NHL Network launched in the United States on October 1, 2007. It grew out of a joint venture between the National Hockey League and cable operator Comcast. The deal accompanied a broadcast-rights agreement that placed NHL games on Comcast’s Outdoor Life Network, later rebranded NBC Sports Network. The league now holds majority ownership of the channel, with NBCUniversal retaining a minority stake.

NHL Network shares its Secaucus, New Jersey headquarters with MLB Network. The two channels have shared production management since 2015, when the NHL outsourced operations to Major League Baseball’s media arm. Daily programming blends studio analysis with live look-ins on game nights. Coverage expands during the Stanley Cup Playoffs, when signature shows broadcast on-site from participating markets.

The network also carries international events, including the World Junior Championship and the Hlinka Gretzky Cup. In 2024, NHL Network restructured its evening lineup, adding a conversational lead-in show called NHL Tonight: First Shift. NHL Now followed each evening, offering locker-room-style commentary and the recurring “Players Only” interview segment. NHL Tonight then carries fans through puck drop with live look-ins and breaking news.

Kathryn Tappen anchors much of NHL Network’s nightly programming, joined regularly by Adnan Virk and Erika Wachter. E.J. Hradek serves as lead analyst on NHL Tonight, drawing on more than three decades covering the sport. After the final horn, On the Fly closes out the night with highlights and postgame analysis.

Lauren Gardner previously anchored the network’s coverage of marquee events, including the Stanley Cup Final and NHL Draft before her departure in 2026. Retired players Ken Daneyko, Mike Rupp, and Stu Grimson round out the rotation with a locker-room perspective. NHL Network also airs select collegiate hockey alongside its NHL coverage each season.