about other teams, I don't care about all the features, I just want to watch DRW games reliably with good quality. On my computer or TV, doesn't matter.

Oh well. So far seems like Gamecenter single season pass is the way to go. I just hate those blackouts. Most years in the past I shunned it because of lack of playoff games, but I guess these days that doesn't matter.
 
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Ezekial

Cheap Pizza, Bad Hockey
Sponsor
Nov 22, 2015
22,395
14,896
Chicago
Idk, I mean if you're using a VPN to purchase a child bride, then yea, it's nefarious. But, imo, if you're using it to mask your location so you don't get blackouts for a service you're paying over $100 for, then I'd say not
 
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