The NHL dropped its full 2026-27 schedule Thursday, and there’s a lot to unpack. Let’s just start with the headline: the Carolina Hurricanes will raise their Stanley Cup banner on September 29 against the Florida Panthers. That’s a matchup that pits the last two champions against each other right out of the gate.
Opening night is a triple-header on ESPN. The Hurricanes and Panthers go first at 5 p.m. ET. Then you get an Original Six showdown at 8 p.m. when the New York Rangers — now with Pavel Dorofeyev in the mix — visit David Pastrnak and the Boston Bruins. The nightcap at 10:30 p.m. features the defending Western Conference champion Vegas Golden Knights hosting the Chicago Blackhawks.
Sportsnet’s got its own doubleheader for the Canadian crowd. The Montreal Canadiens, with top pick Gavin McKenna in the lineup, visit the Toronto Maple Leafs at 7 p.m. ET. Late game: the Vancouver Canucks go to Edmonton to face Connor McDavid and the Oilers at 10 p.m. ET.
And the party doesn’t stop on the 29th. TNT picks up two games on September 30, both rematches from the 2026 playoffs. The Penguins visit the Flyers at 7:30 p.m. ET, which is always a bloodbath. Then the Kings head to Colorado to play the Avalanche at 10 p.m. ET.
Home openers worth circling on your calendar
The Blackhawks are doing a weird tour of other teams’ home openers before they ever get to play at home. They open in Vegas, then visit the Utah Mammoth on October 1, then the Buffalo Sabres on October 3. Connor Bedard finally plays his first home game on October 6 against the St. Louis Blues.
Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin open their home slate on October 3 against the Canadiens. That game’s going to be emotional. The Habs then get a rematch of the Eastern Conference final on October 6 when they host the Hurricanes.
Alex Ovechkin is back for another year in Washington, and Caps fans have to wait until October 7 to see him at home. The Capitals host the Penguins, which is pretty perfect. Last season everyone thought Ovi might have played his last home game against those same Penguins. Now he gets another chapter.
The Florida Panthers, somehow, are the last team to open at home. They start on the road in Carolina, play in San Jose’s home opener on October 1, and then Los Angeles’ on October 6. Their fans finally get them on October 10 against the Minnesota Wild.
Outdoor games, global series and All-Star weekend
The Heritage Classic is going to Winnipeg on October 25. The Jets host the Canadiens outdoors. That one’s going to be cold. And loud.
The Global Series sends the Hurricanes to Helsinki for two games against the Seattle Kraken on November 12 and 14. Then Düsseldorf, Germany, gets two games: the Blackhawks against the Ottawa Senators on December 18 and 20.
The Winter Classic is December 31 at Utah’s Rice-Eccles Stadium. The Utah Mammoth host the Colorado Avalanche. That’s the 18th edition, and it’s going to be weird seeing Utah as the home team in an outdoor game.
All-Star weekend is February 5-6 in Long Island. The skills competition will only feature players 25 or younger. The All-Star Game itself is a five-team three-on-three round-robin with teams representing Canada, Finland, Sweden, the United States and the rest of the world.
The Stadium Series closes out the major events on February 20: the Dallas Stars host the Vegas Golden Knights at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. That’s going to be a massive crowd.
The full NHL schedule drops at 1 p.m. ET Thursday.
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