October 7, 2025, Sunrise, North Carolina, United States: Florida Panthers left wing A.J. Greer 10 celebrates with his teammates after scoring against Chicago Blackhawks goaltender Spencer Knight 30 in the first period of their NHL, Eishockey Herren, USA game at Amerant Bank Arena on Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2025, in Sunrise, Florida. Sunrise United States - ZUMAm67_ 20251007_zaf_m67_032 Copyright: xMatiasxJ.xOcnerx
October 7, 2025, Sunrise, North Carolina, United States: Florida Panthers left wing A.J. Greer 10 celebrates with his teammates after scoring against Chicago Blackhawks goaltender Spencer Knight 30 in the first period of their NHL, Eishockey Herren, USA game at Amerant Bank Arena on Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2025, in Sunrise, Florida. Sunrise United States - ZUMAm67_ 20251007_zaf_m67_032 Copyright: xMatiasxJ.xOcnerx
The Florida Panthers are set to make an early trip to the West Coast to open a new season, according to the NHL's home opener schedule released this week. They will play against the San Jose Sharks on October 1 and serve as San Jose's home opener just two days into the new season.
This establishes new ground for a team that has never reached the West Coast this early before. Florida opens the 2026-27 season on September 29 against the Carolina Hurricanes.
As a part of the league's opening-night event, Carolina will raise its Stanley Cup championship banner. From there, the Panthers move to San Jose, on the West Coast, just two days after their opener.
A post on X by Kirpy Lupul talks about how this date puts Florida well ahead of its previous West Coast start.
Before 2026, the team had not played on the West Coast before October 10 in any other season. In 2010, the Panthers lost 3–2 to the Edmonton Oilers on October 10 and then traveled to Vancouver and lost 2–1 to the Canucks the next day, both on the same West Coast swing.
Before that, it was October 16 in 1996 and 2001. It was against San Jose and Vancouver. Their 2019 trip did not reach Vancouver until October 28. This year's October 1 date in San Jose is just ten days earlier than the previous record.
This early date is not the only new thing this season; the NHL expanded its regular season to 84 games for 2026-27. They went up from 82, pushing the entire schedule to begin a week earlier than usual. The season now begins Sept 29 instead of early October.
Florida's West Coast run does not end in San Jose. The Panthers are also scheduled to play against the Anaheim Ducks as the season-opening opponent on October 4 and the Los Angeles Kings on October 6. This makes them the opponent for all three California teams within their first two weeks.
Florida's home opener is not until October 10 against the Minnesota Wild. This makes them the last in the league to host their own opener this season.
League-wide opening night slate
Florida and Carolina's game is the first of three opening-night games on ESPN at 5 p.m. ET, as reported by the NHL. This will be followed by Montreal Canadiens vs the Toronto Maple Leafs (at 7 p.m. ET) and then by the Boston Bruins against the New York Rangers (at 8 p.m. ET).
After this, Canadian fans get their own doubleheader that night as the Vancouver Canucks will face the Edmonton Oilers at 10 p.m. ET, followed by the Vegas Golden Knights playing against the Chicago Blackhawks at 10:30 p.m. ET.
The defenseman John Carlson will face the Washington Capitals for the first time since they traded him to the Ducks in March. And in Buffalo, the Sabres' opener might get us to see defenseman Bowen Byram on the ice, whom they traded away earlier this year in a deal that brought back Louis Crevier and draft picks.
Most other teams open sometime between October 1 and October 8. The full 2026-27 schedule is out this Thursday.
Read more at NHL Fan Central!
Written by
Aadhya Nalla
Edited by
Suyashdeep Sason