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PuckAPI vs SportsDataIO for NHL data
SportsDataIO sells real-time NHL feeds with production pricing through sales. PuckAPI is self-serve NHL history, shot data and odds from $19/mo, with an MCP server.
SportsDataIO is a commercial sports data company selling real-time NHL scores, stats, odds, projections, news and images, with production pricing arranged through its sales team. PuckAPI is a self-serve NHL data API: every play since 2010-11 with rink coordinates, 5-on-5 Corsi, Fenwick and expected goals, goalie GSAX, per-game player logs and sportsbook odds, from $19 a month with 500 free credits and no sales call.
Choose by what you are building. A live scoring app or a sportsbook product that needs official real-time feeds and an SLA belongs with a vendor like SportsDataIO. A model, a backtest, a research project or an AI agent that needs shot-level history and a price you can see belongs here.
Side by side
| PuckAPI | SportsDataIO | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | 500 free credits, then $19, $49 or $149 a month, listed publicly | Free trial; production pricing through sales |
| Live in-game data | No: results land each morning, odds hourly | Real-time coverage |
| Play-by-play | Every event since 2010-11 with x/y rink coordinates | Play-by-play offered |
| Analytics | 5v5 Corsi, Fenwick, expected goals; goalie GSAX | Not listed |
| Odds | Opening and closing lines from 2020-21, 8 books hourly from October 2026 | Odds offered |
| News, images, projections | None | Included |
| AI assistants | MCP server for Claude, ChatGPT and Cursor | None listed |
Use SportsDataIO instead if
- You need live, in-game NHL data with an SLA for a production scoring or betting product.
- You need news, images or projections alongside the stats.
Questions
Is there a cheaper alternative to SportsDataIO for NHL data?
For historical and in-season data that does not need live in-game updates, yes: PuckAPI starts at $19 a month with 500 free credits, with prices published on the pricing page.
Does PuckAPI have live NHL scores?
No. Results and stats land each morning and odds are captured hourly. For live in-game data a real-time vendor such as SportsDataIO is the right choice.
Does PuckAPI have expected goals?
Yes: team 5-on-5 expected goals for and against from get_standings and get_team_stats, and goalie goals saved above expected from get_goalie_stats, every season since 2010-11.
Sources
Checked October 7, 2026.
See the data
Try it with 500 free credits
No card. REST or MCP.