The Vegas Golden Knights have released their schedule for the 2026-27 regular season. They’ll begin at home on September 29th against the Chicago Blackhawks, and end at home on April 10th against the Los Angeles Kings.

This year, the league is shortening the preseason and adding two more regular season games. However, there also isn’t a month-long Olympic Break this year, so the regular season schedule isn’t as condensed.

The Golden Knights will play eight back-to-backs this season, a step up from 12 in 2025-26. Five of the back-to-backs will both take place on the road; none of the back-to-backs will both be at home.

During the 2026-27 season, the Golden Knights have two separate five-game homestands. Both homestands will be played over eight-day periods.

This season, the Golden Knights don’t have any two-week-long road trips. Instead, they’ll have five different four-game road trips. Two of the five road trips will span seven days, one will run for six days, and the other two will last five days.

Notable Dates & Games

The first away game of the season is on October 4th against the Vancouver Canucks. Puck drop is scheduled for 7 p.m. PST.

Gavin McKenna, the 2026 first overall pick, comes into town with his Toronto Maple Leafs on October 8th. Puck drop is scheduled for 7 p.m. PST.

The annual Nevada Day game on October 30th is scheduled for 3 p.m. PST against the New Jersey Devils.

The Stanley Cup Final rematch between the Golden Knights and the Carolina Hurricanes will be on December 21st in Raleigh. The Golden Knights will also host the Hurricanes on January 17th. 

The Keegan Kolesar return game is on February 15th, when the Golden Knights host the Detroit Red Wings at 7 p.m. PST. 

The Golden Knights will head to Texas to play a Stadium Series game against the Dallas Stars at AT&T Stadium on February 19th. Puck drop is scheduled for 8 p.m. PST.

The Pavel Dorofeyev return game is on March 13th, when the Golden Knights host the New York Rangers at 7 p.m. PST.

The Senators have announced their new 84-game regular-season schedule for 2026-27. 

The Sens' season will open up with a three-game road trip in Toronto (Oct. 3), followed by games in Boston and Detroit, before they return home to play their home opener on Oct. 8 against the Philadelphia Flyers.

The season includes another mid-season trip overseas. The Sens will play two games against the Chicago Blackhawks in Germany, which will probably be extra taxing on Tim Stutzle, one of the greatest players the country has ever produced.

This is the third time in nine years (2017, 2023) the Sens have participated in the NHL Global Series, and in each of the previous two appearances, they completely fell apart on their return home.

In The Tough Atlantic, Senators Don’t Need Midseason Trip To GermanyThe NHL announced on Friday the Senators will play two games in Germany against the Chicago Blackhawks.

Related: In The Tough Atlantic, Senators Don’t Need A Midseason Trip To Germany

Other highlights (from the Senators website):

- The Senators will face Brady Tkachuk for the first time when the Florida Panthers visit Ottawa on Wednesday, Oct. 21.

- The Senators will face Atlantic Division rivals Boston, Buffalo, Detroit, Florida, Montreal, Tampa Bay, and Toronto four times respectively.

- Division rival Toronto will visit Canadian Tire Centre twice, on Wednesday, Jan. 20 and on Saturday, Feb. 13 while the Montreal Canadiens will visit twice on Saturday, March 13 and on Saturday, April 10.

- The Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes will visit Canadian Tire Centre on Monday, Jan. 25.

- The Senators will host the reigning Western Conference champion Vegas Golden Knights on Thursday, Dec. 10.

- The Senators will play back-to-back games on 14 occasions. That’s the same number as last season. In 2025–26, they posted an 8-5-1 record in the first half of games played on consecutive nights and a 9-3-2 record in the second half of games played on consecutive days.

- The team will host its longest home stand (six games) at Canadian Tire Centre between Wednesday, Jan. 20 and Tuesday, Feb. 9.

- The Senators will play four separate stretches of five consecutive games on the road. The first will begin on Tuesday, Oct. 27, at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

- The Senators will have a bye week from Sunday, Jan. 31, through Monday, Feb. 8. 

- The 2027 NHL All-Star Weekend will be held at the UBS Arena in Elmont, N.Y., from Feb. 5 through 7.

The Senators leaned hard on the Ottawa media's acting ability in a seven-minute schedule release video on Thursday.

2026-27 Ottawa Senators regular-season schedule (all times Eastern and subject to change)

Saturday, Oct. 3 at Toronto, 7 p.m.

Monday, Oct. 5 at Boston, 7:30 p.m.

Tuesday, Oct. 6 at Detroit, 7 p.m.

Thursday, Oct. 8 vs. Philadelphia, 7 p.m.

Saturday, Oct. 10 vs. Nashville, 7 p.m.

Monday, Oct. 12 at New Jersey, 7 p.m.

Tuesday, Oct. 13 vs. St. Louis, 7:30 p.m.

Thursday, Oct. 15 vs. N.Y. Islanders, 7 p.m.

Saturday, Oct. 17 at Philadelphia, 7 p.m.

Wednesday, Oct. 21 vs. Florida, 7:30 p.m.

Thursday, Oct. 22 vs. San Jose, 7 p.m.

Saturday, Oct. 24 vs. N.Y. Rangers, 7 p.m.

Tuesday, Oct. 27 at Vegas, 10 p.m.

Thursday, Oct. 29 at Los Angeles, 10 p.m.

Saturday, Oct. 31 at San Jose, 4 p.m.

Sunday, Nov. 1 at Anaheim, 8 p.m.

Wednesday, Nov. 4 at Buffalo, 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, Nov. 7 vs. Utah, 7 p.m.

Tuesday, Nov. 10 vs. Washington, 7 p.m.

Thursday, Nov. 12 vs. Colorado, 7 p.m.

Saturday, Nov. 14 at Pittsburgh, 7 p.m.

Tuesday, Nov. 17 at Winnipeg, 8 p.m.

Thursday, Nov. 19 vs. Philadelphia, 7 p.m.

Saturday, Nov. 21 vs. Los Angeles, 7 p.m.

Monday, Nov. 23 vs. Calgary, 7:30 p.m.

Wednesday, Nov. 25 at Florida, 7 p.m.

Friday, Nov. 27 at Tampa Bay, 3 p.m.

Saturday, Nov. 28 at Carolina, 7 p.m.

Monday, Nov. 30 at Nashville, 1 p.m.

Thursday, Dec. 3 vs. New Jersey, 7 p.m.

Saturday, Dec. 5 vs. Tampa Bay, 7 p.m.

