The NHL is an icon for hockey fans and thanks to NHL.TV (formerly known as NHL Gamecenter, it is possible to enjoy all the action of this popular league, including playoff games, no matter where you are. NHL.TV is a paid streaming service that gives you access to live games on your computer, or on your mobile device when you are on the go. The service is available from $19.99 per year and it gives access to a great selection of content. However, there are streaming blackouts that prevent users from watching all the live games and the restrictions affect NHL.TV subscribers. When a local TV station purchases the rights to broadcast a game, the match won’t be available online because it’s on TV. If you don’t live in the same area where the TV station that acquired the rights is located, you will eventually be able to catch up with the game, but not until 48 hours have passed.
This is bad news for NHL.TV subscribers who are outside the area covered by the TV channel that is broadcasting the game. Since the NHL gives priority to the TV station showing the game, all the areas outside the region of coverage, are considered as blackout zones. There are matches that are shown in a specific region, while others are available nationwide. If you happen to be in a blackout area, you won’t be able to watch the game in real time and will need to wait until 2 days have passed. US and Canadian viewers are affected by these blackouts regularly, given that regional blackouts are applied in these countries. Even without the blackouts, fans in Canada don’t have the possibility of streaming games.
How to Access NHL.TV if you are in Canada
Given that hockey is huge in Canada, it is quite disappointing to see that the NHL.TV online streaming service is not available. There is an option called Rogers Gamecenter, but it offers less content than the US version. Things may not be so bad if you have the TV channel that is showing the game and you are at home since you will be able to watch the game. The problem is that if you don’t have that specific TV channel, or you are on the go, you will have to catch up with the game at a later stage, which won’t be as much fun as watching the live action. Fortunately, there are ways to watch any NHL game, no matter where in the world you are.
In order to be able to watch games on NHL.TV, the first thing that you need is a subscription. Then, you can use a VPN to bypass the blackouts and enjoy live games without hassle. A VPN is a powerful technology that offers protection for your online traffic, as it encrypts it and allows you to connect to servers in other locations. This helps to keep your identity masked and also gives you the possibility of accessing content that is only available in that specific location. You can access content that is subject to geo-blocks, including streaming services. If you are in Canada and only have access to Rogers, you can connect to a US server and unlock the NHL.TV service to enjoy a wider selection of content.
With a good VPN service that offers a solid network of servers that cover multiple locations in Canada, Mexico and United States, that allow you to unlock the games, you will be able to forget about the blackouts. Another aspect to consider is speed since you need to stream the content without experiencing significant delays. We have created a list of the best VPN service to bypass the NHL.TV blackouts. Once you select the VPN service that you prefer, you just need to connect to a a server in a country where the match is not being broadcasted. Otherwise, you can connect to a server in the same city (or around that location) where the game is taking place, and you may be able to access watch online streams from the TV station that holds the broadcasting rights.
ExpressVPN
ExpressVPN has servers in almost 90 countries, including Mexico, Canada and the US, where they have coverage in multiple locations. Thanks to the excellent speeds that the service offers and the variety of servers available, you will be able to stream content from NHL.TV without having to deal with blackouts. Their software is fantastic and you can enjoy security for your data and bypass restrictions on your home computer, or on your mobile devices, thanks to their excellent apps.
Buffered
Buffered is a Hungarian provider that is getting the attention from many customers thanks to the fact that it is one of the few providers that has managed to bypass Netflix’s geographical restrictions effectively. Since Netflix applies strict measures to prevent access to geo-blocked content and Buffered has technology that can defeat the restrictions, it can certainly help you to bypass the NHL blackouts in order to access all the games you want. Buffered offers great speed and access to servers in nearly 40 countries.
PureVPN
PureVPN has a feature that is set to improve your streaming experience, allowing you to watch content without experiencing significant delays. You can connect to servers in over 140 countries, which is quite impressive. They offer a great set of features that will allow you to protect your data and to choose a server that allows you to defeat blackouts in order to enjoy live games. The service is affordable and the customer support is excellent.
Private Internet Access
Since you already have to pay a fee to get access to NHL.TV, you are probably looking for a VPN solution that is not too expensive. With PIA, you can enjoy a very effective service that allows you to bypass restrictions and secure your data, for a low price. For less than $3.50 per month (when you choose a yearly plan), PIA gives you high security and access to thousands of servers in 24 countries. The service is reliable and the speeds are good.