Best NHL Betting Sites in Canada 2024

The NHL is the preeminent professional hockey league in the world. It is especially popular in Canada. It’s the most played sport in Canada by a long shot, and Canada provides a ton of professional talent for the NHL.

Since sports betting and NHL betting has grown so much in recent years, there are a lot of new bettors out there wondering how to get started. Here, we will provide you with a well-researched list of our favorite NHL betting sites including all of the aspects of a sportsbook we use to make our choices.

You’ll also learn about how you can open an account on one of our suggested NHL sportsbooks, what kind of bets you can make on the NHL, how to make smart hockey bets, how to find the best NHL odds, and much more!

There are a lot of considerations to make when you embark on a journey to find a new place to make your NHL bets. First and foremost, you want to make sure that the sportsbooks you’re looking at are operating legally and are licensed and regulated by the necessary authorities. That usually ties in with the security and reliability of a sportsbook as well. You’re giving this site your financial information and your hard-earned cash, so make sure you can trust them.

From there, you’re going to look at the banking options of each sportsbook, because they can vary surprisingly widely from site to site. Simply ensure that the one you choose accepts your preferred method of deposit and withdrawal, and you should be all set there. You also want to make sure that the betting site you choose offers a wide variety of betting options for your area of expertise, in this case the NHL.

A good way to go about this is scanning the NHL sections of your prospective choices, and seeing which ones offer the most NHL-related markets. More markets means more options to find the advantage you need to make a smart bet. You also want to make sure the sportsbook is giving good and fair odds for NHL markets as well.

Last but not least, you want to make sure there is an emphasis on NHL betting in the form of NHL-specific bonuses and promotions being offered by the sportsbook. This may come in the form of boosted odds on NHL markets, profit boosts on NHL parlays, or free bets for big NHL events

To help get you off on the right skate with your NHL betting in Canada, we’ve put together a list of what we believe to be the top eight NHL betting sites in Canada today. Our list includes all of the relevant information you need to make the choice that fits your preferences the best.

Now that we’ve laid out all of the top options for your NHL betting needs, it’s time to make a choice and proceed to the next step: opening a betting account.

It’s a process that is similar no matter which NHL betting site you’ve chosen to go with, so we’ll break down the important steps to take as you create your account.

• Register - First off, surf to your preferred betting site’s home page and find the sign up or register button, which is most often situated in the top right corner of the welcome page. Here you will provide your basic information including name, birth date, and address. This is also where you’ll want to input any welcome bonus codes or coupons.
• Check for bonuses and promotions -  A welcome bonus or promotion is almost always available on a sports betting site. Check if you qualify for one of these bonuses or promotions.
• Deposit - Before you can place a bet or take advantage of any of those codes or coupons, you’ll have to deposit some real funds into your account. Find the cashier or deposit button and follow the directives given by the system. Go with the banking method you're most comfortable with.
• Bet - Do your research on which NHL bets you feel you have a good grasp on and which are also offering advantageous odds for you. Input the stake you want to risk for this bet, and your picks will show up on your bet slips.
• Withdraw - Once the market you bet on is complete and you’ve won your wager, you can either leave the money you’ve won in your account so you can use it as capital for future bets, or you can withdraw your winnings. More often than not, the banking method you used to deposit will be the same as the one you use for your payouts.

There are many ways to maximize the funds in your betting account, one of which is to stay vigilant for any promotions, offers, or bonuses your sportsbook might be offering. Some are available for long periods, but some are available for one day only or exclusively on a specific sporting event.

Always make sure to check the terms and conditions of these offers, however. There are a couple of different types of bonuses you can use to your advantage, and we’ve broken them down for you below.

• Signup/Welcome Bonus - The most common kind of bonus is the signup bonus, because it’s offered to new customers as a way of enticing them to join a sportsbook. Sportsbooks will match a user's first deposit up to a certain number, sometimes in the thousands.
• Boosted Odds - Sportsbooks will often offer boosted odds for certain markets of games in big leagues, such as the NHL, to give the bettor more value on their bet. Basically, they take the original odds they calculated for a market or parlay, and boost those odds significantly in the bettor’s favor.
• No Sweat Free Bet - This can be offered both to new customers as a first bet offer, or as a sort of thank you to sharp bettors who use their services often. Sportsbooks will identify a specific market or game and offer certain users the ability to make a bet of a certain amount on that game without risking any of their own money.
• Referral Bonus - Bettors who are already members of sportsbooks will often get a referral code that they can send to their friends when they’re looking to sign up with that sportsbook. If your friend signs up to the sportsbook using your referral code or link, you will get free money added into your betting account as a sort of commission for bringing the sportsbook new business.

In this section, we’re going to break down everything you’ll need to know to get started with NHL betting and to have success in that endeavor. We’ll cover everything from the different NHL betting markets you’ll find, which features to look for from betting sites, and betting strategies.

Before betting, you should know how the NHL works and the structure of its season. The NHL has recently grown to include 32 teams, 16 in the Eastern Conference and 16 in the Western Conference, with each of those conferences further divided into two divisions of eight teams. Teams earn two points for any type of win, whether in regulation or OT or shootout, and teams who lose in OT or a shootout are also awarded one point.

