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After a long summer of patiently waiting, a new hockey season is finally upon us!

On Tuesday, the NHL will lift the curtain on its 2025-26 campaign, with the defending Stanley Cup Champion Florida Panthers getting things started.

Florida will raise their second straight Stanley Cup banner to the rafters at Amerant Bank Arena ahead of a 5 p.m. puck drop against the Chicago Blackhawks.

Then, after the sun goes down, two more marquee matchups will take place on Tuesday, followed by another four on Wednesday.

Opening Night’s primetime matchup will feature two longtime divisional rivals who are both looking to bounce back after failing to make the playoffs last season as the New York Rangers will host the Pittsburgh Penguins, then the nightcap will feature a pair of Western Conference playoff teams from a season ago looking for better postseason results when the Colorado Avalanche visit the Los Angeles Kings.

Wednesday will bring another four fun matchups, as the Toronto Maple Leafs host the Montreal Canadiens, the Washington Capitals welcome the Boston Bruins to our nation’s capital, then we’ll get the battle of Alberta between the Edmonton Oilers and Calgary Flames before the Vegas Golden Knights start their season by hosting the Kings, who get a fun back-to-back set to start their season.

With the pre-Opening Night excitement hitting its peak, The Hockey Show co-hosts, Roy Bellamy and David Dwork from THN Florida, have put out some fun predictions for the first games of the season.

You can check out their picks in the video below. Let us know in the comments which you agree and disagree with!

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So Connor McDavid, the best hockey player on the planet, willingly chose to give himself a zero percent raise and give himself the third-highest cap hit in the NHL when he could have blown everybody out of the water.

Think about that for a minute. And if you're a fan of the Edmonton Oilers, thank your lucky stars that this McDavid drama didn't go into the season and that you'll have him in your lineup for at least the next three seasons.

NHL superstars looking to cash in won't like the looks of this deal, but McDavid said from the start of all this that winning a Stanley Cup was his No. 1 priority, and he backed up his words. Big time.

But he also put the Oilers on the clock here.

He's given them everything in his power to build a Cup-winning team – not a Cup-contending team – around him. And if they fail to do that, he'll go to try to win a Stanley Cup somewhere else.

Watch today's video column for the full reaction to McDavid's two-year, $25-million contract extension, and share your thoughts.

For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com.

ST. LOUIS -- The St. Louis Blues have set their opening night roster, and the big question heading into it was whether they'd sign veteran Milan Lucic to a contract and have him on the opening night roster.

The answer, initially at least, is no.

The 37-year-old has been in training camp on a professional tryout and was not initially on the opening night roster, which had to be submitted by 4 p.m. (CT) on Monday.

That doesn't mean he can't at some point sign a contract, but at least for the time being, Lucic remains in St. Louis, either signing a contract or the Blues releasing him from his PTO, something as of 3:30 p.m. (CT) did not happen.

It does mean that Alexandre Texier and Mathieu Joseph have made the roster cut and will begin the season in St. Louis. Joseph played his way into the mix and all indications pointed to him being safe with his omission from the final preseason game this past Saturday, a 4-0 win over the Chicago Blackhawks, but Texier on the other hand seemed to be in limbo. That is not the case now.

The opening night roster for the #stlbluespic.twitter.com/FOKjHaPwMK

— Lou Korac (@lkorac10) October 6, 2025

There will also be the question of Oskar Sundqvist, who sustained an undisclosed -- appeared to be a lower-body -- injury to the right leg at practice on Sunday. The Blues did not practice on Monday and coach Jim Montgomery didn't have any updates post-practice on Sunday.

The Blues were able to get down to the 23-man opening night roster by assigning defenseman Hunter Skinner to Springfield of the American Hockey League, and they also lost goalie Colten Ellis, who was claimed off waivers Monday by the Buffalo Sabres.

Skinner was in a battle for the seventh defenseman with Matthew Kessel.

The Blues open the regular season at home on Thursday against the Minnesota Wild.

Sabres Claim Blues Goalie Colten Ellis Off Waivers; Skinner ClearsST. LOUIS -- The St. Louis Blues lost goalie Colten Ellis, who was claimed off waivers by the Buffalo Sabres on Monday.

 The Toronto Maple Leafs have claimed goaltender Cayden Primeau and forward Sammy Blais off waivers from the Carolina Hurricanes and Montreal Canadiens respectively, the team announced Monday. 