Sunday, Dec. 6 at Montreal, 7 p.m.

Tuesday, Dec. 8 vs. Anaheim, 7 p.m.

Thursday, Dec. 10 vs. Vegas, 7 p.m.

Saturday, Dec. 12 vs. Edmonton, 7 p.m.

Monday, Dec. 14 vs. Buffalo, 2 p.m.

Friday, Dec. 18 at Chicago (in Düsseldorf, Germany), 1 p.m.

Sunday, Dec. 20 vs. Chicago (in Düsseldorf, Germany), 8 a.m.

Sunday, Dec. 27 at N.Y. Islanders, 7 p.m.

Tuesday, Dec. 29 vs. Dallas, 7 p.m.

Thursday, Dec. 31 vs. Pittsburgh, 2 p.m.

Saturday, Jan. 2 at Washington, 7 p.m.

Tuesday, Jan. 5 at Utah, 9 p.m.

Wednesday, Jan. 6 at Colorado, 9:30 p.m.

Friday, Jan. 8 at St. Louis, 8 p.m.

Tuesday, Jan. 12 at Dallas, 8 p.m.

Thursday, Jan. 14 vs. Winnipeg, 7 p.m.

Saturday, Jan. 16 at Tampa Bay, 3:30 p.m.

Monday, Jan. 18 at Florida, 7:30 p.m.

Wednesday, Jan. 20 vs. Toronto, 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, Jan. 23 vs. Columbus, 3:30 p.m.

Monday, Jan. 25 vs. Carolina, 7:30 p.m.

Thursday, Jan. 28 vs. Boston, 7 p.m.

Saturday, Jan. 30 vs. N.Y. Rangers, 7 p.m.

Tuesday, Feb. 9 vs. Columbus, 7 p.m.

Thursday, Feb 11 at Columbus, 7 p.m.

Saturday, Feb. 13 vs. Toronto, 7 p.m.

Monday, Feb. 15 at Minnesota, 7:30 p.m.

Wednesday, Feb. 17 at Seattle, 9:40 p.m.

Thursday, Feb. 18 at Vancouver, 10 p.m.

Sunday, Feb. 21 at Calgary, 8 p.m.

Tuesday, Feb. 23 at Edmonton, 8:30 p.m.

Thursday, Feb. 25 vs. Detroit, 7 p.m.

Friday, Feb. 26 at Buffalo, 7:30 p.m.

Tuesday, March 2 at New Jersey, 7 p.m.

Thursday, March 4 vs. Boston, 7 p.m.

Saturday, March 6 vs. Seattle, 3:30 p.m.

Sunday, March 7 vs. Buffalo, 5 p.m.

Tuesday, March 9 at Pittsburgh, 7 p.m.

Thursday, March 11 vs. Minnesota, 7 p.m.

Saturday, March 13 vs. Montreal, 7 p.m.

Sunday, March 14 vs. Vancouver, 5 p.m.

Tuesday, March 16 at N.Y. Rangers, 7 p.m.

Thursday, March 18 vs. Florida, 7 p.m.

Saturday, March 20 vs. Tampa Bay, 7 p.m.

Wednesday, March 24 at Montreal, 7:30 p.m.

Thursday, March 25 at Boston, 7 p.m.

Saturday, March 27 at Toronto, 7 p.m.

Tuesday, March 30 at Detroit, 7 p.m.

Friday, April 2 at N.Y. Islanders, 7 p.m.

Sunday, April 4 vs. Detroit, 5 p.m.

Wednesday, April 7 at Carolina, 7 p.m.

Thursday, April 8 vs. Washington, 7 p.m.

Saturday, April 10 vs. Montreal, 7 p.m.

Tickets for the home opener on October 8 will go on sale in the next few hours. Season seat members will be able to purchase them starting at 1 p.m. Sens Insiders will follow at 2 p.m. The general public will be able to purchase tickets starting at 3 p.m.

By Steve Warne
The Hockey News

The Toronto Maple unveiled their 2026-27 NHL schedule on Thursday. 

Some facts about the schedule provided by the club:

• Longest home stand: Six games (3x) – November 3 to November 14

• Longest road stretch: Seven games (2x) – December 22 to January 7

• Number of back-to-back games: 11

• Busiest month: 16 games – March

• Busiest home month: Nine games – November

• Busiest road month: Eight games (3x) – November, December, March

• Busiest day of the week: Saturday – 27 games

When the newest Leafs will play against their former clubs.

Joseph Woll and Simon Benoit went to Philadelphia in the same trade, so they'll make their Toronto return together on the same night (Nov 30).

• Raddysh and Nick Paul both came from Tampa Bay and will make their first trip back to Amalie Arena on the same night (Feb 20) — and Hildeby, who went the other way in the Paul trade, get

Newest Leafs — first meetings vs. their old team

New Leafs head coach Jim Hiller will take on the his former Los Angeles Kings club at Scotiabank Arena on Nov. 19. He'll return to Crypto.com Arena for the first time in LA on Dec. 30.

New Leafs associate coach Daniel Alfredsson will coach against the Ottawa Senators for the first time on Oct. 3. He will return to Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa for the first time as a visiting coach on Jan. 20.

Departed Leafs — first return to Toronto

Former Maple Leafs head coach Mike Babcock will coach against his former club for the first time when his Edmonton Oilers host the Leafs on Oct. 24. He'll return to Scotiabank Arena for the first time behind the bench on Nov. 14.

Toronto Maple Leafs 2026-27 Schedule

Some things are worth leaving behind eh pic.twitter.com/Gs2ExJ4CH3

— Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) July 16, 2026

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The Buffalo Sabres have had an unspectacular offseason after snapping their playoff drought and advancing to Game 7 of the second round, moving on from veteran winger Alex Tuch and defenseman Bowen Byram. The departures have subtracted 44 goals from last season, and it appears at this point that GM Jarmo Kekalainen is relying on internal improvement to fill the gap, but one of the external options that seemed to be realistic was the signing of future Hall-of-Famer and Buffalo native Patrick Kane.

Kane remains unsigned after the first two weeks of free agency, but Hall-of-Fame blueliner and TNT commentator Chris Chelios indicated on a Chicago radio show that a return to the Blackhawks is a possibility. 

"I am not gonna lie to you guys, it is down to Buffalo and Chicago. I know that." Chelios said on 104.3 The Score on Wednesday.  “I spoke to (Patrick), it’s a tough decision for him, whether to go home and make it easy on his parents, his family and his friends and finish like (Jonathan Toews) tried to do, or he comes back (to Chicago). In my opinion, he’s a Blackhawk.”

