When the puck drops on September 29, 2026, several NHL teams will be skating into a completely different local TV era.
The collapse of FanDuel Sports Network has forced teams to find new homes for their games, with some launching their own networks, others moving to free over-the-air television, and several turning to a new NHL Productions hub to handle their broadcasts.
The NHL says its centralized production operation will provide studio programming, premium game production, graphics, replay capabilities, and technical support for participating teams. The league says the new system could expand to additional clubs before the season begins.
Here are some of the biggest NHL broadcast changes coming for the 2026-27 season.
4 New NHL Productions Teams
Carolina Hurricanes
As we reported earlier this week, the Hurricanes are launching their own sports network, which will become the exclusive local television home of Carolina Hurricanes hockey.
“We’re thrilled to launch our own sports network, and provide consistent access to Hurricanes hockey for our great fans,” said Brian Fork, CEO of Hurricanes Holdings.
The timing comes after Carolina won the 2026 Stanley Cup, and the team notes the games will be available through cable, satellite, and streaming services, with the network name, channel locations, distribution partners, and direct-to-consumer pricing coming later. Longtime commentators Mike Maniscalco and Tripp Tracy will continue calling Hurricanes games.
Columbus Blue Jackets
NHL Productions will also handle Blue Jackets game telecasts beginning with the 2026-27 season. The partnership will include game production, studio programming, graphics, replay, and technical support.
“We are excited about working with the NHL and its award-winning production team to continue delivering the best Blue Jackets coverage to our fans,” said Marc Gregory, the team’s vice president of business intelligence and broadcasting.
Columbus has not yet announced all of its distribution details, so fans will have to wait for more information on where the games will be available.
Minnesota Wild
The Wild are launching a new team-owned and operated multimedia television network in partnership with NHL Productions. Games will be available through cable, satellite, streaming services, and over-the-air television. The team also plans to offer a direct-to-consumer streaming option with monthly and annual subscriptions.
The Wild are keeping a familiar broadcast team, with Anthony LaPanta on play-by-play, Ryan Carter as lead analyst, and Kevin Gorg handling rink-side reporting. Katie Storm and Wes Walz will host pregame and postgame coverage, with Alex Stalock and Lou Nanne appearing for select games.
St. Louis Blues
The Blues are partnering with NHL Productions on regional broadcasts while launching a new team-owned and operated multimedia platform. The club is working on agreements with cable, satellite, streaming, and over-the-air providers. A direct-to-consumer streaming option is also being negotiated.
“This partnership is an ideal arrangement for the St. Louis Blues that leverages the production strength of the NHL while giving our organization more control over every aspect of our local broadcasts than ever before,” said Steve Chapman, the team’s executive vice president, chief revenue and marketing officer.
Detroit Red Wings
Detroit is taking a different route with Detroit SportsNet, a new year-round sports network created by Ilitch Sports + Entertainment, the ownership group behind the Red Wings and Detroit Tigers. The network launched earlier this year and serves as the local home for both teams, with cable, satellite, and in-market streaming options available.
The move is also part of a broader partnership with Major League Baseball, which is helping support the production and distribution of Tigers and Red Wings broadcasts. The Red Wings take the ice on the network this upcoming season, and Ken Daniels and Mickey Redmond are expected to continue leading Red Wings telecasts.
Nashville Predators
At the end of last season, it was announced that the Nashville Predators are taking their games to free over-the-air television. The Preds signed a multi-year agreement with Scripps Sports that will make locally televised games available across Middle Tennessee and beyond.
The games will air on WNPX-TV, branded as “The Spot – Nashville 28,” and will also be available through cable, satellite, the team’s upcoming streaming app, and Tablo. Scripps is also producing live 30-minute pregame and postgame shows for locally televised games. The deal is designed to put Predators hockey in front of the “widest possible local audience.”
Los Angeles Kings
The LA Kings are an unusual case in the post-FanDuel Sports Network era. The team is expected to remain on Angels Broadcast TV, aka ABTV (formerly FanDuel Sports Network West), for the 2026-27 season, including the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The arrangement is tied to the Los Angeles Angels’ ownership stake in FDSN West and the team’s plans to eventually launch a new regional sports network.
For now, Kings fans will find the action on the ice on ABTV during the upcoming season.
The NHL Skates On to New TV Homes as the RSN Era Comes to an End
The NHL’s new local TV strategy looks increasingly similar to the approach MLB has taken as teams move away from the traditional regional sports network model.
Some teams are launching their own networks. Others are moving games to free over-the-air television. The NHL is also stepping in to provide centralized production support, giving teams more control without requiring every club to build an entire broadcast operation from scratch.
MLB has already gone down this road with several teams, and others have also turned to team-controlled broadcasts and more accessible streaming options.
Now, the NBA appears to be next. Commissioner Adam Silver noted that the league is exploring a centralized local TV and streaming hub that could give teams a common way to distribute local games across multiple platforms. That would continue the trend of professional sports leagues moving away from a system where every team depends on a traditional RSN to reach local fans.
At the same time, teams like the Phoenix Suns and Utah Jazz have shown that free over-the-air television and direct-to-consumer streaming can dramatically expand a team’s audience. The Suns have continued pushing a free local broadcast strategy, with owner Mat Ishbia arguing that making games easier for fans to watch is more important than simply maximizing short-term media revenue.
After the collapse of FanDuel Sports Network, the NHL is trying a new approach. And if MLB’s early results are any indication, making games easier to find could end up being just as important as finding the highest-paying TV deal. And if the NBA follows the same path, the era of every team needing its own traditional regional sports network may finally be coming to an end.