2018-19 NHL Season Details Announced For ESPN+
ESPN have announced that more than 180 NHL Games are coming to ESPN+ this Season and will feature exclusive Daily Highlights and Analysis Show “In the Crease”, which is returning to ESPN+ on October 3rd.
The puck drops on the NHL season next week, and hockey fans can watch live games all season long on ESPN+, the premium direct-to-consumer video service from The Walt Disney Company’s Direct-to-Consumer and International (DTCI) and ESPN. The inaugural NHL on ESPN+ season begins Thursday, Oct. 4 and will include more than 180 live games, with up to nine games each week during the regular season (regularly including two games per day on Thursdays and Saturdays), all available to subscribers via the ESPN App.
The Stanley Cup® Champion Washington Capitals and captain Alex Ovechkin visit division rival Pittsburgh Penguins and captain Sidney Crosby on October 4th for the season opener on ESPN+. October’s schedule also includes a number of division rivalries, with multiple appearances by many teams including the Boston Bruins, Pittsburgh Penguins, Toronto Maple Leafs, Philadelphia Flyers, Detroit Red Wings, Los Angeles Kings, New York Rangers, and more. Highlights include:
- 11 – Western Conference Champion Vegas Golden Knights visit the Penguins
- 13 — Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers at the New York Rangers
- 18 — Penguins at Toronto Maple Leafs, led by Auston Matthews and John Tavares
- 23 — Penguins vs Oilers
- 25 — Capitals vs Oilers
- 27 — Patrick Kane and the Chicago Blackhawks take on rival St. Louis Blues, led by Alex Pietrangelo
ESPN+ is the most comprehensive multi-sport streaming product on the market, offering fans access to thousands of games and events from professional leagues in the U.S. and around the world, as well as a robust college sports lineup. The NHL schedule on ESPN+ expands the premium services’ portfolio of live events from major U.S. leagues, which includes more than 180 MLB games per season, more than 250 games per season from Major League Soccer, as well as dozens of top bouts from Top Rank Boxing and UFC (beginning in 2019).
ESPN+ will also bring hockey fans the exclusive nightly hockey show, In The Crease, co-hosted by ESPN’s Linda Cohn and Barry Melrose, debuting its new season on October 3rd. In the Crease brings viewers comprehensive highlights and analysis of NHL games, plus interviews with top players and coaches from around the league, ESPN.com NHL writers, and guest appearances from SportsCenter anchors Steve Levy and John Buccigross. A new episode posts each night after the action on the ice is complete for fans to watch when they want, on demand.
NHL on ESPN+ Upcoming Schedule
| Date | Time (EST) | Event |
| Thu, Oct. 4 | 7:00PM | Washington Capitals at Pittsburgh Penguins |
| Fri, Oct. 5 | 10:30PM | San Jose Sharks at Los Angeles Kings |
| Sat, Oct. 6 | 8:00PM | Chicago Blackhawks at St. Louis Blues |
| Sat, Oct. 6 | 10:00PM | Vancouver Canucks at Calgary Flames |
| Sun, Oct. 7 | 5:00PM | New York Rangers at Carolina Hurricanes |
| Mon, Oct. 8 | 1:00PM | Ottawa Senators at Boston Bruins |
| Tues, Oct. 9 | 8:00PM | Calgary Flames at Nashville Predators |
| Wed, Oct. 10 | 10:00PM | Arizona Coyotes at Anaheim Ducks |
| Thu, Oct. 11 | 7:00PM | Vegas Golden Knights at Pittsburgh Penguins |
| Thu, Oct. 11 | 8:00PM | Winnipeg Jets at Nashville Predators |
| Sat, Oct. 13 | 1:00PM | Edmonton Oilers at New York Rangers |
| Sat, Oct. 13 | 7:00PM | Detroit Red Wings at Boston Bruins |
| Sun, Oct. 14 | 7:00PM | Anaheim Ducks at St. Louis Blues |
| Mon, Oct. 15 | 7:30PM | Los Angeles Kings at Toronto Maple Leafs |
| Tue, Oct. 16 | 7:00PM | Dallas Stars at New Jersey Devils |
| Wed, Oct. 17 | 10:00PM | New York Islanders at Anaheim Ducks |
| Thu, Oct. 18 | 7:00PM | Pittsburgh Penguins at Toronto Maple Leafs |
| Thu, Oct. 18 | 10:30PM | Buffalo Sabres at San Jose Sharks |
| Fri, Oct. 19 | 7:00PM | Florida Panthers at Washington Capitals |
| Sat, Oct. 20 | 7:00PM | Chicago Blackhawks at Columbus Blue Jackets |
| Sat, Oct. 20 | 10:00PM | Nashville Predators at Edmonton Oilers |
| Sun, Oct. 21 | 7:00PM | Calgary Flames at New York Rangers |
| Mon, Oct. 22 | 7:00PM | Colorado Avalanche at Philadelphia Flyers |
| Tue, Oct. 23 | 9:00PM | Pittsburgh Penguins at Edmonton Oilers |
| Wed, Oct. 24 | 10:00PM | Vancouver Canucks at Vegas Golden Knights |
| Thu, Oct. 25 | 7:00PM | Philadelphia Flyers at Boston Bruins |
| Thu, Oct. 25 | 9:00PM | Washington Capitals at Edmonton Oilers |
| Fri, Oct. 26 | 6:00PM | Tampa Bay Lightning at Vegas Golden Knights |
| Sat, Oct. 27 | 1:00PM | New York Islanders at Philadelphia Flyers |
| Sat, Oct. 27 | 8:00PM | Chicago Blackhawks at St. Louis Blues |
| Sun, Oct. 28 | 5:00PM | Dallas Stars at Detroit Red Wings |
| Mon, Oct. 29 | 10:00PM | Minnesota Wild at Vancouver Canucks |
| Tue, Oct. 30 | 7:30PM | New Jersey Devils at Tampa Bay Lightning |
Local market blackout restrictions apply to ESPN+ out-of-market games.