Other Sabres Stories

Sabres Emotionally Devastated By Game 7 Overtime Loss

Kane spent the last three seasons with the Detroit Red Wings, but rumors of the Buffalo native heading to his hometown team have circulated ever since he was dealt by the Blackhawks to the NY Rangers in 2023. The circumstances with the Sabres as a playoff team could be a good fit. Kane being added for secondary offense and as a Tuch replacement on the power play would be beneficial, since he posted 79 assists over the last two seasons. It is just a question of whether he wants to play in his hometown at the end of his career or return to the place where he won three Stanley Cups. 

The Hawks are in need of help, especially at the start of the regular season with star center Connor Bedard out until Thanksgiving with a shoulder injury. After the signing of Peyton Krebs, the Sabres have just over $5 million in cap space, while Chicago has over $29 million in cap room and could afford to give the veteran winger one final big pay day on a short-term deal. 

Follow Michael on X, Instagram @MikeInBuffalo

Claude Lemieux built his legacy by fighting through adversity.

For more than two decades, the former NHL forward was known as one of hockey’s fiercest competitors — a player who elevated his game when the pressure was highest and became synonymous with playoff success.

But away from the spotlight, Lemieux was facing a battle few people knew about.

New details surrounding his death reveal that the four-time Stanley Cup champion struggled in the months leading up to his passing, including a reported relapse after 12 years of sobriety per TMZ. According to an incident report released following his death, Lemieux’s wife, Deborah, confronted him on May 27 after becoming concerned about changes in his behavior.

The report states Lemieux acknowledged he had relapsed. Deborah then asked him to leave their home that evening and contacted their son, Brendan, to discuss how the family could support him.

Hours later, Lemieux was found dead at the family business. He was 60 years old.

His death was later ruled a suicide.

Lemieux’s career was defined by moments when the stakes were highest.

Selected by the Montreal Canadiens in the second round of the 1983 NHL Draft, Lemieux went on to become one of the most accomplished playoff performers of his generation. Over a 21-season NHL career, he won four Stanley Cups — with Montreal in 1986, New Jersey in 1995 and 2000, and Colorado in 1996.

He developed a reputation as the ultimate big-game player, thriving in the intensity of postseason hockey and becoming one of the league’s most polarizing figures. Opponents hated playing against him, but teammates valued the edge, toughness and confidence he brought when championships were on the line.

Away from the ice, however, longtime friend Réjean Tremblay suggested Lemieux carried emotional struggles tied to how he felt his career was remembered after retirement.

Tremblay, a Montreal hockey columnist who knew Lemieux for more than 30 years, told The New York Post that Lemieux struggled deeply with not being inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame following his retirement in 2009.

“He always lived this as an injustice, a heavy burden to bear,” Tremblay said.

Tremblay described Lemieux as someone who was “deeply sensitive to rejection,” saying the former NHL star never fully moved past the disappointment.

“The sense of rejection ran deeper than one might have imagined,” Tremblay said. “He took it very hard.”

In the months before his death, Lemieux made several public appearances celebrating a career that cemented his place in hockey history.

In December, he returned to Ball Arena as part of the Colorado Avalanche’s celebration of their 1996 Stanley Cup championship team — the first major professional sports championship in Colorado history.

Lemieux played an important role in that title run, recording seven goals during the Avalanche’s first Stanley Cup playoff journey after relocating from Quebec. During the celebration, he reflected on how the NHL had evolved since his playing days, praising the league’s increased emphasis on player safety.

Just days before his death, Lemieux returned to Montreal for another emotional moment.

On May 25, he served as a torchbearer before Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Final between the Canadiens and Carolina Hurricanes. The appearance brought him back to the city where his NHL journey began and where he helped Montreal capture the 1986 Stanley Cup alongside goaltending legend Patrick Roy.

Tremblay later suggested the overwhelming support Lemieux received during that appearance may have brought complicated emotions to the surface.

“It’s possible that surge of love, that wave of love on Monday evening, triggered an emotion that was too intense,” Tremblay told The New York Post, citing conversations with people close to Lemieux.

“It might have reawakened old pains, old suffering.”

According to the incident report, Lemieux’s family had become concerned about changes they had noticed in his behavior over the previous year.

After Deborah confronted him and Lemieux acknowledged the relapse, Brendan went to the family business to check on his father and help determine how the family could support him.

The report states Brendan later found his father inside the building and contacted emergency services.

Lemieux’s family has since mourned the loss of a husband, father and grandfather — not just an NHL legend.

“I love you dad,” Brendan Lemieux wrote in an emotional tribute shared on Instagram. “My son [Luc’s] favorite person is going to watch from above for a while. We will see you.”

The NHL also honored Lemieux’s impact on the sport.

“The National Hockey League mourns the passing of Claude Lemieux, a four-time Stanley Cup champion and one of the greatest big-game players in hockey history,” NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said.

Claude Lemieux’s career will always be defined by the moments when he delivered under the brightest lights — the goals, the championships and the relentless competitive fire that made him one of hockey’s most memorable postseason performers.

But those who knew him best will remember more than the player who battled through playoff wars. They will remember a husband, a father and a person who faced struggles that were hidden from the public eye.

As the hockey world continues to mourn his passing, Lemieux’s story serves as a reminder that even those who appear strongest on the outside can be fighting battles no one else can see.

ST. LOUIS -- The St. Louis Blues will open the 2026-27 regular season with a three-game road trip against Central Division foes, the NHL announced on Thursday afternoon.

The Blues will open the season with back-to-back games Oct. 2 against the Dallas Stars and Oct. 3 against the Colorado Avalanche before concluding with a game against the Chicago Blackhawks on Oct. 6,

The Blues open the home schedule on Oct. 8 against the San Jose Sharks but play six of their first eight games away from Enterprise Center.

It's all part of a newly-formed 84-game schedule with fewer preseason games, going away from the standard 82-game schedule that features 22 weekend home games, including three on Fridays, 11 on Saturdays and eight on Sundays, which is a rarity for St. Louis.

The expanded NHL schedule will see the Blues play two additional divisional games, which means they will play in four matchups with each team of their Central Division opponents. The Blues will still play 24 games against Pacific Division teams and a home-and-home set with each team in the Eastern Conference.

The regular season wraps up for St. Louis on April 10, and for the third season in a row, the Blues will close against the Utah Mammoth at home.

