Welcome to one of the best times of the sporting calendar. The 2025 NHL playoffs are about to get underway, joining the 2025 NBA playoffs, the Champions League, the Triple Crown and more. But this page is for you hockey fans who want to make sure you can keep up with your favorite team to watch the 2025 NHL playoffs.
US: ESPN | TNT | TBS | Max (subscribe)
Canada: SportsNet | CBC | TVA Sports
UK: Premiere Sports
Watch abroad with a VPN
After a fun regular season that included Washington Capitals’ Alexander Ovechkin surpassing Wayne Gretzky’s goal scoring record, things are only going to get more exciting as 16 teams vie for the chance to raise Lord Stanley’s Cup. Ovechkin’s Capitals finished as the best team in the Eastern Conference, while the Winnipeg Jets were the best in the Western Conference (and President’s Trophy winners as best team in the regular season), but the likes of Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers, Auston Matthews and the Toronto Maple Leafs, defending champs the Florida Panthers, the always dangerous Vegas Golden Knights and more.
Below you’ll find all the info on how you can watch as many games as possible whether you have a traditional TV setup or have cut the cord and are relying on streaming, as well as details on playoff schedule and more.
How to watch 2025 NHL playoffs in US
ESPN and TNT are splitting coverage of the 2025 NHL playoffs, with TNT ultimately being the broadcast home for the Stanley Cup Finals this year.
To watch NHL playoff games on ESPN (or ESPN2), you must have a traditional pay-TV provider or a live TV streaming service that carries the cable network. In terms of the latter, options include Fubo, Hulu with Live TV, Sling TV and YouTube TV.
NHL playoff games on TNT are also going to be available for those that have a traditional pay-TV set-up or live TV streaming services. Live TV streaming services that offer TNT include Hulu with Live TV, Sling TV and YouTube TV.
TBS and truTV, which like TNT are owned by Warner Bros. Discovery, are also going to broadcast some games. Like TNT, they are available through traditional pay-TV set-up or live TV streaming services (Hulu with Live TV, Sling TV and YouTube TV).
There is a chance that ABC, which is owned by ESPN’s parent company Disney, is going to broadcast a few NHL playoff games, but as of right now none are scheduled. But if/when that does happen, ABC is available through traditional pay-TV providers, a TV antenna or live TV streaming services (Fubo, Hulu with Live TV, YouTube TV).
What about streaming the NHL playoffs? Max is going to stream all games that air on TNT and TBS. Live sports is included for Max standard and premium subscribers; it is available as an add-on for Max basic subscribers.
As for ESPN’s streaming service, no NHL playoff games are currently set to be streaming on ESPN Plus, but the streaming service will have pre- and post-game coverage after each day of games on the network.
How to watch 2025 NHL playoffs in Canada
Canadians can root on their respective teams in the Stanley Cup playoffs on SportsNet, CBC and TVA Sports. For those that are interested in streaming the games, SportsNet Plus will offer live streams.
How to watch 2025 NHL playoffs in the UK
Pay-TV sports option Premier Sports holds exclusive rights to the NHL in the UK, so if you want to keep up with the playoffs that is likely your best option.
How to watch 2025 NHL playoffs from anywhere
If you're going to be away from your normal TV setup but still want to watch the NHL playoffs, you might run into some problems. Thankfully, you can solve this exact issue with a Virtual Private Network (VPN).
A VPN lets you change your IP address to that of the area of what you want to watch, meaning you can tune in to your favorite events or other content even if you're not there. Our favorite is NordVPN, which is the No. 1-rated VPN in the world right now according to our sister site, TechRadar.
How to use a VPN to watch any stream
- Download the app at NordVPN
- Choose the location of the streaming service you want to watch (UK, US, etc)
- Navigate to the streaming service and start watching!
If you’re interested, here’s a look at the NHL playoffs bracket.
NHL Playoff games today
Here are the NHL playoff games that are being played today, Friday, May 9:
- Toronto Maple Leafs vs Florida Panthers, game 3, 7 pm ET/4 pm PT, TNT/truTV/Max
- Dallas Stars vs Winnipeg Jets, game 2, 9:30 pm ET/6:30 pm PT, TNT/truTV/Max
2025 NHL playoffs schedule
Here is the series schedule for each second round matchup of the NHL playoffs (away team listed first, home team listed second). Games marked with an “*” are “if necessary.”
Florida Panthers/Toronto Maples Leafs
- Game 1: Panthers 4, Maple Leafs 5 (Leafs lead series 1-0)
- Game 2: Panthers 3, Maple Leafs 4 (Leafs lead series 2-0)
- Game 3: Maple Leafs vs Panthers, May 9, 7 pm ET/4 pm PT, TNT/truTV/Max
- Game 4: Maple Leafs vs Panthers, May 11, 7:30 pm ET/4:30 pm PT, TBS/truTV/Max
- Game 5*: Panthers vs Maple Leafs, May 14, TBD, ESPN
- Game 6*: Maples Leafs vs Panthers, May 16, TBD, TNT/truTV, Max
- Game 7*: Panthers vs Maple Leafs, May 18, TBD, TNT/Max
Carolina Hurricanes/Washington Capitals
- Game 1: Hurricanes 2, Capitals 1 (Hurricanes leads series 1-0)
- Game 2: Hurricanes 1, Capitals 3 (Series tied 1-1)
- Game 3: Capitals vs Hurricanes, May 10, 6 pm ET/3 pm PT, TNT/truTV/Max
- Game 4: Capitals vs Hurricanes, May 12, 7 pm ET/4 pm PT, TNT/truTV/Max
- Game 5: Hurricanes vs Capitals, May 15, TBD, TNT/truTV/Max
- Game 6*: Capitals vs Hurricanes, May 17, TBD, TBD
- Game 7*: Hurricanes vs Capitals, May 19, TBD, ESPN
Edmonton Oilers/Vegas Golden Knights
- Game 1: Oilers 4, Golden Knights 2 (Oilers lead series 1-0)
- Game 2: Oilers 5, Golden Knights 4 (Oilers lead series 2-0)
- Game 3: Golden Knights vs Oilers, May 10, 9 pm ET/6 pm PT, TNT/truTV/Max
- Game 4: Golden Knights vs Oilers, May 12, 9:30 pm ET/6:30 pm PT, TNT/truTV/Max
- Game 5*: Oilers vs Golden Knights, May 14, TBD, ESPN
- Game 6*: Golden Knights vs Oilers, May 16, TBD, TNT/truTV/Max
- Game 7*: Oilers vs Golden Knights, May 18, TBD, TNT/Max
Dallas Stars/Winnipeg Jets
- Game 1: Stars 3, Jets 2 (Stars leads series 1-0)
- Game 2: Stars vs Jets, May 9, 9:30 pm ET/6:30 pm PT, TNT/truTV/Max
- Game 3: Jets vs Stars, May 11, 4:30 pm ET/1:30 pm PT, TBS/truTV/Max
- Game 4: Jets vs Stars, May 13, 8 pm ET/5 pm PT, ESPN
- Game 5*: Stars vs Jets, May 15, TBD, TNT/truTV/Max
- Game 6*: Jets vs Stars, May 17, TBD, TBD
- Game 7*: Stars vs Jets, May 19, TBD, ESPN
2025 NHL eliminated playoff teams
Here are the the teams that have been eliminated from the Stanley Cup playoffs so far:
- Montreal Canadiens
- New Jersey Devils
- Ottawa Senators
- Tampa Bay Lightning
Western Conference
- Colorado Avalanche
- Los Angeles Kings
- Minnesota Wild
- St. Louis Blues
