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The 2026 NHL Playoffs are almost finished, with the beginning of the NHL Stanley Cup Final around the corner, as puck drops on Tuesday, June 2. The top teams in the Eastern Conference and the Western Conference in the pro hockey league are set to battle for the iconic Stanley Cup trophy.
Want to watch series online? The NHL Stanley Cup Final: Vegas Golden Knights vs. Carolina Hurricanes airs live on ABC and livestreams on ESPN Unlimited. All games begin at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT.
How to Watch 2026 NHL Stanley Cup Final Online, At a Glance:
There are a number of streaming options for NHL coverage live and on-demand, so read on for how to watch and livestream the NHL Stanley Cup Final without cable.
How to Watch the NHL Stanley Cup Final 2026 Live Online
If you want to watch the NHL Stanley Cup Final, you can watch ABC without cable with streaming services such DirecTV, Sling TV and others. Most platforms have a free trial or a discount at sign up, so you won’t have to spend anything up front. To help you shop for the right package, we roundup some of the best streaming services and what they offer for NHL fans.
DirecTV
A subscription to DirecTV — which comes with ABC — gets you access to live TV, local and cable channels with the streamer’s “Entertainment” package, starting at $59.99 per month for the first month of service ($89.99 per month afterward). The service even offers a five-day free trial to watch for free if you sign up now.
Sling TV
Sling TV offers Blue, which comes with ABC. With more than 40 channels, Sling Blue goes for $45.99 per month and comes with a free cloud DVR and additional free channels. The streaming service has an add-on package called Sling Sports Extra, which comes with access to NHL Network, for an extra $11 per month. Please note: Pricing and channel availability varies from market to market.
Hulu
For the best streaming bundle, you can sign up for Hulu + Live TV and get access to the Hulu library in addition to more then 95 live TV channels (including ESPN and NBC). The streaming platform starts at $89.99 per month. And, for even more programming, the streaming service comes bundled with Hulu, Disney+ and ESPN Unlimited.
ESPN
ESPN Unlimited is the official streaming platform for ESPN. A subscription includes instant access for $29.99 per month. It features every ESPN network, including ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPNEWS, ESPN Deportes, SEC Network, ACC Network, ESPN on ABC, ESPN+, SEC Network+ and ACC Network Extra. In addition to live sports, ESPN Unlimited has original programming to stream on-demand.
Although the streaming service doesn’t have a free trial, you can still watch ESPN Unlimited with a clever workaround to watch online for free. Learn more about how to get a free trial to access ESPN Unlimited here.
Which Celebrities Are Making Appearances During NHL Stanley Cup Final?
It’s likely there will be a number of celebrities and famous recording artists in attendance during the NHL Playoffs, such as VGK fans Lil’ Jon, Wayne Newton, Gordon Ramsay and others; as well as Canes fans Stephen Colbert, Petey Pablo, John Isner, Evander Holyfield and more. Just tune in to the series to find out who’s sitting rinkside.
NHL Stanley Cup Final 2026 Schedule
The 2026 NHL Stanley Cup Final start on Tuesday, June 2, and goes until Wednesday, June 17 — if the series goes to seven games. During the championship series, the Hurricanes have home ice advantage since the team has the better regular season record. Game 1 and Game 2 (as well as Game 5 and Game 7, if necessary) take place at Lenovo Center in Raleigh, N.C., while Game 3 and Game 4 (with Game 6, if necessary) are set at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Check out a complete NHL Stanley Cup Final schedule and tournament bracket here.
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