“NHL on ESPN” redirects here. For the video game, see ESPN National Hockey Night (video game) and ESPN National Hockey Night (2001 video game) .

This article is riddled with the kind of overly specific detail that only truly fascinates a niche audience. Perhaps some of that could be spun off or relocated, and the extraneous bits trimmed, to better align with Wikipedia’s inclusion policy . It also appears to be in dire need of a stylistic overhaul to meet our quality standards . A thorough copy edit for grammar, style, cohesion, tone, or spelling would be beneficial.

NHL on ESPN

Also known as ESPN Hockey Night, ESPN+ Hockey Night, ESPN National Hockey Night (1992–2004)

The broadcasts of National Hockey League (NHL) games produced by ESPN have graced its various platforms in the United States, including ESPN itself, ABC , ESPN+ , ESPN2 , ESPNEWS , ESPNU , Hulu , and Disney+ . Since 2021, these telecasts have been presented under the banner of “ESPN Hockey Night,” while games featured on ESPN+ carry the “ESPN+ Hockey Night” moniker.

ESPN’s foray into televising NHL games began in the 1979–80 season, initially through sub-contracting rights directly from individual franchises. However, once the NHL consolidated its national television rights to a single exclusive holder, ESPN secured those rights in 1985 , stepping in to replace the USA Network , which had previously carried NHL games alongside ESPN. This chapter closed in 1988 when ESPN relinquished the rights to SportsChannel America .

ESPN later regained the NHL’s U.S. television rights from 1992 through the 1999–2000 season , broadcasting under the umbrella title “ESPN National Hockey Night.” During this period, ESPN also sub-licensed a package of games to its sister broadcast network, ABC (under The Walt Disney Company ), which aired them as “NHL on ABC” until 1994 . The NHL then shifted its broadcast television package to Fox Sports . By 1999 , ESPN renewed its contract, extending through the 2004–05 NHL season , and ABC resumed its role as the broadcast television rights holder, replacing Fox.

The 2004–05 season was notably absent due to a league-wide lockout. While ESPN had agreed to a reduced cable rights deal for the 2005–06 season , featuring a smaller slate of regular-season games and playoff coverage primarily on ESPN2 , alongside the initial games of the Stanley Cup Finals, they ultimately opted out of the contract. Consequently, broadcast rights moved to NBC , with cable telecasts initially airing on Versus (later rebranded as NBCSN ), a move that consolidated under Comcast’s ownership of NBCUniversal, continuing through the 2020–21 season .

A significant shift occurred on March 10, 2021, when the NHL announced its return to ESPN networks through a seven-year agreement commencing with the 2021–22 season. ESPN’s subscription streaming service, ESPN+ , now carries the bulk of the network’s regular-season NHL programming, broadcasting exclusive national games and holding streaming rights for all out-of-market games (effectively replacing the NHL.tv service). ESPN also broadcasts a select package of games. Furthermore, ESPN and ESPN2 share Stanley Cup playoff coverage with TNT and TBS , with ABC retaining exclusive rights to the Stanley Cup Finals in even-numbered years.

U.S. national NHL broadcasts, including those on ESPN, may also be accessible in Canada via Sportsnet or streamed on Sportsnet+ , as part of a 12-year agreement with the NHL extending to the conclusion of the 2025–26 season, subject to blackout regulations.

History

Early years: 1979–1982 and 1985–1988

ESPN first dipped its toes into NHL broadcasting during the 1979–80 , 1980–81 , and 1981–82 seasons. These initial broadcasts were facilitated by direct agreements with individual teams, rather than a comprehensive league-wide rights deal. For instance, the Hartford Whalers had eleven home broadcasts aired in the 1980–81 season, with that number increasing to 25 the following year. The broadcasts were branded simply as “ESPN Hockey,” featuring Sam Rosen , Barry Landers, and Joe Boyle as play-by-play announcers, with Pete Stemkowski serving as the lead color commentator. During the 1982 playoffs , ESPN carried Game 4 of the series between the New York Islanders and Pittsburgh Penguins , alongside Game 2 of the matchup between the Minnesota North Stars and Chicago Black Hawks , with Rosen and Stemkowski providing the commentary. The preceding season saw the same duo call Games 3 and 4 of the playoff series between the St. Louis Blues and Pittsburgh Penguins .

