Where to watch ice hockey in Australia

There are two types of hockey in Australia: field and ice. Of those, field hockey is more popular because, well, we have an abundance of fields Down Under but not so much in the way of ice. But just because fields are more prominent than ice rinks in Australia, doesn’t mean you can’t watch ice hockey from the comfort of your couch. Here’s how to stream ice hockey in Australia from some of the best sports streaming services.

There are many ice hockey leagues around the world, but the most renowned one is the National Hockey League (NHL). In this context “National” refers to North America rather than Australia. Hmm, shouldn’t that be “Continental Hockey League”? Naming misnomers aside, the home of NHL streaming in Australia is Kayo Sports and Foxtel Now.

Here are the different prices to pay for Kayo Sports and Foxtel Now in Australia:

• $25 for Kayo One (one HD stream)
• $35 for Kayo Basic (4K HD streams)
• $54 for Foxtel Now with the Sport add-on (two HD streams)

You can also find NHL matches on Fetch TV as part of the ESPN channel. In terms of monthly costs, you’re either looking at $6 for the Vibe Pack or $20 for the Ultimate Pack. But first, you need a Fetch TV set-top box. Buy a Fetch TV Mini, Mini 4K or Mighty outright from a retailer. Alternatively, bundle it from a participating NBN provider: Aussie Broadband, iiNet, Internode, iPrimus, Optus and Westnet all offer Fetch TV bundles.

NHL may be the biggest global ice hockey league, but it’s not the only one. With the right virtual private network (VPN) service, you get more ice hockey streaming options, starting with NHL. Connect to a Canadian VPN server, then sign up for a CBC Gem account and watch NHL matches for free.

For more North American ice hockey, connect to a US VPN server to watch American Hockey League (AHL) matches via AHL TV (US$8.99 for a day or US$29.99 for all-access). Stay connected to a US VPN server for live matches of the East Coast Hockey League (ECHL) via FloHockey TV, Southern Professional Hockey League (SPHL) matches on Hockey TV, and Federal Prospects Hockey League (FPHL) bouts on FPHL Live.

Of the 17 VPNs I’ve reviewed, the ones below offered fast streaming with US services:

• Windscribe VPN
• ExpressVPN
• NordVPN
• Proton VPN

For Australian ice hockey matches, you want to tune into the Australian Ice Hockey League (AIHL) via AIHL.tv, which normally costs $69.90 per year, $15.90 per month or $9.90 for a single match. For a free alternative, Pacific Hockey League matches are streamed for free on the Pacific Hockey League YouTube channel.

The Stanley Cup is what North American teams in the NHL compete for each year. Catch NHL matches on the ESPN channel with Foxtel Now (channel 509) or by navigating to the ice hockey tab on Kayo Sports. The latest matches on Kayo Sports are promoted in the top carousel with live and upcoming ones listed below. You can also watch recent ice hockey replays.

Interested to see how the streaming services above stack up against the competition? Take a look at the table below for a comparison of your streaming options in Australia.