Primeau was dominant in the AHL last season but had difficulty at the NHL level. He had a 21-2-3 record with a .927 SP and 1.96 GAA with the Laval Rocket and a 2-3-1 record with a .836 SP and 4.70 GAA with the Canadiens.

His performance in the AHL earned the Rocket and Syracuse Crunch the Harry "Hap" Holmes Award as Best Goaltending Duo. 

The 26-year-old has 55 games of NHL experience with a 13-23-7 record and 149 AHL appearances with an 84-4-14 record.

The Farmington Hills, Mich., native was placed on waivers after Carolina claimed goaltender Brandon Bussi yesterday. This move will likely allow Dennis Hildeby to play for the Toronto Marlies while Joseph Woll is away from the team.  

Blais recorded 40 points in 51 regular season games and finished third in Calder Cup Playoff scoring with 19 points in 23 games, helping the Abbotsford Canucks win the championship last season. He also led the playoffs with 77 penalty minutes. 

The 29-year-old has 27 goals and 71 points in 257 career NHL games. He was a member of the 2019 Stanley Cup winning St. Louis Blues team coached by Craig Berube. 

The Maple Leafs have claimed F Sammy Blais off waivers from Montreal and G Cayden Primeau off waivers from Carolina.

— Leafs PR (@LeafsPR) October 6, 2025

A sixth round selection of the Blues in 2014, Blais has 145 points in 199 career AHL games and won the gold medal with Team Canada at the 2023 World Championship.

The Montmagny, Q.C., native could be in line for fourth line minutes with Scott Laughton out week-to-week. 

Blais would count as a veteran against AHL rules if he makes it through waivers again and is sent to the Marlies. 

The Hockey News' Toronto Maple Leafs team site covered how this move impacts Easton Cowan and the rest of the NHL lineup here. 

Check out our AHL to KHL signing tracker and AHL Free Agency signing tracker.      

For the second straight season, Ottawa Senators 2024 first-rounder Carter Yakemchuk has been caught up in the final wave of roster cuts. The Senators announced this afternoon that Yakemchuk has been loaned to the Belleville Senators of the American Hockey League to begin his professional hockey career. He’ll be joined there by Arthur Kaliyev, Jan Jenik, Hayden Hodgson, Mads Søgaard, and Lassi Thomson, who all cleared waivers on Monday for the purpose of being loaned to Belleville.

Senators head coach Travis Green said after practice on Monday, a few hours before the final cuts, that the club was being very careful to do what’s best for both Yakemchuk and the team.

"It's never an easy decision when you're talking about a young guy that we feel has a bright future in the NHL, and making sure that we can put him in the best place to succeed," Green said. "It's a delicate question and answer. So we've got to make sure that we put him in the right spot.

"At the end of the day, it's about what's going to help our team and what's going to help him. And combining both into the right answer."

The Senators had until 5:00 p.m. to submit a maximum roster of 23 players. But they slapped it down to 22, as the club also placed both Tyler Kleven and Drake Batherson on injured reserve on Monday. Both were injured in training camp, but neither injury is terribly serious, and both are said to be close to returning.

So Donovan Sebrango will remain in Ottawa for now as the 7th defenseman, and Olle Lycksell will stick around as the 13th forward while Kleven and Batherson continue to heal up.

Lycksell cleared waivers on Monday, so he's waivers-exempt for the next 30 days or 10 NHL games. It's possible he may see some action in a game where they feel like Kurtis MacDermid's services aren't required. On the blue line, the Sens might opt to go with Sebrango as Kleven's natural left-side replacement, or have one of their excess righties move over and play on their wrong side.

Here’s the Senators’ 2025–26 roster as of now:

Forwards (13): Amadio, Cousins, Cozens, Eller, Giroux, Greig, Lycksell, MacDermid, Perron, Pinto, Stützle, Tkachuk, Zetterlund IR: Batherson

Defensemen (7): Chabot, Jensen, Matinpalo, Sanderson, Sebrango, Spence, Zub IR: Kleven

Goalies (2): Meriläinen, Ullmark

More Sens Headlines From The Hockey News Ottawa:
Senators Land A True NHL Heavyweight In A Deal With The Devils
More Senators Broadcast Changes: Marc Methot Out At TSN
Reviewing Four Of The Nastiest Moments From Senators–Canadiens Game On Tuesday
Brady Tkachuk On Starring In Prime Video Show: 'I'm An Open Book To Begin With'
Broadcast Frustrations Resurface For Senators FansSens Goalie
Linus Ullmark Says He Enjoys The Struggle

The New York Rangers have signed Conor Sheary to a one-year, two-way contract. The deal is worth the league minimum.

