NHL For PC Archives

For 13 years, EA Sports NHL was one of the more popular PC sports titles available for fans. It was the first version of the game to have reliable online play, and is still highly regarded for having one of the better online communities in gaming.

It’s clear that there is a demand for the game’s return to the platform with active modding still being done to titles like NHL 2004 and NHL 09, but the game hasn’t seen a release on PC since the latter title was released in September 2008. But just because the game hasn’t seen a PC release in seven years, that doesn’t mean a return to the platform isn’t in the minds of those in charge of the franchise.

In a recent interview with lead producer Sean Ramjagsingh, that exact topic was brought up, and included a response that gives fans hope the future of the game.

“It’s something we’ve looked at over the past few years,” he said. “There are just a number of issues that need to be resolved first.”

One of those issues include piracy, which is arguably the largest problem when it comes to PC game releases. People gaining illegal copies of a game via peer-to-peer torrent downloads leads to a number of potential financial impacts on a company. Of course, most games don’t allow online play for unregistered copies, but that usually doesn’t stop pirates from enjoying the single-player modes a game has to offer.

Other issues include making the game mod friendly, online server stability and overall performance, among other not-named hurdles.

So, while NHL 16 won’t be available on PC and it’s unlikely that even NHL 17 will appear on the platform, there is still plenty of hope that the series will, one day, come back to a consumer base that is dying for their hockey fix.

General 

What is NHL LIVE™?

NHL LIVE™ is a subscription sports streaming product, available within the NHL app and NHL.com. It allows you to livestream over 1,000 national and out-of-market NHL games¹ on your smartphone, laptop, connected devices, or tablet.

It is available for purchase in Canada only.

What content am I getting with a subscription to NHL LIVE™?

With your subscription to NHL LIVE™ you get access to over 1,000 national & out-of-market regular season games1, the 2019 Tim Hortons NHL Heritage Classic™, 2020 Bridgestone Winter Classic®, 2020 NHL® All-Star Game, 2020 NHL Stadium™ Series and entire 2020 Stanley Cup® Playoffs.

For more information on what you can watch in your specific region, please proceed to our What Can I Watch? section.

How do you purchase?

1. Visit our Pricing & Packages page and choose one of the purchase options, click on the “Choose Plan” button

2. Create a login and password. This will be what you use to livestream all of your content on NHL LIVE™.

3. Enter your credit card information and confirm your purchase

Note: If you have created a Rogers Media Login for any of Rogers websites in the past, you can use that login to signup for NHL LIVE™. You do not have to be a Rogers customer to make one.

How much does a subscription cost?

Full Season Pass (Early Bird Price) – $179.99 / season

Available from September 12 to October 1, 2019

Provides access from October 2, 2019 until August 31, 2020

Full Season Pass (Regular Price) – $199.99 / season

Available from October 2 to December 19, 2019

Provides access from October 2, 2019 until August 31, 2020

Half Season Pass – $129.99 / season

Available from December 19 to March 14, 2020

Provides access from December 19, 2019 until August 31, 2020

Stanley Cup® Playoff Pass – $74.99 / season

Available from March 15 to May 31, 2020

Provides access from March 15, 2020 until August 31, 2020

Monthly Pass – $29.99 / month

Available from October 1, 2019 to June 15, 2020

Provides access month-to-month, from October 1, 2019 until August 31, 2020

Monthly charge recurs one month at a time, from the point of signup, October through June (no fee is charged for July, August or September, then resumes the following season)

NHL (Out-of-Market) French Package – $59.99 / season

Available from October 1 to March 15, 2020

Provides access from October 1, 2019 until the end of the 2019-20 NHL® regular season

What is included in each subscription package?

Early Bird Pass/Full Season Pass: Includes over 1,000 national and out-of-market  games, including the entire 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Subscribers can also access their local, in-market team games (English and French) and French-language national games within NHL LIVE™ provided that they

A) have a cable or satellite subscription that includes Sportsnet, TSN, TVA, RDS or RDS2, and

B) have their TV subscription with a participating TV provider.

