Seeing NHL ice hockey in New York is an entertaining night out for locals and tourists alike. The city has two excellent ice hockey teams and even New Jersey competes in the National Hockey League (NHL). If you want to enjoy a real American experience during your New York trip, going to an ice hockey game is definitely a good option. On this page, I’ll tell you all you need to know about ice hockey before going to a game. The season runs from October to April.
🏒 (NHL) National Hockey League:
Eric's Index
New York Ice Hockey Teams
New York has two ice hockey teams: the New York Rangers and the New York Islanders. Madison Square Garden in Manhattan is home to the Rangers whereas the Islanders play at UBS Arena in Elmont. You can also choose to go to a New Jersey Devils game. The Islanders-Rangers rivalry is unofficially called ‘The Battle of New York’.
See the 2025 ice hockey schedule here
New York Ice Hockey Games
Ice hockey is a fast physical sport with lots of action and excitement from the crowd. The speed of the game makes it great fun to watch for the entire family.
A game is always played between two teams that usually consist of five players and one goaltender. The game consists of three periods of twenty minutes. To score points, each team must shoot a puck into the net of the opponent.
Since the clock only runs when the puck is in play, the game usually takes a lot longer. An average game takes up to two or two and a half hours. Substitutions are permitted at any time and occur very often.
Ice Hockey Season
The ice hockey season takes place from October through April. The pre-season starts in September, and the playoffs are held in April and May. The finals take place in June.
Pre season tickets 2025
During the NHL pre-season games, you get to experience an ice hockey game with real atmosphere, but at a cheaper price than the regular season games.
In 2025, NHL pre-season games in New York are taking place on:
Regular season
The regular ice hockey season runs from October through April. This is when teams compete to secure their position in the standings and earn a spot in the playoffs. The top teams from each division, plus wild card teams, make it to the post-season games.
Regular season ticket prices vary, depending on for example the opponent, day of the week, and seats, but in general they’re more affordable than playoff tickets.
New York Playoffs (post-season games)
The playoffs are games played by the top competitors at the end of the season. Tickets for the playoffs are usually more expensive than tickets for games during the regular season. The New York teams haven’t always been successful, but over the last years, both the New York Rangers and New York Islanders have repeatedly managed to make it to the playoffs.
The team that wins the playoffs will be handed the Stanley Cup. This championship trophy has been awarded annually since 1893. The New York Rangers have won the Stanley Cup four times, as have their rivals, the Islanders.
Where to watch an NHL game in New York?
The best place to watch an NHL game is, of course, in the arena itself. But if you don’t have tickets to a game, you could also go to a sports bar to see it. For instance, at The Canuck. This Canadian sports bar is all about ice hockey, and every game will be shown here.
The place is even more fun when one of the New York teams is playing against a Canadian team. If you do have tickets for the game, you can also come here for a drink before or after the game.
Ice Hockey Games Calendar in New York
Start time: 19:00 | Ice Hockey | Starting at £54.00
Start time: 16:00 | Ice Hockey | Starting at £40.00
Start time: 19:00 | Ice Hockey | Starting at £33.00
Start time: 13:00 | Ice Hockey | Starting at £50.00
Start time: 13:00 | Ice Hockey | Starting at £120.00