The longest homestand of the season is six games from Nov. 27-Dec. 8, and the longest road trip is five games March 15-23. 

Other highlights include: 

* Sixteen of  19 home games on Saturday or Sunday start at 6 p.m. or earlier.

* The Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes visit Enterprise Center early in the season on Oct. 24.

* The Blues play at the New York Islanders on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving on Long Island; they host the New York Rangers coming out of Christmas break on Dec. 27.

* There are seven afternoon home games and another four on the road, including a New Year's Eve tilt against the Vegas Golden Knights.

* There are 12 sets of back-to-back games, including to open season.

* Jordan Kyrou returns to face the Blues for the first time with the Washington Capitals on Nov. 28. It will also be Connor McMichael's first game against the Capitals since the two were traded for one another.

* Mason McTavish and Ross Johnston, acquired via trade and free agent signing, respectively, face the Anaheim Ducks for the first time when the Ducks visit on Nov. 17.

Here's the full schedule:

#stlblues 2026-27 regular season schedule ... pic.twitter.com/MAoouyPIOJ

— Lou Korac (@lkorac10) July 16, 2026

We got some of the opening games for the Penguins yesterday, today the NHL has announced the full season schedule.

Yinz ready?

Our 2026.27 schedule is here! pic.twitter.com/UlEw0Fergm

— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) July 16, 2026

From the team:

The Pittsburgh Penguins will open up their 2026.27 campaign on the road against their cross-state rival, the Philadelphia Flyers, at Xfinity Mobile Arena on Wednesday, September 30 with puck drop set for 7:30 PM.

Penguins fans will have their first opportunity to see the team in its home opener on Saturday, October 3 against the Montreal Canadiens at 7:00 PM at PPG Paints Arena. Including Pittsburgh’s home opener, the first month of the regular season features three Saturday night home games in Pittsburgh on Oct. 3 (vs. MTL), Oct. 10 (vs. DAL) and Oct. 24 (vs. NSH).

The month of November is packed with 13 games, featuring six on the road and seven at home, including the team’s annual games on the night before Thanksgiving (Nov. 25 vs. CGY) and Saturday after Thanksgiving (Nov. 28 vs TOR). Penguins fans can celebrate the holiday season at PPG Paints Arena with eight games at home in December, highlighted by a season-long four-game homestand against Tampa Bay (Dec. 15), Los Angeles (Dec. 17), Seattle (Dec. 18) and Buffalo (Dec. 22) leading into the NHL’s Holiday Break from Dec. 23-25.

The Penguins will open up the 2027 calendar year with consecutive home games against Minnesota on New Year’s Day and Edmonton on January 3. Beginning on Jan. 1, Pittsburgh will play 10 home games leading into the NHL’s All-Star Break (Feb. 3-12) before returning to action on their longest road trip of the season with stops in Edmonton (Feb. 13), Seattle (Feb. 15), Vancouver (Feb. 16), Calgary (Feb. 19), Winnipeg (Feb. 21) and Minnesota (Feb. 23). 

The Penguins close out their regular-season home schedule with five home games from Mar. 22-Apr. 3 with matchups against Columbus (Mar. 22), New Jersey (Mar. 25), Carolina (Mar. 27), New York Islanders (Apr. 1) and Philadelphia (Apr. 3), prior to finishing the 2026.27 campaign on a four-game road trip through Washington (Apr. 4), New York Rangers (Apr. 6), Detroit (Apr. 9) and New Jersey (Apr. 10).

To view the complete 2026.27 schedule, which is presented by UPMC, click here. Broadcast information will be released at a later date.

Beginning on Saturday, Oct. 3 with a matchup against the Canadiens, the Penguins will play 18 weekend home games at PPG Paints Arena on either a Friday night (3), Saturday (10) or Sunday (5), accounting for 43% of all regular-season home games.

Information regarding Penguins season memberships, 12-Packs and priority deposits for premium rentals and group experiences can be found here. Single-game tickets will go on sale Wednesday, August 5. Fans can sign up to receive Penguins emails here for access to a presale opportunity before tickets go on sale to the general public. 

Pittsburgh’s schedule features some noteworthy home games that fans will want to circle on their calendar:

November 25 vs. Calgary & November 28 vs. Toronto: The Penguins are home for the holidays as they host the Flames for the team’s annual game on the night before Thanksgiving and the Maple Leafs on the Saturday following Thanksgiving.

December 29 vs. Carolina: The Penguins host the reigning Stanley Cup Champion Hurricanes for the first of two visits to Pittsburgh.

January 1 vs. Minnesota: Penguins fans can ring in the new year with the team when the Wild make their only trip to Pittsburgh on New Year’s Day. 

January 31 vs. Philadelphia: The Flyers visit the Penguins for the first time since the First Round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs in a classic Keystone State matchup.

March 13 vs. Washington: Following Pittsburgh’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade, Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin meet for their final matchup in Pittsburgh during the 2026.27 regular season. 

April 3 vs. Philadelphia: It’s the Battle of Pennsylvania as the Penguins host their cross-state rivals in their final home game of the regular season. 

The Penguins’ schedule has 15 sets of back-to-back games, beginning when Pittsburgh visits the Columbus Blue Jackets on Oct. 9 and hosts the Dallas Stars on Oct. 10.

Split by months the games go:

• September: One total, 1 away
• October: 13 total, 6 home + 7 away
• November: 13 total, 7 home + 6 away
• December: 13 total, 8 home + 5 away
• January: 14 total, 9 home + 5 away
• February: 9 total, 3 home + 6 away
• March: 15 total, 7 home + 8 away
• April: 6 total, 2 home + 4 away

The team has an extended break around the NHL All-Star game, from Feb 3-12, and then go on their longest road trip of the year (six games through Western Canada + Minnesota). Coming out of that break, the Pens end the season with 18 of their final 29 games on the road, after a favorable stretch from Oct 22 – Jan 3 will see them play 20 games at PPG Paints Arena, out of 32 total games. The last four games of the season, and five of the last seven will be played on the road.

The season is loaded up with divisional and conference games at the end, the last 23 games after February 23rd are all against Eastern Conference opponents – and 11 out of the last 12 games are all against Metropolitan Division opponents who will be sure to be jockeying for key positions within the playoff race.

After six seasons with the St. Louis Blues, Dan Stewart is moving on. 

Stewart has spent his tenure with the Blues as the NHL goaltending development coach, while also serving as the goaltending coach for their AHL affiliate, the Springfield Thunderbirds.

But he has now moved on, joining the New Jersey Devils as the NHL goaltending coach. 