At this time, the USA Network was also broadcasting NHL games. To avoid oversaturation and maintain the value of broadcast rights, the NHL made the strategic decision to grant exclusive national cable rights to a single network. In April 1982, USA Network outbid ESPN for the NHL’s American national television cable package, securing it for $8 million over two years. The NHL did approach ESPN for a bid in 1984, but ultimately granted USA Network the right to match any offer, which they did.

Following the 1984–85 season , the NHL Board of Governors opted for a sealed-bid process, inviting both USA Network and ESPN to submit their offers. ESPN emerged victorious, submitting a bid of nearly $25 million for a three-year contract, effectively doubling the amount USA Network had been paying. This agreement stipulated that ESPN would broadcast up to 33 regular-season games annually, in addition to the NHL All-Star Game and the Stanley Cup playoffs. For their inaugural season under this new deal, ESPN tapped Dan Kelly and Sam Rosen as their primary play-by-play announcers, with Mickey Redmond and Brad Park serving as analysts. Tom Mees and Jim Kelly were chosen to host the studio shows. ESPN designated Sundays as “ESPN Hockey Night in America,” though some weekday telecasts were also scheduled. The network officially broke the ice on October 10, 1985, with an opening-night matchup between the Washington Capitals and New York Rangers .

However, at the conclusion of the 1987–88 season , ESPN lost the NHL television rights to SportsChannel America . This new deal, valued at $51 million over three years ($17 million per year), represented more than double what ESPN had paid for its previous three-year contract ($24 million). SportsChannel America managed to secure a fourth NHL season under this agreement for a mere $5 million. A significant limitation of SportsChannel America was its limited reach; it was only available in a handful of major markets, notably excluding Detroit , Pittsburgh , and St. Louis . Furthermore, it reached only about a third of the households that ESPN did at the time. In its first year, 1988–89 , SportsChannel America was accessible in only 7 million homes, a stark contrast to ESPN’s 50 million. By the 1991–92 season , while ESPN’s reach had grown to 60.5 million homes, SportsChannel America’s remained stagnant at just 25 million.

Second return to ESPN and ABC’s involvement: 1992–1999

When the SportsChannel America deal expired in 1992 , the league returned to ESPN with a new five-year contract worth $80 million. Until the 2001–02 NHL season , weekly regular-season games were primarily broadcast on Sundays (filling the gap between the NFL and baseball seasons), Wednesdays, and Fridays, under the branding “Sunday/Wednesday/Friday Night Hockey.” Prior to 1999, these telecasts operated under a non-exclusive model, meaning they were subject to local blackouts in the competing teams’ regions. In such cases, an alternative game was shown to affected viewers.

During the Stanley Cup playoffs, ESPN and ESPN2 provided near-nightly coverage, frequently airing multiple games simultaneously across both channels. While games in the first two rounds were non-exclusive, broadcasts of the Conference Finals and Stanley Cup Finals were generally exclusive, with exceptions in 1993 and 1994. Beginning with the 1993–94 season , up to five games per week were also featured on ESPN2 under the “NHL Fire on Ice” banner.

ABC , ESPN’s sister broadcast network, also aired NHL games during the initial two seasons of this contract, marking the league’s return to network television for the first time since NBC ’s previous contract in the 1970s. The first season saw select playoff games broadcast on ABC, which expanded in the second season to include a package of regular-season games. These ABC telecasts were produced by ESPN and were technically considered time-buys by ESPN Inc. . This arrangement concluded with the 1994–95 season , as the NHL entered into a new broadcast television agreement with Fox .

Final years, and including ABC full-time: 1999–2004

In 1998, ESPN secured an extension of its NHL contract through 2004, valued at $600 million, commencing with the 1999–2000 season . This renewed agreement saw ABC reclaim its position as the broadcast television rights holder, replacing Fox. Under the terms of the new contract, ESPN was granted rights to two exclusive telecasts per team per season.

ESPN’s obligations included broadcasting up to 200 games annually across ESPN and ESPN2, the All-Star Skills Challenge, the majority of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, and the first two games of the Stanley Cup Finals. ABC’s rights encompassed the NHL All-Star Game , a package of 4 to 5 weeks of regular-season games (three per week), six weekends of Stanley Cup Playoff action, and the remainder of the Stanley Cup Finals.

Starting with the 1999–2000 season , ESPN was permitted two exclusive telecasts per team annually. However, with the network’s increased focus on NBA games on Wednesday and Friday nights from 2002 onwards, the weekly NHL broadcasts were shifted to Thursdays and rebranded as “ESPN Thursday Night Hockey.”