After 82 regular season games, the top eight teams in each conference based on point totals make it into the postseason tournament, called the Stanley Cup Playoffs. In both conferences, the playoff bracket sees the No. 1 seed taking on the second wild-card team, the other division winner plays against the other wild-card team, and the No. 2 and No. 3 teams from each division face off in best-of-seven series where the first team to win four games wins the series.

The bracket then dwindles down to two teams, one from the Eastern Conference, and one from the Western Conference, who then meet in the NHL’s finals, known as the Stanley Cup Finals. The winner of that seven-game series is then awarded the Stanley Cup as the champions of the NHL.

When betting on the NHL, it’s important to consider the odds of each market you’re looking to make a bet on. Betting is really all about the odds, also known as lines, because that is what determines how much money you make on your bets. Odds are basically the implied probability of your bet hitting and winning you money.

We advise bettors that want to make as much money as possible to create accounts with different sportsbooks so that they can do what is called “shopping lines.” Shopping lines refers to bettors who go around to different sportsbooks comparing the odds they’re giving on the betting market they’re considering. This allows a bettor to ensure that they’re getting the best possible odds—and therefore the biggest payout—on the market they’re wagering on.

A good way to take advantage of better odds is to stay up to date on any and all injury news and updates so that you might be able to beat a sportsbook to a bet before they change the odds. Odds are displayed in three main ways: American (odds with a + have lower probability of winning, odds with a - have higher probability), Decimal (the number displayed, i.e. 2.1, multiplied by your stake is what your payout will be), and Fractional (multiply the fraction shown, i.e. 10/1, by your stake to get your payout).

Now that you understand what odds are, how to use them to your advantage, and how to read them, we can discuss the main types of bets you can place on the NHL.

• Moneyline - A simple bet on who you think will win the game.
• Totals - Another easy one where you bet on how many goals will be scored. These are also called over/unders because you’re betting on whether the game will see over or under the amount of goals given by the sportsbook.
• Puckline - Generally, you are either laying 1.5 goals with the favorite or taking 1.5 goals with the underdog, similar to how the point spread works for NFL and NBA and how the runline works for baseball. This allows bettors to get better value on favorites and more reasonable bets for underdogs.
• Player Prop - A bet on a specific player to achieve something during a certain game. You can bet on a player to score a goal, how many goals that player will score, whether they will get a penalty, how many shots they will take, and much more.
• Parlay - Basically what you’re doing here is combining several bets together into one wager where all of your choices need to win for the parlay as a whole to win. Parlays are much more risky but they also offer much more reward.
• Futures - These are bets on season-long results such as who will win the various individual season trophies, who will finish with the most points in the regular season, who will win which division, who will reach the Stanley Cup, and who will win the Stanley Cup.

There are a lot of different things to consider when looking at different sportsbooks, and which one you choose depends a lot on preference and which features are the most important to you. Here are some of the top features to look at when you’re browsing NHL betting sites.

• Safety & Security - Make sure the sportsbook is reliable and trustworthy, which means they’re licensed and regulated by the proper authorities. This is your banking info and your hard-earned cash we’re dealing with, so you don’t want to get swindled.
• Live Betting - There aren’t many sportsbooks left that don’t offer live, or in-play, betting yet as it’s become one of the most popular ways to wager. Some have better live betting software that allows you to get your live bets in faster, however.
• Banking Method - If you can’t deposit money into your account or take out your winnings, what’s the point of betting? Make sure your preferred mode of deposit and withdrawal is compatible with your chosen sportsbook and that you won’t need to deal with any fees.
• Early Cashout - The ability to cash out early on a bet you don’t think is going your way and recoup a part of your stake can be a very valuable asset.
• Same-Game Parlays - This allows bettors to create parlays with markets from a single game rather than from a bunch of different games. You can really study the two teams involved and come up with a narrative for the game and then bet accordingly.
• Mobile App - Having a mobile app is a must in today’s betting world, and most of the top options have them. You want an app that’s got a good interface, easy to use, well-organized and doesn’t force you to have to look all over the place for the markets you want.
• Betting Options - If you want to bet on the NHL, make sure you go with a sportsbook that’s going to provide you with a large catalog of NHL betting markets to choose from. Not only that, but you also want your sportsbook to be offering solid odds for NHL bets as well.

It’s always easier to succeed when you’re planning ahead and you’ve got some strategies to help guide you on your path. The same is true for NHL betting success, so to that end, we’ve listed a few of our favorite NHL betting strategies. 

1. Travel Schedules - While they are often overlooked, knowing the travel schedules of the teams you’re going to bet on can be a big help. A team that has played a lot of games in a short span playing against a team that’s had sufficient rest is obviously an advantage. For example if a team played yesterday and only landed in the next city at 3AM for their game later that day, you’ll want to bet on their opponent.
2. Shop Lines - As we’ve mentioned, joining more than one sportsbook can have a lot of advantages, and this is one of them. Shopping lines can help you find the most value on your bet once you’ve decided which market you’re going to bet on.
3. Line/Pair Matchups - The NHL and hockey as a whole is all about lines. Players play in shifts and teams usually have four lines of three attacking players and three pairs of defensive players. Looking at specific line matchups and identifying advantages can help you make smarter bets.

