Watching the NHL—especially during the Stanley Cup Playoffs—has become unnecessarily difficult and outrageously expensive.

 

Today, fans are often forced to subscribe to multiple paid TV and streaming services just to watch one playoff series. Games in the SAME series routinely jump between regional sports networks, national cable channels, and streaming‑only platforms. Even after paying hundreds—or more than $1,000 per year—fans still face blackout restrictions and platform‑exclusive games.

 

A “subscription” no longer guarantees access.

 

This isn’t a minor inconvenience. It’s a broken system.

 

During the most important moments of the season, fans shouldn’t have to:

Guess where tonight’s game is airing
Sign up for yet another service mid‑series
Miss games despite paying for “coverage”

Hockey thrives on visibility and shared experience. When access is fragmented behind overlapping paywalls, participation increasingly becomes about income—not passion for the game.

 

The NHL benefits from special legal treatment under the Sports Broadcasting Act of 1961, which was meant to ensure broad public access and consumer benefit. That purpose is being undermined when fans can’t reliably watch a single playoff series start to finish without juggling multiple subscriptions.

 

We are calling for:

Greater accountability in NHL broadcast agreements
A system that lets fans watch an entire playoff series or the Stanley Cup without platform‑hopping
Oversight to ensure current practices still serve the public interest
The Stanley Cup Playoffs should be about hockey—not subscription management.

If you believe fans shouldn’t need multiple paid services just to watch one playoff series, sign and share this petition.