NY Rangers open 2025 NHL season vs. Penguins — Here’s how to watch for free

New coach, new captain, new season.

After a disappointing 2024-25 campaign, the New York Rangers have a blank slate in front of them as the 2025-26 season begins tonight.

The Blueshirts will open the season at home against new head coach Mike Sullivan’s former team, the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Sullivan, who served as an assistant coach for the Rangers from 2009-2013, is back in New York after ten years and two Stanley Cup championships as the head coach of the Penguins. After being named head coach of the Rangers in May, Sullivan was also tapped by USA Hockey to coach the men’s hockey team at the 2026 Olympics.

Ahead of the new season, the Rangers also named the 29th captain in franchise history: J.T. Miller. Miller, who was drafted by the Rangers in 2011 and played six seasons there before trades sent him elsewhere, returned to the Rangers in January 2025.

Here’s how to watch the Rangers season-opener if you don’t have cable.

Rangers vs. Penguins time:

The Rangers vs. Penguins season-opener is scheduled to begin at 8:00 p.m. ET tonight, Oct. 7, on ESPN.

How to watch Rangers vs. Penguins for free:

If you don’t have cable, you’ll need a live TV streaming service to stream the Rangers game for free. One option we love is DIRECTV, which comes with a five-day free trial and starts at $29.99/month for genre packs, with plenty of subscription options and genre packs that includes ESPN.

If you aren’t ready to commit to a full-on subscription, you can try a Sling Orange Day Pass. Priced at $4.99, you’ll get 24 hours of access to all Sling TV Orange has to offer, including ESPN.

Why Trust Post Wanted by the New York Post

This article was written by Angela Tricarico, Commerce Streaming Reporter for Post Wanted Shopping, Page Six, and New York Post’s streaming property, Decider. Angela keeps readers up to date with cord-cutter-friendly deals, and information on how to watch your favorite sports teams, TV shows, and movies on every streaming service. Not only does Angela test and compare the streaming services she writes about to ensure readers are getting the best prices, but she’s also a superfan specializing in the intersection of shopping, tech, sports, and pop culture. Prior to joining Decider and The New York Post in 2023, she wrote about streaming and consumer tech at Insider Reviews