Following the 2003–04 season, ESPN expressed a willingness to renew its contract for only two additional years, at a significantly reduced rate of $60 million per year. Disney executives acknowledged that they had overpaid for the 1999–2004 deal, leading to a lower renewal offer in 2004. ABC, meanwhile, was unwilling to televise the Stanley Cup Finals in prime time, proposing that its Finals telecasts be scheduled for weekend afternoons, including a potential Game 7.

Prior to the 2004–05 lockout , the NHL had established separate broadcast deals with NBC , which was set to replace ABC as the league’s national U.S. broadcast television partner, and ESPN. ESPN’s offer to renew its contract was $60 million, covering approximately 40 games, with only fifteen during the regular season and primarily airing on ESPN2. However, after the lockout concluded, ESPN withdrew from the agreement. This prompted the NHL to reopen negotiations, and Comcast subsequently offered over $200 million for a three-season deal to broadcast games on OLN (later rebranded as Versus), a figure ESPN declined to match. Following Comcast’s acquisition of a majority stake in NBC Universal in 2011, the broadcast and cable rights were unified under NBC Sports through the 2020–21 season .

World Cup of Hockey: 2016

Despite no longer holding the rights to broadcast NHL regular season or playoff games, ESPN served as the U.S. broadcaster for the NHL-sanctioned 2016 World Cup of Hockey , as NBC was unable to participate due to scheduling conflicts. For this tournament, ESPN assembled a broadcast team that included lead play-by-play announcer Steve Levy and analyst Barry Melrose . They were joined by Kevin Weekes from NHL Network , Leah Hextall from Sportsnet , and NHL Hall of Famers Chris Chelios and Brett Hull . Hall of Famers Chelios and Hull also served as studio analysts for ESPN’s coverage. Additionally, ESPN brought back Darren Pang , who had been a secondary color commentator for the network from 1999 to 2004 and was currently the color commentator for the St. Louis Blues , to act as an ice-level reporter for select games. John Saunders , who had hosted ESPN and ABC’s NHL coverage intermittently from 1987 to 1988 and again from 1992 to 2004, was slated to lead the studio coverage. Tragically, Saunders passed away a month after the roster announcement, leading to Cohn, who was initially assigned feature work, stepping in to replace him.

ESPN+ involvement: 2018–present

Following its launch in 2018, ESPN’s subscription streaming service, ESPN+ , introduced an NHL studio program. This service also provided access to a daily regular-season game, courtesy of NHL.tv (operated by Disney subsidiary BAMTech ), and featured a documentary series on the Stanley Cup Playoffs, succeeding the “All Access” franchise previously on Showtime . As part of the NHL.tv agreement, ESPN+ began airing a nightly show titled “In the Crease,” hosted by Linda Cohn and Barry Melrose .

Third return to ESPN and ABC: 2021–present

In the lead-up to the conclusion of NBC’s latest NHL contract, the league explored options for segmenting its national broadcast rights, mirroring the models used for the NFL , NBA , and MLB , and aimed to maximize the value of these rights by including streaming services. On March 10, 2021, Disney, ESPN, and the NHL announced a seven-year agreement that would see ESPN hold the first half of the league’s new media rights, beginning with the 2021–22 season .

Under this agreement:

• ESPN secured rights to at least 25 exclusive national games per season, to be broadcast on ESPN, ESPN2, or ABC, including exclusive rights to opening night contests. All games aired on ABC, along with select ESPN games, are streamed on ESPN+ and, commencing in 2025, Disney+ .
• ABC broadcast the “Thanksgiving Showdown” in 2021.
• Up to 75 exclusive national games per season are streamed exclusively on ESPN+, without linear television carriage. These games are also accessible to Hulu subscribers and became available on Disney+ subscribers starting December 5, 2024.
• ESPN+ streams all out-of-market games and provides on-demand versions of all nationally televised games. These streams became available to Disney+ subscribers on December 4, 2024.
• ESPN holds rights to All-Star Weekend , with the Skills Competition airing on ESPN and the All-Star Game broadcast on ABC.
• ESPN holds rights to the NHL Stadium Series , with broadcast dates from 2023 onward contingent on scheduling logistics with TNT.
• ESPN holds rights to the NHL entry draft .
• ESPN, ESPN2, and ABC share Stanley Cup playoff coverage, holding rights to half the games in the first two rounds and one conference final per season. ESPN/ABC possesses the first selection for which conference final series to air. The remaining half is broadcast on TNT and TBS. To date, ESPN has opted for the Eastern Conference Final in even-numbered years and the Western Conference Final in odd-numbered years, mirroring its NBA broadcast strategy.
• Exclusive rights to the Stanley Cup Finals alternate between ABC and TNT. ESPN retains the option to provide simulcast coverage with alternate feeds on its other channels and platforms.
• ESPN2 airs a weekly NHL studio program titled “The Point,” hosted by John Buccigross . ESPN also holds rights to various highlight packages and international broadcasts.
• ESPN shares rights to the NHL Awards show in even-numbered years, alternating with TNT.