The 50-year-old has a long history as a goaltending coach, beginning his coaching career in the OJHL with the Cobourg Cougars in 2011. He then moved to the OHL’s Soo Greyhounds and U Sports’ Univ. of Ontario Institute of Technology.

He then made the move to the NHL, joining the Blues in the 2020-21 season. 

The Devils have made plenty of moves involving the front office and staff members. It began when the Devils hired Sunny Mehta as their GM. He made changes to the assistant coaches and assistant GMs.

Blues Hire Former NHL First Round Pick As Organizational Skills CoachThe St. Louis Blues have hired former 2010 first-round pick Joey Hishon as an organizational skills coach, GM Alexander Steen announced on Wednesday.

When the Devils announced the hiring of Stewart, they also announced two new assistant coaches, Ted Donato and A.J. MacLean, as well as a new director of goaltending, Leo Luongo, the brother of Roberto Luongo. 

The Blues have made several changes themselves this off-season, including promoting Alexander Steen to GM. Now, they’ll be looking for a new goaltending development coach, whether through a promotion or an external hire.

---

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The Detroit Red Wings took a major step toward the upcoming campaign on Thursday, releasing their full 2026-27 regular season schedule, complete with several marquee matchups and milestone celebrations.

Detroit will open the season on home ice at Little Caesars Arena against the New York Rangers on Friday, October 2nd. This season marks a first in NHL history, as the league has expanded to 84 games for every team.

As always, the Red Wings will face their Atlantic Division rivals three to four times, take on Metropolitan Division opponents out of the Eastern Conference, and play all 16 Western Conference teams twice.

One of the season's biggest moments comes on November 18th, when the Red Wings host the Boston Bruins for the Centennial Celebration game, marking 100 years since the franchise's first NHL game in 1926.

Detroit will also continue its holiday traditions, hosting its annual night before Thanksgiving game on Wednesday, November 25th against the Vancouver Canucks, and closing out the year on New Year's Eve, December 31st against the defending Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes.

Class is in session. 👨‍🏫

Full schedule: https://t.co/iZ2Zt5XR2T
Presented by: @ticketmasterpic.twitter.com/B10HpxQcSK

— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) July 16, 2026

Bookmark The Hockey News Detroit Red Wings team site to stay connected to the latest news, game-day coverage, and player features.

Before the holiday break, Detroit will host a pair of Atlantic Division tilts, welcoming the Tampa Bay Lightning on Sunday, December 20th and the Toronto Maple Leafs on Tuesday, December 22nd.

The new year opens with notable home dates against the Edmonton Oilers and Boston Bruins. With the All-Star Game returning this season, hosted by the New York Islanders in Long Island, the Red Wings will head into a nine-day break spanning from a January 30th matchup at Columbus into February.

Detroit's regular season finale is set for Saturday, April 10th on the road against the Buffalo Sabres at KeyBank Center.

Full look at all 84 ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/VQCtpAUPVu

— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) July 16, 2026

Detroit Red Wings 2026-27 Season Schedule

OCTOBER

• Fri. Oct. 2 – vs. NY Rangers – 6:30 PM
• Sun. Oct. 4 – vs. Winnipeg – 1:00 PM
• Tue. Oct. 6 – vs. Ottawa – 7:00 PM
• Fri. Oct. 9 – vs. Seattle – 7:00 PM
• Sat. Oct. 10 – at Montréal – 7:00 PM
• Tue. Oct. 13 – vs. New Jersey – 6:00 PM
• Thu. Oct. 15 – vs. Philadelphia – 7:00 PM
• Sat. Oct. 17 – vs. San Jose – 7:00 PM
• Tue. Oct. 20 – at Seattle – 9:40 PM
• Thu. Oct. 22 – at Vancouver – 10:00 PM
• Sat. Oct. 24 – at Calgary – 10:00 PM
• Mon. Oct. 26 – at Edmonton – 9:30 PM
• Thu. Oct. 29 – vs. Chicago – 7:00 PM
• Sat. Oct. 31 – vs. St. Louis – 1:00 PM

NOVEMBER

• Mon. Nov. 2 – at Florida – 7:00 PM
• Tue. Nov. 3 – at Tampa Bay – 7:00 PM
• Thu. Nov. 5 – vs. Vegas – 7:00 PM
• Sat. Nov. 7 – at Colorado – 9:00 PM
• Tue. Nov. 10 – at St. Louis – 8:00 PM
• Thu. Nov. 12 – at Florida – 7:00 PM
• Sat. Nov. 14 – at Tampa Bay – 7:00 PM
• Wed. Nov. 18 – vs. Boston (Centennial Celebration Game) – 7:30 PM
• Sat. Nov. 21 – vs. NY Islanders – 7:00 PM
• Wed. Nov. 25 – vs. Vancouver (Night Before Thanksgiving) – 7:30 PM
• Fri. Nov. 27 – at Columbus – 3:00 PM
• Sat. Nov. 28 – vs. Nashville – 7:00 PM

DECEMBER

• Tue. Dec. 1 – vs. Calgary – 7:00 PM
• Thu. Dec. 3 – vs. Colorado – 7:00 PM
• Sat. Dec. 5 – at Boston – 1:00 PM
• Wed. Dec. 9 – at New Jersey – 7:30 PM
• Fri. Dec. 11 – vs. NY Rangers – 7:00 PM
• Sat. Dec. 12 – vs. Florida – 7:00 PM
• Tue. Dec. 15 – vs. Los Angeles – 7:00 PM
• Thu. Dec. 17 – at Washington – 7:00 PM
• Fri. Dec. 18 – at Philadelphia – 7:00 PM
• Sun. Dec. 20 – vs. Tampa Bay – 5:00 PM
• Tue. Dec. 22 – vs. Toronto – 7:30 PM
• Sat. Dec. 26 – at Nashville – 7:00 PM
• Mon. Dec. 28 – at Buffalo – 7:00 PM
• Tue. Dec. 29 – at NY Rangers – 7:00 PM
• Thu. Dec. 31 – vs. Carolina (New Year's Eve) – 2:00 PM

JANUARY

• Sat. Jan. 2 – vs. Edmonton – 1:00 PM
• Mon. Jan. 4 – at Dallas – 8:00 PM
• Thu. Jan. 7 – vs. Utah – 7:00 PM
• Sat. Jan. 9 – vs. Boston – 7:00 PM
• Wed. Jan. 13 – at Utah – 9:00 PM
• Sat. Jan. 16 – at Chicago – 7:00 PM
• Sun. Jan. 17 – vs. Minnesota – 5:00 PM
• Tue. Jan. 19 – vs. Anaheim – 7:00 PM
• Thu. Jan. 21 – at Minnesota – 9:00 PM
• Sat. Jan. 23 – vs. Tampa Bay – 1:00 PM
• Mon. Jan. 25 – vs. Pittsburgh – 7:00 PM
• Wed. Jan. 27 – vs. Toronto – 7:30 PM
• Fri. Jan. 29 – vs. Florida – 7:00 PM
• Sat. Jan. 30 – at Columbus – 7:00 PM

FEBRUARY (All-Star break spans late Jan. into Feb.)