Note: The only difference between an Early Bird and Full Season Pass is the Early Bird comes at a discounted price of $179.99 for the full season. Early Bird is available for purchase between September 12th and October 1st.

Half-Season Pass: Includes access to the same games as the Full Season Pass, but is available starting December 19th, 2019 at a discounted price ($129.99). Reflecting the fact that the first 3 months of the regular season are complete, there are less regular season games in the Half Season Pass compared to the Full Season’s Pass.

Stanley Cup Playoffs Pass: Includes access to the same type of games as the Full Season Pass, but is available starting March 15th, 2020 at a discounted price ($74.99) and includes the last month of the 2019-20 regular season and the entire Stanley Cup® Playoffs.

Monthly Pass: Allows you to catch all national and out-of-market games within one month (subject to NHL Blackout rules) as well as every game of the Stanley Cup® Playoffs (at least 60 games). The monthly pass provides full access to NHL LIVE™ without the commitment. You pay one month at a time and can cancel whenever you like.

NHL (out-of-market) French Pass: Fans that want only the Regional, French-language games (broadcast by RDS within the Ottawa Senators and Montreal Canadiens region) can subscribe to this package for $59.99/season. The NHL® French Package allows you to catch all Montreal Canadiens and Ottawa Senators games in French outside of the teams’ region.

Package includes:

60 Montreal Canadiens games; and

54 Ottawa Senators games

Since 2 of these games involve both teams, the total number of games included would be 112

Access lasts from the date of purchase until the end of the regular season.

Note: This pass is only available West of Belleville, Ontario. It provides access to the regular season only and does not include the Stanley Cup® Playoffs. This package is not available on Roku devices

For more information about broadcast regions and how they might impact you, please refer to the What Can I Watch? section.

What on-demand features come with a subscription?

All games are available on-demand shortly after a game is finished. Regional blackouts are lifted within 48 hours for in-market games.

The games are also available in a condensed version (15 minutes), as well as archives of games from previous seasons.

Can I use promotional coupons to purchase my subscription?

Yes.

If you have received a promotional coupon from one of our partners, these coupons have been designed to reward you with either a period of free access to NHL LIVE™ or a discounted purchase price for a paid subscription to NHL LIVE™.

To redeem your code, continue as if you were making a regular purchase. Register an account, choose a plan and insert your promo code on the payment page before continuing.

What can French language customers experience with NHL LIVE™?

Games that are produced in French language are accessible within NHL LIVE™ for the 2019-20 season, subject to NHL rules around blackouts and TV authentication, which vary by region. For French language games the out-of-market rules still apply within NHL LIVE™.

How do I cancel my auto-renewal for the 2019-20 season?

You will be sent a reminder via email a couple of weeks before the auto-renewal date. If you would like to change the status of your auto-renewal before your credit card is charged, you can sign into your account and change your auto-renewal status.

Note: all auto-renewal subscriptions will be to the Full Season Pass at the discounted Early Bird rate.

Are any games available to watch for free?

Yes.

NHL LIVE™ is continuing the tradition of making Hockey Night in Canada games on CBC free for anyone across the country to watch. To stream free Hockey Night in Canada matchups every week, simply create a login by going to our registration page.

Every Saturday night, games will be marked as “Free Game” on the ‘Scores‘ page on NHL.com, or on the ‘Scores‘ tab on the NHL app.

Click on the game, sign in with your login and enjoy!

What is the difference between NHL LIVE™ and Sportsnet NOW™?

NHL LIVE™ and Sportsnet NOW™ are opposite products from one another, serving two different types of sports fans.

For example, if you are a Calgary Flames fan, but you live in Montreal, you cannot watch Calgary games because Montreal is the local team (known as the “in-market” team). This would make you an out-of-market hockey fan. If you want to watch games that don’t involve your local team, NHL LIVE™ is the product for you. To find out more about what games would be available in your region, proceed to our What Can I Watch? tool.