Singles vs. Parlays

A common debate in betting circles nowadays is whether it’s better to stick with betting on singles, i.e. one market, or to bet on parlays instead. With singles, you lower your risk considerably because you only need one thing to go your way to win, but you’re also winning a lot less money.

With parlays, you can combine any number of plays into a bet that could payout 100x or 1000x your stake, but you’re relying on a bunch of different things going your way and none of them failing. A parlay only wins if every single one of your plays hits, so if you create a 15-prop parlay and win 14 of the 15, you still win nothing. If you bet 15 singles and win 14 of them, you get winnings for the 14 you got right.

NHL Betting Trends

Trends are a nice addition to anyone’s betting research, but they should never be used as an end-all be-all. Trends show how certain teams or players have fared in various situations. They can help a bettor make a more well-informed bet. 

For example, if you have a game with an away team that is terrible on the road going up against a home team that has been lights out at their own arena, you’ll probably be leaning towards betting on the home team there. Last season in the NHL, away teams were covering at an impressive 57% and underdogs were covering at a ridiculous 61% clip at one point in the season, so we’d suggest more bets on road teams and dogs instead of home teams and favorites.

NHL Betting Rules

The rules for betting on the NHL are generally similar to those for other sports, but there are a few that are specific to the NHL. 

• If a game is stopped for some reason and doesn’t complete at least 55 of the predicted 60 minutes, all bets on that game will be void.
• When dealing with the puck line, the favorite must win by 2+ goals to win and the underdog must lose by 1 or fewer goals to win.
• If a game is decided by a shootout, the team who wins the shootout will be given one goal on the official final scoreline regardless of how many goals were scored during the shootout.
• Unless otherwise specified, overtime results are included in the settlement of two-way moneyline bets.

The NHL is the highest level of professional hockey in the world by a long shot. It features 32 teams, seven from Canada, and the other 25 from the USA. Hockey is the most popular sport in Canada by a mile, and its popularity is quickly growing throughout the USA, even in the southern states. We’ll list the top five teams and top five players to give you a better idea of who’s at the top of the hockey world.

Top NHL Teams

• Montreal Canadiens - The most decorated NHL team in the league’s history, the Canadiens have a rabid fanbase in Montreal thanks to their status as a storied franchise with the most Stanley Cups ever, at 23.
  
• Toronto Maple Leafs - Second place in Stanley Cups at 13, the Maple Leafs have not won one since the 1960s. Despite the fact that they have had many playoff heartbreaks in recent years, they continue to be the most valuable franchise in hockey thanks to their dedicated fans.
• Colorado Avalanche - The 2022 Stanley Cup champs, the Avalanche have won three total, all of which have come in this new millennium. With young stars like Cale Makar and Nathan MacKinnon, the Avs will be a top team for a while.
• Tampa Bay Lightning - The Lightning have built an impressive dynasty recently, winning back-to-back Stanley Cups in 2020 and 2021 and reaching the Stanley Cup finals in 2022. With Steven Stamkos and Nikita Kucherov leading the line, they are always an exciting team to watch.
• Boston Bruins - Winners of six Stanley Cups over the course of their illustrious history, the Bruins are known for their rough and tough approach to the game of hockey, which in recent times has helped them reach the 2019 Stanley Cup Finals and earn them the 2020 and 2023 President’s Trophy for the best regular season record.

Top NHL Players

• Connor McDavid - He is a six-time All-Star who was the 2015 first overall pick in the NHL draft. McDavid has lived up to expectations and then some, leading the league in points four times and winning the Hart Trophy, for the league’s MVP, twice.
• Cale Makar - The best defenseman in the league today helped lead the Avalanche to the 2022 Stanley Cup. Makar won the Calder Trophy as the league’s top rookie in 2020, then won the Norris Trophy as the league’s best defenseman and the Conn Smythe Trophy as the playoff’s top performer in 2022.
• David Pastrnak - One of the top players in the league today, Pastrnak has made three NHL All-Star teams and led the NHL in goals in 2020, earning him the Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy.
• Sidney Crosby - Arguably the greatest player of his generation, Crosby is a surefire Hall Of Famer thanks to a wide array of accomplishments including nine All Star teams, two Art Ross Trophies as the NHL’s points leader, two Hart Trophies, two Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophies, Two Conn Smythe Trophies, and three Stanley Cups.
• Auston Matthews - A potent goalscorer since he was drafted first overall by the Maple Leafs in 2016, Matthews has won the Calder Trophy once, the Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy twice, and won the Hart Trophy winner as the MVP of the 2022 NHL season.

To supplement our guide to NHL betting sites, we’ve put together this substantial FAQ section where we answer the most common questions we come across in a brief but helpful manner.