• Tue. Feb. 9 – at Anaheim – 10:00 PM
• Thu. Feb. 11 – at Los Angeles – 10:00 PM
• Sat. Feb. 13 – at San Jose – 4:00 PM
• Mon. Feb. 15 – at Vegas – 10:00 PM
• Thu. Feb. 18 – vs. Montréal – 7:00 PM
• Fri. Feb. 19 – at Carolina – 7:00 PM
• Sun. Feb. 21 – vs. Buffalo – 3:30 PM
• Tue. Feb. 23 – at Toronto – 7:00 PM
• Thu. Feb. 25 – at Ottawa – 7:00 PM
• Sat. Feb. 27 – at Boston – 12:00 PM

MARCH

• Mon. Mar. 1 – at Toronto – 7:00 PM
• Thu. Mar. 4 – vs. New Jersey – 7:00 PM
• Sat. Mar. 6 – vs. Dallas – 7:00 PM
• Tue. Mar. 9 – at Winnipeg – 8:00 PM
• Fri. Mar. 12 – vs. Buffalo – 7:00 PM
• Sun. Mar. 14 – at Pittsburgh – 2:00 PM
• Tue. Mar. 16 – at Philadelphia – 7:00 PM
• Thu. Mar. 18 – vs. Columbus – 7:00 PM
• Sat. Mar. 20 – vs. Montréal – 1:00 PM
• Tue. Mar. 23 – at Washington – 7:00 PM
• Wed. Mar. 24 – vs. Washington – 7:30 PM
• Sat. Mar. 27 – at NY Islanders – 7:30 PM
• Sun. Mar. 28 – at Montréal – 7:00 PM
• Tue. Mar. 30 – vs. Ottawa – 7:00 PM

APRIL

• Fri. Apr. 2 – vs. Carolina – 7:00 PM
• Sun. Apr. 4 – at Ottawa – 5:00 PM
• Tue. Apr. 6 – at NY Islanders – 7:30 PM
• Fri. Apr. 9 – vs. Pittsburgh – 7:00 PM
• Sat. Apr. 10 – at Buffalo (Season Finale) – 6:00 PM

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It’s time to start circling dates on the calendar and planning road trips.

On Thursday, the NHL released its full 2026-27 schedule for all 32 of its teams.

For the Florida Panthers, there were several games and dates that jumped off the page.

As we learned on Wednesday when the league released the home opening matchups for every team, the Panthers will begin with four straight road games, starting with a Stanley Cup banner raising in Raleigh against the Carolina Hurricanes on Sept. 29 followed by a west coast trip stopping in San Jose, Anaheim and Los Angeles on Oct. 1, Oct. 4 and Oct. 6, respectively.

Florida’s home opener is set for Oct. 10 against the Minnesota Wild.

Interestingly, the Panthers will 13 games during the month of October (not including Opening Night in Raleigh on Sept. 29), but only four of them will be on home ice.

Some other notable games in Sunrise include the return of Sergei Bobrovsky on March 6 against the Toronto Maple Leafs and the returns of Evan Rodrigues and Jesper Boqvist when the New Jersey Devils come to town on Feb. 18.

Around the holidays, Florida will have several home games.

They face the Ottawa Senators the night before Thanksgiving on Nov. 25 and are in Washington the night after on Nov. 27 before hosting the Tampa Bay Lightning the following Saturday on Nov. 28.

In December, the Panthers will go into the Christmas holiday break with home games on Dec. 19 against the Calgary Flames and Dec. 21 against the St. Louis Blues before coming out of the break on Dec. 26 against Tampa followed by matchups on Dec. 28 against the Nashville Predators and Dec. 30 against the Buffalo Sabres.

That will be one of two five-game homestands for Florida, with the other coming from March 2 through March 12.

The Panthers will have two five-game road trips, tied for their longest of the season.

The first will be in early January when they travel to Calgary, Edmonton, Vancouver, Seattle and Minnesota over the course of 11 days, then in mid-March Florida will travel to Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa, Buffalo and Tampa Bay that will last 10 days.

Florida will also host the Montreal Canadiens on Jan. 2 after traveling to Nashville on New Year's Day for a 1 p.m. matchup with the Preds. 

The Cats will close the season with home games on April 6 against Montreal, April 9 against the Boston Bruins and April 10 against Carolina.

You can check out the full schedule below:

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Photo caption: Dec 5, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Florida Panthers center Sam Reinhart (13), center Aleksander Barkov (16) and left wing Matthew Tkachuk (19) against the Philadelphia Flyers at Wells Fargo Center. (Eric Hartline-Imagn Images)

The Chicago Blackhawks, in conjunction with the National Hockey League, have released their schedule for the 2026-27 season. It will be an expanded schedule as the league increases from 82 to 84 games.

On Wednesday, the league revealed all home openers, showing four Blackhawks games in total. They will open on September 29th at the Vegas Golden Knights. Their road trip will continue with games against the Utah Mammoth and Buffalo Sabres, before returning to Chicago on October 6th for their home opener against the St. Louis Blues. 

Now, the entire 84-game odyssey can be seen below: 

ope! the schedule’s here!

see you in Chicago ❤️

🗓️ @CircaSportspic.twitter.com/AMaP4leYEx

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) July 16, 2026

Chicago Blackhawks schedule: pic.twitter.com/EFxA261V6g

— Vinnie Parise (@VinnieParise) July 16, 2026

Most of October will see the Blackhawks play a seven-game homestand, including the Stanley Cup Champion Carolina Hurricanes. This is one of three total home streaks of five games or more. 

The road games are much more staggered. There are a few trips, but only one road trip goes longer than four games, which is a west coast swing in January going into February. 

The holidays will be filled with Blackhawks hockey at home, including the day after Thanksgiving on November 27th against the New York Rangers. They will also face the Boston Bruins on New Year's Day. On Halloween, they will be on the road against the Bruins. 