During the offseason, the Rangers signed Sheary to a Professional Tryout Agreement as he looked to compete at training camp for an opening-night roster spot. 

Sheary spent multiple seasons playing for the Pittsburgh Penguins, where he was coached by Mike Sullivan and won two Stanley Cups. 

Sullivan’s past relationship with Sheary led to the Rangers giving the veteran forward a chance to compete for a roster spot at training camp.

Throughout training camp and the preseason, Sheary has played a third-line and power-play role, indicating Sullivan always had a plan for Sheary.  

Conor Sheary Inching Toward Earning Roster Spot With RangersAll signs are pointing toward Conor Sheary earning a contract and roster spot with the New York Rangers. 

The 33-year-old forward has played in 10 NHL seasons for the Penguins, Washington Capitals, Buffalo Sabres, and Tampa Bay Lightning.

The Hockey News Big Show is here with former longtime NHL goalie Devan Dubnyk to preview the 2025-26 NHL season for each team in the Pacific Division. But first, they have big news to discuss on the contract front.

Breaking Down McDavid’s Extension And Previewing The Pacific by The Big Showundefined

Here’s what Michael Traikos, Ryan Kennedy and Devan Dubnyk discussed in this episode:

0:59: Connor McDavid signed a two-year contract extension with the Oilers worth $12.5 million annually. Thoughts?

5:19: What must happen in Edmonton for McDavid to sign a long-term contract after that?

7:30: The Oilers also re-signed Jake Walman for seven years at $7 million annually. Do we like this deal?

8:56: What are some other expectations for the Oilers?

11:40: Where do you slot the Vegas Golden Knights into the Pacific Division?

14:43: With an aging roster, what do we make of the Los Angeles Kings? Is this their last hurrah? 

19:20: Was last year an anomaly for the Vancouver Canucks? Can they make a real push for a wild-card spot? 

22:15: What will Dustin Wolf's season look like with the Calgary Flames? Will it become harder for him this year?

24:48: Is there any reason to believe the Flames wouldn’t be in a race for a playoff spot? 

27:15: In Anaheim, will we see Ducks forwards Leo Carlsson, Cutter Gauthier and Mason McTavish reach the next stage of their evolution?

30:00: The San Jose Sharks finished last in the last two years, but they had some positive vibes last year with Macklin Celebrini, Will Smith and other youngsters in the lineup. Should the outlook be as positive if they finish last again? 

35:00: Ryan went to Mullett Arena for Gavin McKenna’s Penn State debut, and he shares what he saw.

38:11: Should the Seattle Kraken blow it up and go for Gavin McKenna, or is a shot at a playoff berth more important for the market?

41:17: Which rookies will stay for just nine games, and who will be there all year in the Pacific Division? 

45:00: Which team and player are under the most pressure this season?

46:30: Name one player who is pretty significant to his team who could be traded before 

Thanksgiving.

48:16: John Tortorella returns to ESPN as an analyst: favorite ‘Torts’ moment?

Watch the full episode here 

Subscribe to The Hockey News Big Show on your preferred platform.

Even though rosters were trimmed to 23 on Saturday, there was no guarantee that the Pittsburgh Penguins were going to carry those exact 23 players into their season opener against former head coach Mike Sullivan and the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday.

But that does appear to be the case - which is good news for two top Penguins' prospects.

On Monday, Penguins' head coach Dan Muse confirmed that defenseman Harrison Brunicke and center Ben Kindel will both be making their NHL debuts when the Penguins take on the Rangers to kick off the 2025-26 season. 

Top Prospects Brunicke, Kindel Confirmed To Make NHL Debuts In Penguins' Season OpenerEven though rosters were trimmed to 23 on Saturday, there was no guarantee that the Pittsburgh Penguins were going to carry those exact 23 players into their season opener against former head coach Mike Sullivan and the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday.

Drop a comment and share your perspective.