How To Watch 'Hockey Night in Canada' in 2026

"Hockey Night in Canada" ("HNIC") is back for its 90th season, but it's changing for 2026: NHL games are out, and the Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL) is in. CBC's longtime NHL broadcasts ended after the 2025–26 season, and the iconic Saturday night program is returning with eight primetime PWHL games.

The first PWHL edition of "Hockey Night in Canada" airs December 5, 2026, when the reigning Walter Cup champion Montréal Victoire host expansion team PWHL Hamilton. Here's where you can watch HNIC in Canada, the U.S., and elsewhere, plus the complete 2026–27 schedule.

Is "Hockey Night in Canada" still on CBC?

Yes, but "Hockey Night in Canada" looks different this season. CBC's agreement to broadcast NHL games ended after the 2025–26 season, ending its decades-long run of Saturday night NHL coverage. Sportsnet now carries Canada's national Saturday NHL games under its new "Saturday Night Hockey" package.

The change became especially noticeable on October 3, when CBC aired Canada Super 60 cricket instead of its traditional Saturday night NHL games. Some longtime hockey fans criticized the programming change and Rogers' new "Saturday Night Hockey" branding. However, CBC didn't replace hockey with cricket by choice. Its NHL sublicensing agreement with Rogers had expired, leaving the public broadcaster without NHL games to air. CBC instead launched "CBC Sports Primetime," a new Saturday night program featuring a rotating lineup of sports.

CBC, however, still has "Hockey Night in Canada." The program returns for its 90th consecutive season in partnership with the PWHL, marking the first time women's hockey will be featured under the iconic HNIC banner.

CBC will broadcast 26 PWHL games on Saturdays during the 2026–27 season. Eight will air in primetime as part of "Hockey Night in Canada," and every HNIC matchup will feature at least one Canadian-based team.

How to watch "Hockey Night in Canada" in Canada

Canadian viewers can watch "Hockey Night in Canada" on CBC TV or stream the games through CBC Gem and CBCSports.ca. That makes HNIC one of the easier PWHL broadcasts to watch without adding another paid sports streaming subscription.

Platform	Cost	HNIC games	Best for
CBC TV	Free over the air where available	All 8	Watching on TV
CBC Gem	Free	All 8	Streaming
CBCSports.ca	Free	All 8	Watching in a browser

Watch on CBC TV

CBC will broadcast all eight "Hockey Night in Canada" PWHL games as part of its Saturday night CBC Sports Primetime programming. If you receive your local CBC station over the air, you can watch without a cable or streaming subscription.

Stream on CBC Gem or CBCSports.ca

Cord-cutters can stream CBC's PWHL coverage through CBC Gem or CBCSports.ca. In addition to the eight primetime HNIC matchups, CBC is carrying 26 PWHL Saturday games throughout the 2026–27 season.

The rest of the PWHL schedule is spread across several services in Canada. Tuesday games stream exclusively on Prime Video, while TSN, TSN+, Sportsnet, and Sportsnet+ carry additional games throughout the week. Games not carried by a national Canadian media partner are also available on the PWHL's YouTube channel and thePWHL.com.

How to watch "Hockey Night in Canada" in the U.S.

Watching the PWHL from the U.S. is easier than watching the old Canadian NHL version of HNIC. The PWHL streams its games internationally through its official YouTube channel and thePWHL.com, giving U.S. viewers a straightforward way to watch the matchups featured on "Hockey Night in Canada."

The PWHL also has national U.S. television coverage for the 2026–27 season. ION airs a featured Saturday Game of the Week, while additional games are available through Scripps Sports Network and regional broadcast partners. Because those U.S. broadcasts don't always line up with CBC's eight HNIC games, check the PWHL schedule for the viewing option available for a specific matchup.

How to watch "Hockey Night in Canada" outside Canada

The PWHL offers international streaming through its official YouTube channel and thePWHL.com. Games are available worldwide outside Canada, Czechia, and Slovakia, where separate broadcast agreements apply.

That means viewers in countries such as the U.K. generally don't need a Canadian TV subscription just to follow the PWHL teams featured on "Hockey Night in Canada." Check the PWHL's official viewing information before puck drop, since regional broadcast availability can change.

How to watch "Hockey Night in Canada" while traveling

If you're traveling, your usual streaming options may change because services such as CBC Gem use your location to determine what content is available. A virtual private network (VPN) changes your virtual location by routing your connection through a server in another country, which can help you bypass geo-restrictions while you're away from home.

For example, connecting to a Canadian VPN server gives you a Canadian IP address, making your internet connection appear to come from Canada.

Here's how to get started:

1. Choose a VPN. Look for a fast VPN with Canadian servers and reliable streaming performance.
2. Sign up. Choose a subscription and create your account.
3. Download the VPN app. Install the app on the device you'll use to stream.
4. Connect to Canada. Choose a Canadian server to get a Canadian IP address.
5. Open your streaming service. Go to CBC Gem or the service you normally use and look for the game.

Keep in mind that streaming services can detect or restrict VPN connections, so using a VPN doesn't guarantee access to a particular stream.

Best VPN to stream "Hockey Night in Canada"

We recommend Surfshark for fans who want to watch while traveling. It's one of our best VPNs for Canada, and our testing found that it can access CBC Gem.

Surfshark has 120+ servers across Toronto, Vancouver, and Montreal, giving you several Canadian locations to choose from. It also supports unlimited simultaneous connections, so one subscription can cover your phone, laptop, tablet, streaming devices, and the rest of your household.

Surfshark also offers obfuscated servers that disguise VPN traffic as regular internet traffic. For more options, compare our top-tested VPN services.

2026–27 "Hockey Night in Canada" schedule

CBC's 90th season of "Hockey Night in Canada" features eight primetime PWHL games from December through April. Every matchup includes at least one Canadian-based team.

Date	Matchup	Time (ET)
Dec. 5, 2026	PWHL Hamilton at Montréal Victoire	7 p.m.
Dec. 12, 2026	Boston Fleet at Toronto Sceptres	7 p.m.
Dec. 26, 2026	Toronto Sceptres at PWHL Hamilton	7 p.m.
Jan. 2, 2027	New York Sirens at Vancouver Goldeneyes	7 p.m.
Jan. 23, 2027	Minnesota Frost at Vancouver Goldeneyes	7 p.m.
Feb. 20, 2027	Seattle Torrent at Toronto Sceptres	7 p.m.
Feb. 27, 2027	Vancouver Goldeneyes at Boston Fleet	7 p.m.
Apr. 3, 2027	PWHL Detroit at Montréal Victoire	7 p.m.

Game times are subject to change. The broader 2026–27 PWHL regular season includes 180 games across 12 teams and runs from December 5, 2026, through April 18, 2027.

Bottom line

"Hockey Night in Canada" isn't gone — it's entering a new era. After CBC's NHL broadcasts ended following the 2025–26 season, the program returns for its 90th season with eight primetime PWHL games featuring Canadian teams.

For viewers in Canada, the easiest options are CBC TV, CBC Gem, and CBCSports.ca. Fans in the U.S. and many other countries can also follow PWHL games through the league's YouTube channel and thePWHL.com. If you're traveling and your usual stream is geo-restricted, a VPN for Canada may help you access the services you use at home.

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