Weekends at the United Center will be plentiful, as the Blackhawks will play 22 weekend games on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. 

Part of this schedule is two games for the Blackhawks against the Ottawa Senators in Düsseldorf, Germany, as part of the NHL Global Series. These games will take place at PSD Bank Dome on December 18th and 20th. 

Blackhawks home games during the week are mostly going to be at 7 PM, instead of the usual 7:30. The weekend games will be at 6 PM or earlier. There are a lot of home matinees (9) on the slate. 

In addition to the schedule release, the NHL announced that All-Star Weekend is returning this season, with a 10-day break for the Blackhawks from January 31st to February 9th. The event will take place on Long Island, New York. 

Is this the year that the Blackhawks' rebuild takes a big step? It all begins on September 29th against the reigning Western Conference Champion Vegas Golden Knights. The promotional schedule will be released in the coming weeks. 

Visit The Hockey News Chicago Blackhawks team site to stay up to date on the latest news, game-day coverage, player features, and more.

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The Vancouver Canucks have officially released their 2026–27 regular season schedule. 

The 84-game slate of matchups for the Canucks features a season-opener against the Edmonton Oilers on September 29 in Edmonton that is one of two NHL opening-night matches. Vancouver will then play in their home-opener on October 1, also against the Oilers. They will conclude the 2026–27 regular season on April 10 against the Calgary Flames.  

Prior to the start of the regular season, Vancouver will play in four pre-season games running from September 19 to 26. They will travel to face the Seattle Kraken and Calgary Flames on the 19th and 22nd respectively, before returning to play on home-ice against the Oilers and Kraken on the 24th and 26th. 

Full 2026–27 Season Schedule: 

