The NHL’s 2026-27 season opens on Sept. 29 with five games including Carolina hosting Florida.
Early season returns and first meetings
Brady Tkachuk returns to Ottawa on Oct. 21 after his trade to the Senators. The schedule places this matchup 22 days after opening night.
Quinn Hughes returns to Vancouver on Oct. 25 during the NHL Heritage Classic weekend in Winnipeg. Hughes faces his former team after signing with a new club.
Leo Carlsson faces the Flyers on Oct. 24 in his first road game against Philadelphia. This date falls six days after the league-wide action on Oct. 13.
The first meeting between the Lightning and Panthers occurs on Nov. 28. Both teams reach this divisional clash after 18 games played.
McKenna and Stenberg face off on Oct. 19. The matchup highlights two prospects in their first head-to-head regular-season contest.
Milestone games and international events
Three teams reach 7,000 NHL regular-season games across Dec. 4, 5 and 7. This cumulative total marks the league’s growth to 32 franchises.
The NHL Global Series in Finland occurs on Nov. 12 and 14. Four teams travel overseas for these two contests.
The NHL Global Series in Germany follows on Dec. 18 and 20. Another set of four teams competes in Europe during this window.
The first Stanley Cup Final rematch lands on Dec. 21. The defending champion faces its June opponent after 34 games.
The NHL Winter Classic in Salt Lake City is set for Dec. 31. This outdoor game draws an estimated 50,000 spectators.
Late season highlights and close
The NHL All-Star Weekend lands on Feb. 5 and 6 on Long Island. Players from all divisions participate in the skills competition and game.
The NHL Stadium Series at the home of the Cowboys occurs on Feb. 20. This outdoor contest features two Western Conference teams.
Bobrovsky returns to Florida on March 6 while Gallagher faces the Canadiens on the same date. These individual returns occur after 58 games for most clubs.
Tuch returns to Buffalo on March 18. The forward plays his former team after 67 games into the season.
The expanded 84-game slate will conclude on April 10 with all 32 teams in action.
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Par Mike Jonderson
Mike Jonderson is a passionate hockey analyst and expert in advanced NHL statistics. A former college player and mathematics graduate, he combines his understanding of the game with technical expertise to develop innovative predictive models and contribute to the evolution of modern hockey analytics.