NHL Center Ice/Game Center

[Jasper84 333]

This is probably a really dumb question but I've never subscribed to this before so I honestly don't know the answer.

Is NHL Center Ice on Comcast the same as NHL GameCenter on NHL.com?

I'm considering subscribing this year, but I wanted to make sure they weren't different. If they are, I want to be able to subscribe to the one where I can get the most of my money. One of my biggest concerns is, if they are the same, will I be able to access NHL GameCenter through NHL.com on the days I am out of town for work, and don't have access to my Comcast?

If anyone has subscribed before, any information at all would be helpful. I talked to Comcast on the phone, but it's like talking to a brick wall with them.

[zettie85 106]

When I subscribed to Centre Ice I was offered Gamecentre for free but I don't know if it is still like that. If it was me and I had a decent enough computer and decent interent connection I would go for Gamecentre.

You are still restricted by blackouts but I don't believe it has as many restrictions as Centre Ice.

[Cali-Wing-Nut 102]

Ive had Center Ice for a few years now. You get every game of the season. The two execptions are if the Wings play a non nationally televised NBC game the other one is that if the game is on after one in progress on VS.

Last year there was one non nationally televised Wings game that was only available to the Detroit area while everyone else had to watch the Caps vs Pit IIRC. As far as being precluded by other games, sometimes they will open up another feed of the game so you dont miss it.

One other thing is that if the Wings are playing a team that is local to you (for me its when they play the sharks) I have to watch the Sharks feed as the FSD feed is blacked out. Sucks cause I gotta listen to Drew "Im a whiny piece of s***" Arenda instead of Mickey Redmond.

All in all it is the best 150 bucks I spend on TV. I know in my case I learned a lot more about the league and players that I wouldnt really see otherwise due to being able to watch 2 games a night every day of the week. Id watch a Panthers Ottawa game just to watch hockey if no good games were on. Its addictive.

[Guest Shoreline]

When I had GameCentre for two years there were far more blackouts and other restrictions than for the TV version of Centre Ice. It might have changed now, but I wasn't very happy about it.

[Jasper84 333]

Thanks for all the responses, it sounds like I'll just go with the Center Ice and hope it's like Zettie85 said and get GameCenter for free. As for the black outs, I'm not too worried about it, I can still watch the Wings on FSN, I mainly want it because I always end up searching for streams of other teams and I'd rather just pay the money and watch it in HD on my tv.

[WingZNut13 99]

I am looking at both too...being in the south, do you think I would experience as many black outs?

I have an iMac so I am not worried about the quality I just want to make sure I can see all the games.

What is the best choice to see all of the Wings games?

[Seraph 240]

If you don't want to deal with blackouts and are planning to watch games on the computer, go with hockeystreams.com. They are based internationally, so they can break all the rules that Center Ice has to deal with so there are no blackouts or restrictions. I had to rely on it one summer for the playoffs and the quality was amazing. I was sketched out by giving them identifying information, so I just bought a gift credit card and used it.

If you have a nice TV setup, then I would definitely recommend Center Ice because it's just not as fun watching games on your computer.

[Guest Shoreline]

As far as TV goes the only time I ever got blackouts when living in the Bay Area, CA, on a scheduled game that was going to show up on Centre Ice channels, was when they were playing the Sharks and televised on Fox Sports Net Bay Area / Comcast Sportsnet Bay Area / KICU36 (90s/early 2000s analog TV) or whatever it's called now. At that point I think the blackout falls under the discretion of the media outlet with the rights to broadcast locally and they tend not to be favourable to people who are fans of a team outside the local area. The obvious way I remedied that was just turning it to the channel previously mentioned which was part of a basic satellite/cable package and was able to watch it, albeit with the local team's broadcast (i.e. play by play, colour, etc.), which was, I guess, better than not seeing it at all. When I had GameCentre Online, the blackout restrictions I had made it so I wasn't able to watch the game at all.

As mentioned, hockeystreams doesn't follow those rules, obviously due to possible legal implications of that service (it also means knowing the potential risks of losing money if the overzealous ICE wants to shut it down), but being really finicky about quality, I've never been as impressed with stream quality and consistency from online games as I've been with TV, spoiled rotten when having Centre Ice in HDTV. If you're in my situation and streams are all you've got at the moment, beggars can't be choosers, but if you have the receiver (esp HD receiver) and can get Centre Ice, I'd certainly advise that route first and foremost as the only way it gets any better is actually being at the arena.

Edited September 25, 2011 by Shoreline

[kook_10 1,705]

There are usually 2-3 Wings games a year that end up on the NHL network, which is separate from the Center Ice package (at least on Comcast).

[WingZNut13 99]

There are usually 2-3 Wings games a year that end up on the NHL network, which is separate from the Center Ice package (at least on Comcast).

I have the NHL network in my sports package so I will get that anyway so I think I am gonna go with the Center Ice on my TV. I just wanted to make sure I could get all the Wings games plus other games.

[fixxxer 11]

Hi guys just a quick question I think I read in another post that if you purchase Gamecenter you may be subjected to blackouts especially if you live in Michigan and want to watch the wings. Is it blacked out?

Reason I asked is because I finally cut the cord to cable and pretty much just use public channels and netflix. If Gamecenter blackouts local games to the user that does not have that area's Fox Sports channel what other options are there other than Hockeystreams? And what is the point to blacking out a persons local team if they don't have cable I mean isn't that the whole point of someone purchasing a NHL package? I'm a little leary to go the hockeystreams route and I'd rather not go back to paying $60+/month for just a few channels I watch on cable. I see that many people are buying packages in addition to their cable subscription. My other option might have to be buying the very basic uverse package and add on the sports package.

[drumnj 459]

Hi guys just a quick question I think I read in another post that if you purchase Gamecenter you may be subjected to blackouts especially if you live in Michigan and want to watch the wings. Is it blacked out?

Reason I asked is because I finally cut the cord to cable and pretty much just use public channels and netflix. If Gamecenter blackouts local games to the user that does not have that area's Fox Sports channel what other options are there other than Hockeystreams? And what is the point to blacking out a persons local team if they don't have cable I mean isn't that the whole point of someone purchasing a NHL package? I'm a little leary to go the hockeystreams route and I'd rather not go back to paying $60+/month for just a few channels I watch on cable. I see that many people are buying packages in addition to their cable subscription. My other option might have to be buying the very basic uverse package and add on the sports package.

Yes, your region's sports team is blacked out on GCL since networks have the rights for that area. All boils down to viewership/ratings.

Only cost saving options are free streams or your neighborhood sports bar if you don't have a cable/satellite package.

[fixxxer 11]

Yes, your region's sports team is blacked out on GCL since networks have the rights for that area. All boils down to viewership/ratings.

Only cost saving options are free streams or your neighborhood sports bar if you don't have a cable/satellite package.

Thanks for the quick reply. Good thing is I do like beer.