On May 10, 2021, TSN ’s Ray Ferraro , who had previously worked for ESPN from 2002 to 2004, and NBC ’s Brian Boucher were hired by ESPN/ABC as their top hockey analysts. On May 17, ESPN welcomed former Calgary Flames studio host Leah Hextall as a regular play-by-play announcer for NHL broadcasts, making her the first woman in league history to hold such a position. Hextall had prior experience covering the 2016 World Cup of Hockey and the NCAA Division I Men’s Ice Hockey Tournament for ESPN.

On June 9, 2021, ESPN announced that current New Jersey Devils defenseman P. K. Subban would join as a studio analyst for the remainder of the 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs , making his debut on SportsCenter that same day. On June 9th, reporter Craig Morgan indicated that ESPN had added former NBC analysts Ryan Callahan and A. J. Mleczko to their roster. Additionally, Kevin Weekes of NHL Network , who had also worked for ESPN during the 2016 World Cup of Hockey, was reportedly in discussions to return to ESPN in an analyst/reporter capacity.

On June 24, ESPN/ABC officially confirmed that six-time Stanley Cup Champion Mark Messier had signed a multi-year deal to join the network as a studio analyst. Messier’s signing was notable, potentially serving as a countermove to TNT securing his former teammate Wayne Gretzky , who had also been pursued by ESPN. On June 28, it was reported that three-time Stanley Cup Champion Chris Chelios would also join ESPN/ABC as a studio analyst. On the same day, The Athletic reported that Cassie Campbell-Pascall , a commentator and reporter for Hockey Night in Canada , would also be joining the network.

ESPN formally confirmed its commentator teams on June 29, 2021. Sean McDonough , ESPN’s lead college football play-by-play announcer, was named the network’s lead NHL play-by-play announcer. Steve Levy , known for Monday Night Football , was tabbed to lead studio coverage and contribute occasional play-by-play commentary. Leah Hextall and Bob Wischusen were officially designated as play-by-play commentators, alongside John Buccigross of SportsCenter , who would also serve as an alternate studio host and host of “The Point.” ESPN veteran Barry Melrose , Messier, and Chelios were assigned exclusively as studio analysts. Ray Ferraro , Brian Boucher , Weekes, Campbell-Pascall, Callahan, Mleczko, Rick DiPietro of ESPN New York , and 2018 Olympic gold medalist Hilary Knight were slated to contribute as booth, ice-level, and studio analysts. 2016 Isobel Cup champion Blake Bolden was added as an insider alongside reporters Emily Kaplan and Greg Wyshynski . Linda Cohn continued her role as host of “In the Crease,” while also taking on responsibilities as a rinkside reporter and backup studio and game break host. On August 4, 2021, ESPN announced the addition of former Columbus Blue Jackets head coach and Stanley Cup-winning coach John Tortorella as an additional studio analyst.

On September 16, following the release of ESPN’s 2021–22 season schedule, SportsCenter anchor and ESPN Social host Arda Ocal announced his participation in hosting select game broadcasts. On October 2, former referee Dave Jackson joined the network as a rules analyst, a first for the NHL on U.S. television. Early in the 2021–22 season, ESPN added former NBC analyst Dominic Moore , who had co-hosted the 2021 NHL Expansion Draft with Weekes and ESPN college football personality Chris Fowler . Laura Rutledge , host of NFL Live and SEC Nation , joined the NHL on ESPN team for their coverage of the 2022 NHL All-Star Game in a celebrity interviewer capacity. After preparing for and participating in the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing , Knight made her ESPN debut on the March 10, 2022, episode of “The Point,” coinciding with the first anniversary of ESPN regaining NHL broadcast rights. Bolden, who had been working as a professional scout for the Los Angeles Kings since 2020, made her official on-air debut with ESPN a week later. As the regular season intensified, Knight and Bolden were the only two analysts yet to make their on-air debuts.

