# Options for watching NHL games in the US **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [October 7, 2008, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/options-for-watching-nhl-games-in-the-us/466862 "2008-10-07T16:39:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Antigen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/848f3c/32.png) [@Antigen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antigen)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2008, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/options-for-watching-nhl-games-in-the-us/466862/1 "2008-10-07T16:39:59Z")
Well, hockey season is here… and I’m already a little sad because I know I won’t be able to watch many Montreal Canadiens games this year. They’ll only be on TV here if they play a local team, or make the playoffs. I’m trying to figure out my options. I have cable TV, high-speed “Fios” internet, and Tivo-like devices for recording tv. I work the evening shift, so anything that gives me the option to record a game to watch later, or something that stores them online for later viewing, would be much better than, say, a TV station’s website that streams the games live. What can I do? Are there specialty channels I don’t know about? Websites? I’d like to stay on the legal side of things, if that’s at all possible! I just want my hockey! ---
**Author:** ![Rysto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ecccb3/32.png) [@Rysto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rysto)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2008, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/options-for-watching-nhl-games-in-the-us/466862/2 "2008-10-07T16:45:56Z")
The NHL Centre Ice package shows basically every out-of-market game that’s being broadcast on TV _somewhere_. [Check if your provider offers the package](http://www.nhl.com/ice/page.htm?id=26371). Last season it was also available online but I don’t know if they’re doing that again. There’s also some new service they’re calling [NHL Gamecentre](http://www.nhl.com/gamecenter/index.html). I’m unclear on what games they offer. ---
**Author:** ![Antigen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/848f3c/32.png) [@Antigen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antigen)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2008, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/options-for-watching-nhl-games-in-the-us/466862/3 "2008-10-07T17:00:13Z")
Hmm. Looks like I need digital cable for those things. Which I don’t have. I’d be able to talk myself into a $150 annual fee for the service, but I don’t think I can afford to upgrade to digital cable on top of that. Dammit. ---
**Author:** ![Rysto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ecccb3/32.png) [@Rysto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rysto)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2008, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/options-for-watching-nhl-games-in-the-us/466862/4 "2008-10-07T17:03:30Z")
> [@Antigen](#): > > Hmm. Looks like I need digital cable for those things. Which I don’t have. I’d be able to talk myself into a $150 annual fee for the service, but I don’t think I can afford to upgrade to digital cable on top of that. Dammit. The Gamecentre service – which I see is the new name of Centre Ice online – is all online. You shouldn’t need digital cable(or any cable, for that matter) to subscribe to the service. ---
**Author:** ![GingerOfTheNorth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/cdc98d/32.png) [@GingerOfTheNorth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GingerOfTheNorth)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2008, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/options-for-watching-nhl-games-in-the-us/466862/5 "2008-10-07T17:37:40Z")
DirecTV (satellite) has the NHL Network, on which they will now be showing Hockey Night in Canada. (I have it at my house, come anytime.) ---
**Author:** ![Scoobysnax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c4cdca/32.png) [@Scoobysnax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scoobysnax)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2008, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/options-for-watching-nhl-games-in-the-us/466862/6 "2008-10-07T18:50:42Z")
If you still have family in Canada that can set up an account for you, you can always go for a grey market satelite dish. You would have no trouble getting a signal in MD with a standard dish. Here in California I would have to get a large dish to get a strong enough signal. I miss my Canadian Content. There are several websites out there that tell you what you need to set up the service in the U.S. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2008, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/options-for-watching-nhl-games-in-the-us/466862/7 "2008-10-07T23:25:15Z")
Moving thread from IMHO to The Game Room. ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2008, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/options-for-watching-nhl-games-in-the-us/466862/8 "2008-10-07T23:27:10Z")
IIRC, HDNet shows a hockey game about once a week, and you can probably find an occasional game on VS in between all the steel cage death match man-fighting shows and rodeos. ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2008, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/options-for-watching-nhl-games-in-the-us/466862/9 "2008-10-08T01:39:28Z")
Looks like the Gamecenter will allow you to view archived games. Seems pretty decent, you can watch up to 4 games at once as well as special camera angles during some games.