Sportsnet NOW™ is the opposite. If you are a Calgary Flames fan and live in Alberta, the Flames would be your in-market team. As a result, Sportsnet NOW™ is the product for you. For more detail on differences between NHL LIVE™ and Sportsnet NOW™, click here 

Note: Sportsnet NOW™ is also available free for those with Sportsnet in their TV subscription, with participating TV providers. To find out if your cable or satellite company is a participating TV provider, please visit www.sportsnet.ca/now/faq.

What is the difference between NHL LIVE™ and NHL Centre Ice?

NHL Centre Ice is a similar product to NHL LIVE™, but is only available in TV subscriptions through participating TV providers, whereas NHL LIVE™ is available via internet subscription. Like NHL LIVE™, NHL Centre Ice comes with the ability to watch out-of-market games. It comes with a number of subscription options (including full season, half season, etc.), but does not include the Stanley Cup® Playoffs.

GETTING STARTED

How do I start livestreaming NHL games?

On your PC or Laptop:

1. Go to our Schedule page

2. Click on the NHL game that you want to watch, sign in and start streaming!

On your Smartphone or Tablet:

1. Download the NHL application to your iOS or Android device

2. Login using email and password created during registration

3. Tap to the Scores screen

4. Choose a game to start watching!

What devices is NHL LIVE™ available on?

NHL LIVE™ subscriptions can be accessed through the NHL app on Android smart phones and tablets, iPhones and iPads, desktop computers, Apple TV (3rd Generation and later), Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Android TV and Google Chromecast.

Note: As of the 2018-19 NHL season, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and 2nd generation Apple TV’s are no longer supported devices for NHL LIVE™.

Can I use NHL LIVE™ on more than one device?

You can stream on up to three devices at the same time with your subscription.

How much data will I use when streaming NHL LIVE™ to my smartphone/tablet?

About 2-3 GB per game if you’re streaming NHL LIVE™ to a smartphone or approximately 2 to 5GB per game if you’re streaming to a tablet, computer, gaming console or TV.

This is an estimate, and actual usage varies based on the length of the game, stream quality, the device you’re using and other factors.

In-App Purchase

Can I purchase a subscription In-App using one of my devices?

Yes.

You can purchase a subscription to NHL LIVE™ using your iOS devices through iTunes, as well as through the Google Play store on Android devices.

Note: a limited selection of subscriptions plans are available within the app.

What subscription plans can I purchase through the NHL app?

Early Bird Pass

Full Season Pass

Half Season Pass

Monthly Pass

Stanley Cup Playoffs Pass

Note: NHL Out-of-Market French Pass is not available in-app and can only be purchased through the NHL LIVE™ website.

I’ve purchased a subscription to NHL LIVE™ through the NHL app and have since changed my mind. Can I receive a refund?

Subscriptions to NHL LIVE™ purchased through the NHL app on iOS are managed by Apple. Please contact Apple to review their purchase and refund policies at apple.com/ca/support.

If you purchased through your Android device and are looking for similar support, please visit https://support.google.com/

I’ve just purchased a subscription to NHL LIVE™ through the NHL app. While purchasing I’ve been asked to create another login, why should I do it?

As the final step while making a purchase of NHL LIVE™ within the NHL app, you will be asked to sign in with your login or to create a new login. By doing so, you are making a connection between your in-app purchase account and another email. This is important because this new login enables you to stream live hockey games on all supported devices, rather than just on the devices supported by your in-app purchase.

Remember that you can always create a login later to make the connection and watch on other devices. To do this, start up the NHL app and go to the Settings section then sign in. More information can be found here.

I’ve just purchased a subscription to NHL LIVE™ through the NHL app, but I’m having trouble watching games on Apple TV or other devices.

Due to the way that Apple IDs and in-app purchases work, your in-app purchase only provides access through your iPhone, iPad, or 4th generation Apple TV.

To watch games on other devices, including your Desktop, Xbox, PlayStation, and Roku, you need to connect your in-app purchase with an NHL LIVE™ login – this acts as a universal login so that your subscription can be used on other devices.

¹ Over 1,000 game count based on a Full Season Pass