Occasionally, other notable ESPN personalities such as Jeremy Schaap , Kevin Connors , Michael Eaves , and Max McGee have filled in on “The Point” and “In the Crease.” Mike Monaco , Roxy Bernstein , and Caley Chelios , daughter of Chris, have also provided fill-in play-by-play commentary for games. Subban and TSN’s Gord Miller , Ferraro’s broadcast partner for Maple Leafs games on TSN, joined ESPN for the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Tortorella departed ESPN after their inaugural season to assume the role of head coach for the Philadelphia Flyers . Following two stints with ESPN during the playoffs, the network announced that Subban would join their coverage full-time beginning with the 2022–23 season , taking on both studio analyst and color commentator responsibilities. This move came shortly after his retirement announcement.

ESPN also confirmed that Spanish-language coverage of the NHL would be available on ESPN Deportes and ESPN Latin America . Kenneth Garay and Eitán Benezra were appointed as the primary play-by-play commentators, with Carlos Rossell and Antonio Valle providing analysis and color commentary. Rigoberto Plascencia was later added as an additional play-by-play announcer.

For the 2021–22 season, ESPN aired 18 games under the “ESPN Hockey Night” banner, while 75 exclusive national games per season were streamed on ESPN+. Most of these games, branded as “ESPN+ Hockey Night,” aired on Tuesday and Thursday nights, with select games on Fridays. These broadcasts were also accessible to Hulu subscribers. ESPN’s inaugural broadcasts featured an opening night doubleheader : the Pittsburgh Penguins visiting the defending Stanley Cup champions Tampa Bay Lightning , followed by the Seattle Kraken facing the Vegas Golden Knights in the Kraken’s first-ever regular-season game.

Typically, games broadcast on ESPN, excluding ESPN+ exclusive content, are simulcast in Canada on Sportsnet channels, utilizing the ESPN feed. However, on January 17, 2022, TSN , which is partially owned by ESPN, simulcast the ESPN+ feed of the Arizona Coyotes –Montreal Canadiens game due to severe weather in Canada that prevented the Canadiens’ broadcast team from traveling to Glendale.

For the 2022–23 season, out-of-market games on ESPN+ were branded as “NHL Power Play on ESPN+.” ESPN (34 games) and ESPN2 (1 game) aired a combined minimum of 35 games under the “ESPN Hockey Night” banner, while ABC broadcast 15 games as part of the “ABC Hockey Saturday” package. This included four doubleheaders, the 2023 NHL Stadium Series , and a late-season tripleheader commencing the weekend after the All-Star break.

On May 14, 2023, ESPN faced significant criticism for its decision to implement a split screen that simultaneously showed Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Playoff series between the Vegas Golden Knights and Edmonton Oilers alongside a Sunday Night Baseball telecast featuring the St. Louis Cardinals and Boston Red Sox . The baseball game, which concluded with a 9–1 victory for St. Louis, was played concurrently and drew considerable backlash for the network’s programming choice.

For the 2023–24 season, ESPN+/Hulu is slated to stream at least 50 exclusive games. On linear television, 19 games were scheduled for ABC, including four doubleheaders, both NHL Stadium Series games, and two tripleheaders on February 17 and April 13. ABC also broadcast the 2024 Stanley Cup Final . “ABC Hockey Saturday” for this season commenced on January 13, preceding Super Wild Card Saturday of the NFL playoffs , a shift from previous years when it began after the NHL All-Star Game. ESPN aired the remaining games.

On June 5, 2023, it was announced that Chris Chelios’ contract would not be renewed as part of Disney’s $5.5 billion cost-cutting measures. On September 12, 2023, TNT hired Brian Boucher from ESPN/ABC to join their top broadcast team as Keith Jones’ replacement, reuniting him with former NBC partners Kenny Albert and Eddie Olczyk . On October 10, 2023, ESPN announced that Barry Melrose would retire from the network to focus on his family following his diagnosis with Parkinson’s disease . On December 19, 2023, Cassie Campbell-Pascall accepted a new role as a special advisor with the Professional Women’s Hockey League . While she departed Sportsnet, she remains affiliated with ESPN/ABC.

