NHL games on TV today: Full schedule, times, TV channels, live streams to watch 2026 hockey playoffs

NHL games on TV today: Full schedule, times, TV channels, live streams to watch 2026 hockey playoffs originally appeared on The Sporting News . Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here . The two-month journey to a Stanley Cup has begun, with the NHL's best teams trying to work their way through the brackets to the best trophy in sports.

Only one thing is certain about what's to come in the postseason: The league will have a new champion in 2026. The Florida Panthers missed the playoffs after lifting the Cup the last two years and making the Final the year before that, guaranteeing a changing of the guard this June. The Avalanche were the class of the league during the regular season, taking the Presidents' Trophy by eight points over the Hurricanes, and have to be considered the favorites.

Contenders abound, though, from the 'Canes to the Stars to the Sabres, back in the playoffs after a 14-year absence. However it shakes out, there will be playoff hockey to watch daily for weeks to come, and it doesn't get much better than that. Here's everything you need to know about when and where to watch today's games in the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

NHL games on TV today Saturday, April 18 Matchup Time (ET) Watch Hurricanes vs. Senators Game 1 3 p. m.