9 Vancouver Canucks games are moving behind a Sportsnet+ paywall
Fans will have to pay even more to watch every Vancouver Canucks game this season.
The price of a Sportsnet+ subscription had already increased ahead of the 2026-27 NHL season.
Sportsnet announced in July that both the standard and premium Sportsnet+ subscriptions would go up by $20 per year starting in September. That’s after earlier price increases in 2025, meaning standard plans are now $90 more per year than they were two years ago and premium plans are $100 more per year.
Now, it turns out that those subscribed to Sportsnet through a cable TV package aren’t safe from price increases either.
On Wednesday, Sportsnet announced that Monday Night Hockey will be exclusively broadcast on Sportsnet+ for the coming season, hosted by David Amber with analysts Luke Gazdic and Justin Williams.
While cable TV subscribers can typically access Sportsnet+ through their TV provider, that won’t grant them access to these exclusive games. Instead, they’ll need to pay an additional premium.
“Fans who currently subscribe to Sportsnet through a TV provider can access Monday Night Hockey and more than 100 additional US team matchups by signing into Sportsnet+ with their TV provider credentials and upgrading to add this content for $12.99/month,” said Sportsnet in a press release. “The add-on package for TV subscribers will be available for purchase beginning on September 15.”
For Canucks fans without an existing Sportsnet+ subscription, this means nine games this season will effectively be behind a paywall, which will add up to (with tax) over $100 for the full NHL season.
Here are the nine Canucks games affected:
- Nov. 9: Philadelphia Flyers at Vancouver Canucks, 6:30 p.m.
- Nov. 16: Vancouver Canucks at Utah Mammoth, 6:30 p.m.
- Dec. 7: Washington Capitals at Vancouver Canucks, 6:00 p.m.
- Dec. 14: Vancouver Canucks at San Jose Sharks, 7:00 p.m.
- Dec. 21: Utah Mammoth at Vancouver Canucks, 6:00 p.m.
- Dec. 28: Los Angeles Kings at Vancouver Canucks, 6:30 p.m.
- Jan. 18: Vancouver Canucks at Colorado Avalanche, 12:00 p.m.
- Feb. 1: Montreal Canadiens at Vancouver Canucks, 5:30 p.m.
- March 29: Vancouver Canucks at Los Angeles Kings, 6:30 p.m.
The kicker is that this still won’t get fans every Canucks game. Prime Video signed a 12-year deal in July to broadcast “at least 26 national regular-season NHL games” on Wednesday nights, so fans can expect at least a couple of the Canucks’ eight Wednesday games to be on Prime instead of Sportsnet, which will require another $99/year subscription.
Sportsnet’s spin on the changes is that the network will be broadcasting more games nationally, with fewer regional blackouts, and also comes with the announcement that popular broadcasters Kevin Bieksa and Elliotte Friedman will return to their Saturday night broadcasts.
But that’s a small consolation to fans who will have to further open their wallets to watch the Canucks this season.