The 2024–25 season will again feature ESPN+/Hulu streaming at least 50 exclusive games. ESPN2 is scheduled to broadcast a doubleheader on December 27. ABC’s 19-game schedule begins earlier than usual on January 4, during the final week of the 2024 NFL regular season . The 2025 Stadium Series will be aired on ESPN instead of ABC. With the NHL 4 Nations Face-Off tournament replacing the All-Star Game this season, the NHL has divided its broadcast rights among TNT, ABC, and ESPN: TNT will carry the round-robin games on February 12 and 17, ABC/ESPN+ will air the February 15 round-robin doubleheader, and ESPN will broadcast the United States–Finland game on February 13 and the final on February 20. On October 8, color commentator Ray Ferraro called two games of an opening night tripleheader: the St. Louis Blues at the Seattle Kraken , and the Chicago Blackhawks at the Utah Hockey Club . Two late-season Washington Capitals games were later added to ESPN’s schedule in anticipation of Alexander Ovechkin potentially breaking Wayne Gretzky ’s career goals record. The April 12 road game at the Columbus Blue Jackets was scheduled for exclusive broadcast on ABC, while the March 27 road game at the Minnesota Wild would be co-broadcast with the Capitals’ own broadcast via the Monumental Sports Network in the Washington metropolitan area . Additionally, the April 17 road game at the Pittsburgh Penguins was initially an ESPN-exclusive broadcast but was later added to Monumental in the Capitals’ market. Following Ovechkin’s record-breaking achievement, the April 17 road game at the Pittsburgh Penguins reverted to an ESPN exclusive, and the April 15 road game at the New York Islanders was flexed out in favor of the Florida at Tampa Bay game.

A total of 86 games across ESPN (38) and ESPN+/Hulu (48) are slated for the 2025–26 season, with the remaining 16 games airing on ABC. ESPN’s schedule has been adjusted due to reduced rights in its new NBA deal and its opt-out of televising Sunday Night Baseball . ESPN will retain the opening day tripleheader, but its select regular-season games will now be scheduled on any day except Wednesdays, including a Sunday night doubleheader on April 5 as a replacement for “Sunday Night Baseball.” ESPN has scheduled two tripleheaders for October 7 and 28. ABC’s schedule will commence during the final week of the 2025 NFL regular season , with a game on Saturday, January 3, preceding ABC/ESPN’s NFL doubleheader. This includes doubleheaders on January 31, February 28, March 7, and April 4, and a tripleheader on April 11. ABC will also broadcast a game on January 10, preceding the Wild Card Weekend of the NFL playoffs, and two primetime games on March 21 and 28. The 2026 Stanley Cup Finals are scheduled to air on ABC. Similar to the previous season, the 2026 NHL Stadium Series will be broadcast on ESPN instead of ABC. After a playoff stint the previous season, ESPN signed Stanley Cup champion T. J. Oshie to their broadcast crew as a studio and game analyst for the 2025–26 season. Additionally, ESPN hired new Los Angeles Kings play-by-play announcer John Kelly and welcomed back John Tortorella following his coaching tenure with the Philadelphia Flyers. Despite these additions, ESPN also announced that Ryan Callahan, who had been with the network since they regained NHL rights, would not return for the 2025–26 season.

Alternate broadcasts

Since the inception of ESPN’s current NHL contract, the network has occasionally presented alternate broadcasts of games on ESPN+, including “Star Watch” (featuring camera angles focused on specific star players), [136] “IceCast” (offering a higher camera angle and on-screen statistics), [137] and “All-12” (an alternate camera angle of the entire ice during the 2023 NHL Stadium Series game, inspired by ESPN’s “All-22” feeds for college football). [138] In a manner reminiscent of the ’90s “FoxTrax” glowing puck, ESPN produced a “Puck Possessor” visual identifier altcast for select ABC games. This feed modifies the main broadcast to highlight puck possession. It is aired on ESPN+, alongside the traditional ABC broadcast.