*Local times written

September 2026 

Tuesday, September 29 @ Edmonton Oilers, 8:00 pm 

October 2026

Thursday, October 1 vs. Edmonton Oilers, 7:00 pm

Saturday, October 3 vs. Calgary Flames, 7:00 pm

Sunday, October 4 vs. Vegas Golden Knights, 6:00 pm

Thursday, October 8 @ Carolina Hurricanes, 7:00 pm

Saturday, October 10 @ New Jersey Devils, 3:30 pm

Sunday, October 11 @ New York Rangers, 6:00 pm

Tuesday, October 13 @ New York Islanders, 7:45 pm

Thursday, October 15 @ Florida Panthers, 7:00 pm

Saturday, October 17 @ Tampa Bay Lightning, 4:00 pm

Tuesday, October 20 vs. Carolina Hurricanes, 7:00 pm

Thursday, October 22 vs. Detroit Red Wings, 7:00 pm

Sunday, October 25 vs. Minnesota Wild, 7:00 pm 

 Tuesday, October 27 @ Anaheim Ducks, 7:00 pm 

Thursday, October 29 @ San Jose Sharks, 7:00 pm

Saturday, October 31 vs. Toronto Maple Leafs, 4:00 pm

November 2026

Tuesday, November 3 vs. Anaheim Ducks, 7:00 pm

Thursday, November 5 @ Winnipeg Jets, 7:00 pm

Saturday, November 7 @ Edmonton Oilers, 9:00 pm

Monday, November 9 vs. Philadelphia Flyers, 7:30 pm

Friday, November 13 vs. New York Rangers, 7:00 pm

Sunday, November 15 @ Vegas Golden Knights, 6:00 pm 

Monday, November 16 @ Utah Mammoth, 7:30 pm

Thursday, November 19 @ Seattle Kraken, 6:40 pm

Saturday, November 21 vs. Minnesota Wild, 8:00 pm 

Sunday, November 22 vs. Chicago Blackhawks, 6:00 pm

Wednesday, November 25 @ Detroit Red Wings, 7:30 pm

Friday, November 27 @ Philadelphia Flyers, 3:00 pm

Sunday, November 29 @ Boston Bruins, 5:00 pm

December 2026 

Tuesday, December 1 @ Washington Capitals, 7:00 pm

Friday, December 4 vs. Buffalo Sabres, 7:00 pm

Saturday, December 5 vs. Dallas Stars, 8:00 pm

Monday, December 7 vs. Washington Capitals, 7:00 pm

Thursday, December 10 vs. Nashville Predators, 7:00 pm 

Saturday, December 12 @ Los Angeles Kings, 7:00 pm 

Monday, December 14 @ San Jose Sharks, 7:00 pm

Wednesday, December 16 @ Anaheim Ducks, 6:00 pm 

Saturday, December 19 vs. San Jose Sharks, 8:00 pm

Monday, December 21 vs. Utah Mammoth, 7:00 pm

Saturday, December 26 @ Calgary Flames, 9:00 pm 

Monday, December 28 vs. Los Angeles Kings, 7:30 pm 

Wednesday, December 30 vs. Seattle Kraken, 7:30 pm

January 2027

Saturday, January 2 @ Utah Mammoth, 8:00 pm

Sunday, January 3 @ Seattle Kraken, 5:00 pm

Tuesday, January 5 vs. New York Islanders, 7:00 pm

Thursday, January 7 vs. Tampa Bay Lightning, 7:00 pm 

Saturday, January 9 vs. Florida Panthers, 8:00 pm

Thursday, January 14 vs. Seattle Kraken, 7:00 pm

Saturday, January 16 vs. Columbus Blue Jackets, 8:00 pm

Monday, January 18 @ Colorado Avalanche, 1:00 pm

Wednesday, January 20 @ Nashville Predators, 1:00 am 

Friday, January 22 @ Chicago Blackhawks, 7:00 pm 

Saturday, January 23 @ Pittsburgh Penguins, 7:00 pm

Tuesday, January 26 @ Minnesota Wild, 7:00 pm

Thursday, January 28 @ Dallas Stars, 7:00 pm

Saturday, January 30 @ St. Louis Blues, 2:30 pm

February 2027

Monday, February 1 vs. Montréal Canadiens, 6:30 pm

Wednesday, February 3 vs. New Jersey Devils, 7:00 pm

Saturday, February 13 vs. Winnipeg Jets, 8:00 pm

Tuesday, February 16 vs. Pittsburgh Penguins, 7:00 pm

Thursday, February 18 vs. Ottawa Senators, 7:00 pm

Saturday, February 20 vs. Colorado Avalanche, 8:00 pm

Sunday, February 21 vs. Boston Bruins, 6:00 pm

Tuesday, February 23 @ Dallas Stars, 7:00 pm

Thursday, February 25 @ St. Louis Blues, 7:00 pm

Saturday, February 27 vs. Calgary Flames, 8:00 pm 

March 2027

Wednesday, March 3 vs. Chicago Blackhawks, 8:00 pm

Saturday, March 6 @ Montréal Canadiens, 7:00 pm

Tuesday, March 9 @ Buffalo Sabres, 7:00 pm

Thursday, March 11 @ Columbus Blue Jackets, 7:00 pm

Saturday, March 13 @ Toronto Maple Leafs, 7:00 pm

Sunday, March 14 @ Ottawa Senators, 5:00 pm

Wednesday, March 17 vs. Nashville Predators, 7:00 pm

Saturday, March 20 vs. St. Louis Blues, 7:00 pm

Sunday, March 21 vs. Edmonton Oilers, 6:00 pm

Tuesday, March 23 vs. Los Angeles Kings, 7:00 pm

Thursday, March 25 vs. Vegas Golden Knights, 7:00 pm

Saturday, March 27 vs. Anaheim Ducks, 1:00 pm

Monday, March 29 @ Los Angeles Kings, 6:30 pm

Wednesday, March 31 @ Vegas Golden Knights, 7:30 pm

April 2027

Saturday, April 3 vs. San Jose Sharks, 7:00 pm

Tuesday, April 6 vs. Colorado Avalanche, 7:00 pm

Friday, April 9 @ Winnipeg Jets, 6:00 pm

Saturday, April 10 @ Calgary Flames, 8:00 pm

Make sure you bookmark THN's Vancouver Canucks site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Also, don't forget to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum. This article originally appeared on The Hockey News.

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The Winnipeg Jets will open a new era of NHL hockey at home against an Original Six opponent before hosting an outdoor game later in October, as the league unveiled its first-ever 84-game regular-season schedule Thursday.

Winnipeg opens the 2026-27 campaign on Friday, Oct. 2 against the Boston Bruins at Canada Life Centre before visiting the Detroit Red Wings two days later for its first road game of the season.

The schedule also features one of the biggest events on the NHL calendar, with the Jets set to host the Montreal Canadiens in the 2026 Heritage Classic at Princess Auto Stadium on Oct. 25. A long list of Winnipeg and Montreal alumni will also meet the previous day in an alumni game at Canada Life Centre.

For the first time ever, every club will play 84 regular-season games, increasing the schedule by two contests while maintaining a balanced 42-game home and 42-game road slate.

For the Jets, that means 28 games against Central Division opponents, three meetings with each Pacific Division club and home-and-home series against all 16 Eastern Conference teams.

Winnipeg will also see the defending Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes twice within the opening month of the season. Nikolaj Ehlers and the Hurricanes visit Canada Life Centre on Oct. 17 before the Jets return the trip to Raleigh on Nov. 1.

The busiest stretch of the season comes in November, when Winnipeg plays 15 games.

Later in the year, the Jets will enjoy their longest homestand of the season, a six-game stretch at Canada Life Centre running from March 1-13.

Their longest trips away from home consist of three separate four-game road swings, although one extended stretch will keep Winnipeg away from Canada Life Centre for six consecutive games between Jan. 28 and Feb. 15. That run is split by the NHL's nine-day break for All-Star Weekend, scheduled for Feb. 5-6 on Long Island.

The Jets are scheduled to play nine sets of back-to-back games during the regular season. Six consist entirely of road contests, while two feature one home game and one road game. The only home back-to-back comes Dec. 19-20 against the Dallas Stars.

Saturday will once again be Winnipeg's busiest day of the week, with the Jets playing 19 times.

The Heritage Classic marks Winnipeg's first Canadian matchup of the season. Overall, the Jets will face Canadian clubs 14 additional times, including home dates against the Calgary Flames twice, the Vancouver Canucks twice, and single visits from the Edmonton Oilers, Ottawa Senators and Toronto Maple Leafs.

The full 84-game schedule can be found here: 

NEW YORK (AP) — The most expansive season in NHL history will begin in September, not October, and limit most teams to four preseason games.

The league's first 84-game season since 1993-94 opens Sept. 29 as 32 teams will combine to play a total of 1,344 games. The season runs through Saturday, April 10, before the playoffs begin the following week.

The increase from an 82-game slate, which had been the standard since the mid-’90s, was agreed upon by team owners and players in the last round of talks on a collective bargaining agreement. The intent is to provide more space between the end of the Stanley Cup Final and the draft in late June before free agency commences July 1.

When the Panthers and Oilers went the distance in ’24, there were just three days between Game 7 on June 24 in South Florida and the first round of the draft on June 28 in Las Vegas.

After defeating Vegas to win the Stanley Cup, the Carolina Hurricanes will raise their second championship banner on Sept. 29 against Florida.

That opening night, featuring five games, matches the earliest start date in NHL history and is the first time the regular season begins in North America before October. The Anaheim Ducks and Los Angeles Kings played games in London on Sept. 29 and 30, 2007.

The most recent — and only other — September hockey outside of exhibitions came during the pandemic playoff bubble in 2020, culminating when Tampa Bay hoisted the Cup in an empty arena in Edmonton on Sept. 28.

Games to watch

Oct. 21: New Florida Panther Brady Tkachuk returns to Ottawa. The former Senators captain plays his first game against his old team since getting traded to Florida to play with his brother, Matthew. It did not end well in Canada's capital, from Brady bristling at his name being in rumors to asking out and then the team offering to take Tkachuk No. 7 jerseys fans wished to exchange.

Oct 25: Heritage Classic. The Montreal Canadiens visit the Winnipeg Jets in the return of outdoor hockey to Canada for the first time since 2023.

Dec. 21: Stanley Cup Final rematch: The Hurricanes return to the scene of their championship triumph to face the Golden Knights in Las Vegas. The two teams meet again in Raleigh, North Carolina, on Jan. 17.

Dec. 31: Winter Classic: Utah takes center stage outside, hosting the Colorado Avalanche in the Winter Classic in Salt Lake City.

Feb. 20: Jerry World hockey: The Dallas Stars host Vegas in at the Dallas Cowboys' stadium in Arlington, Texas.

April 4: Washington hosts Pittsburgh. Alex Ovechkin is back for a 22nd NHL season with the Capitals. If this is it for him at age 41 — and it very well may not be if he wants to shoot for 1,000 career goals — this would be the last regular-season game against Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and the Penguins.

___

AP NHL: https://apnews.com/NHL