NHL Network, already available in Canada, launches in U.S.
October 8, 2007

NEW YORK (AP) -- The NHL is launching its own network in the United States.

The NHL Network, which has been available in Canada since 2001, will begin airing this month through carriage agreements with Cablevision, Comcast, Cox Communications, DirecTV, Dish Network and Time Warner Cable.


The network will be accessible to 75 million homes, the league said. It will broadcast 50 live regular-season games as well as classic games, documentaries, instructional shows and highlights.

Games will be available in high definition.

"Our fans across the U.S. and Canada now can have access to the hockey programming they want, regardless the time of day," NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said in a news release. "We have joined with six of the most-respected cable and satellite distributors in the industry, and that is testimony to the appetite and demand for the NHL."

Anybody have it?

I'm thinking about signing up so I can watch the USA-Canada game today, just wondering if the rest of the programming is worth the extra $$$ or not?

I don't even have cable, but...my brother and a few others have said it's great.

haha, my cable provider doesn't have anything NHL-related in its sports package. flat-out refused to take my $170 or whatever.

I have it. It comes with RDS for $2.50 a month. Lots of hichlights and some games and classic games. I'm really paying for RDS who carry all the Montreal Canadien games.

Fwiw, I'm pretty sure the US NHL Network and the Canadian NHL Network are quite different, just from what I hear on other boards.

I could be wrong.

US network broadcasts more live games. Many of the ones TSN covers in Canada. Canadian side gets more highlites from my understanding.

I get it here on one of the digital cable channels. I watch it from time to time.

Ended up not getting it, since I'm really not that interested in the classic stuff or the old highlight reels, and I already have Centre Ice so I get the local and out of market games anyway. I really would have only been getting it for the WJC, and I guess I'll live without watching it.

Thanks for the advice.

Right choice if you have center ice. No need for it.

Too many early games for me to get center Ice as I'm in the west and would not get to watch too many of the eastern games.

Are you telling me you have something better to do at 4 in the afternoon?

Ya hard to believe but I have a job.

I watched on my buddy's digital comcast in DC but they haven't spread it to my digital comcast in Charlottesville. Seems like there was some good stuff though and I hope to get it soon.

Yay!!!....just got a letter in the mail from Comcast telling me that NHL Network is on the way, and by the channel number it seems like it going to be a HD channel. Is that possible?

I had it for free for a month a while ago and there was a recap of all the series Montreal was in durring the cup win in 86. It was one of the most beautiful documentaries I have ever watched.

Yes, it's HD.

I have it on DirecTV... it's pretty awesome.