On March 14, 2023, ESPN presented a youth-oriented alternate broadcast of the Washington Capitals–New York Rangers game, titled the “NHL Big City Greens Classic.” This broadcast, simulcast on Disney Channel , Disney XD , Disney+ , and ESPN+ , utilized the league’s player and puck tracking system to render a real-time 3D animated perspective of the game, inspired by the Disney Channel animated series Big City Greens . [139] [140]

On October 24, 2023, ESPN+ and ESPN2 aired “Frozen Frenzy,” a whip-around broadcast format (similar to NFL RedZone ) that provided live look-ins on all games occurring that night. All 32 NHL teams were in action, with games featuring staggered start times and a tripleheader on ESPN. [141] [142]

ESPN revived the “NHL Big City Greens Classic” for the March 9, 2024, broadcast of the Pittsburgh Penguins-Boston Bruins game, which was the second half of an ABC Hockey Saturday doubleheader. Similar to the Capitals-Rangers game the previous year, this broadcast was simulcast on Disney Channel , Disney XD , Disney+ , and ESPN+ , and featured the same real-time 3D animated perspective based on “Big City Greens.” [143] [144] [145]

On-air staff

• Main article: List of NHL on ESPN personalities

Current personalities

Studio hosts

• Steve Levy : studio host (1993–2004), lead studio host (2021–present), play-by-play (1993–2004, 2021–present) [146] [147] [148]
• John Buccigross : alternate studio host (1998–2004, 2021–present), play-by-play (2021–present)
• Arda Ocal : alternate studio host (2021–present); rinkside reporter (2024–present)
• Leah Hextall : #2 rinkside reporter (2021–present); alternate studio host (2024–present); play-by-play (2021–2023)
• Kevin Weekes : color commentator, rinkside reporter, studio host/analyst, and insider (2021–present)

Studio analysts

• Mark Messier : lead studio analyst/color commentator (2021–present) [99] [149] [101]
• P. K. Subban : lead studio analyst/color commentator (2022–present)
• Kevin Weekes : color commentator, rinkside reporter, studio host/analyst, and insider (2021–present)
• A. J. Mleczko : color commentator/ice-level analyst/studio analyst (2021–present)
• Ray Ferraro : studio analyst (2002–2004, 2024–present), lead ice-level analyst (2021–present) [95] [102]
• John Tortorella : studio analyst (2021–2022, 2025–present)
• T. J. Oshie : studio analyst/color commentator (2025–present)
• Meghan Chayka : analytics and draft expert (2022–present)

Play-by-play

• Sean McDonough : play-by-play (1993–1994, 1999–2000, 2002–2004), lead play-by-play (2021–present) [147] [148] [150] [151]
• Bob Wischusen : #2 play-by-play (2021–present)
• Mike Monaco : #3 play-by-play (2022–present)
• Steve Levy : studio host (1993–2004), lead studio host (2021–present), play-by-play (1993–2004, 2021–present) [146] [147] [148]
• John Buccigross : alternate studio host (1998–2004, 2021–present) and play-by-play (2021–present)
• Roxy Bernstein : play-by-play (2022–present)
• John Kelly : play-by-play (2025–present)

Color commentators (booth and ice-level)

• Ray Ferraro : studio analyst (2002–2004, 2024–present), lead ice-level analyst (2021–present) [95] [102]
• A. J. Mleczko : #3 color commentator/studio analyst (2021–present)
• Kevin Weekes : color commentator, rinkside reporter, studio host/analyst, and insider (2021–present)
• Cassie Campbell-Pascall : color commentator (2021–present)
• Blake Bolden : contributor (2022–present); color commentator/ice-level analyst (2023–present)
• Mark Messier : lead studio analyst/color commentator (2021–present)
• P. K. Subban : lead studio analyst/color commentator (2022–present)
• T. J. Oshie : studio analyst/color commentator (2025–present)
• Erik Johnson : color commentator (2025–present)

Rinkside reporters

• Emily Kaplan : lead insider (2021–present); rinkside reporter (2025–present, select games); lead rinkside reporter (2021–2025)
• Leah Hextall : #2 rinkside reporter (2021–present); alternate studio host (2024–present); play-by-play (2021–2023)
• Kevin Weekes : color commentator, rinkside reporter, studio host/analyst, and insider (2021–present)
• Arda Ocal : alternate studio and “The Point” host (2021–present); rinkside reporter (2024–present)
• Stormy Buonantony : rinkside reporter (2024–present)
• Marty Smith : Stadium Series reporter (2023 ; 2025 )
• Ryan Clark: rinkside reporter (2025–present)
• Kristen Shilton: rinkside reporter (2025–present)

Rules analyst

• Dave Jackson – rules analyst (2021–present) [152] [153]

Insiders

• Emily Kaplan : lead insider (2021–present); rinkside reporter (2025–present, select games); lead rinkside reporter (2021–2025)
• Greg Wyshynski : insider (2021–present)
• Kevin Weekes : color commentator, rinkside reporter, studio host/analyst, and insider (2021–present)