NHL 2026-27 regular-season schedule released

The NHL released its schedule for the 2026-2027 regular season, featuring 1,344 games, the most in NHL history. Each team will play 84 games, a two-game increase from previous seasons. 

Opening Night

The regular season opens on Tuesday, September 29 with five games: a tripleheader on ESPN in the United States and a doubleheader on Sportsnet in Canada. 

ESPN (United States)

• Florida Panthers @ Carolina Hurricanes, 5pm ET
• New York Rangers @ Boston Bruins, 8pm ET
• Chicago Blackhawks @ Vegas Golden Knights, 10:30pm ET

Sportsnet (Canada)

• Montreal Canadiens @ Toronto Maple Leafs, 7pm ET
• Vancouver Canucks @ Edmonton Oilers, 10pm ET

National broadcasts will air on ESPN, ABC, TNT and HBO Max in the United States, and will air on Sportsnet in Canada. The Stanley Cup Final will air on TNT in the United States and Sportsnet in Canada. 

Standout Games

Global Series Finland: The Carolina Hurricanes and Seattle Kraken will play at Veikkaus Arena in Helsinki on November 12 at 12pm ET and November 14 at 1pm ET. 

Global Series Germany: The Chicago Blackhawks and Ottawa Senators will meet at PSD Bank Dome in Düsseldorf on December 18 at 1pm ET and December 20 at 8am ET. 

Heritage Classic: The Winnipeg Jets will host the Montreal Canadiens for an outdoor game at Princess Auto Stadium on October 25. 

Winter Classic: The Utah Mammoth will host their first outdoor game against the Colorado Avalanche at Rice-Eccles Stadium, University of Utah, on December 31.  

Stadium Series: The Dallas Stars will host the Vegas Golden Knights at AT&T Stadium, home of the Dallas Cowboys, for the last outdoor game of the season on February 20. 

All-Star Game: After a two-year break due to the 4 Nations Face-Off in 2025 and the 2026 Winter Olympics, the NHL All-Star Game is set to return to UBS Arena, home to the New York Islanders. The Skills Competition will be held on February 5, while the newly designed All-Star Game will be on February 6. The All-Star Game will feature five teams (USA, Canada, Sweden, Finland, and World) and will be played as a three-on-three, round-robin style tournament.

Stanley Cup Rematch: The Carolina Hurricanes, reigning Stanley Cup Champions, will play the Vegas Golden Knights, the Western Conference Champions, on December 21 in Las Vegas and January 17 in North Carolina.

32 Team Game Day: All 32 teams will play on Tuesday, October 13, along with the season finale on Saturday, April 10. 

Alex Ovechkin farewell tour: It’s not certain that this will be his final year, but he signed a one-year extension with the Capitals, and he’ll turn 41 before the season starts. There’s a decent chance that when he comes to your arena, it will be for the last time.

Goodbye to the Saddledome: After 44 years as the home to the Flames, the arena will be replaced after this season. If you want to see it, this will be your last chance.

Other stadiums on a countdown: Several new stadium developments have been approved, putting current buildings on the clock. Xfinity Mobile Arena (Flyers) will be replaced in 2030, and American Airlines Center (Stars) will be replaced in 2031.

Changes from Last Season

Along with the lengthened regular season (and shortened preseason), this season’s NHL schedule features multiple Monday and weekday matinee games, which will allow European fans to watch games during prime time and are the perfect option for parents looking to bring young fans to a game. 

Doubleheader Digest

If you’re considering any NHL games this season, be sure to check our Ultimate Sports Calendar to see what else may be happening in that city at the same time. 

Next Steps

On-sale dates are team-specific, so check if your team has already released single-game tickets. If you’re planning to travel for a game, it might be worth buying tickets in advance; if you’re local, tickets usually drop in price leading up to the game, so same-day tickets might be the way to go. Keep in mind, tickets for big rivalry games might sell out quicker than other games. Tickets for the All-Star Game are not yet available, but we will keep you posted as details are released, and you can also sign up for updates from the NHL here.