The NHL is already creating excitement for the 2026-27 season by announcing a big opening night schedule. The new season will start on Tuesday, September 29, with an expanded 84-game regular season after the league added two more divisional games for each team.

The league announced that opening night will include a tripleheader on ESPN in the United States and a doubleheader on Sportsnet in Canada.

The defending Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes will start their title defense against the Florida Panthers at the Lenovo Center. Before the game, the Hurricanes will celebrate their championship by raising their second Stanley Cup banner.

As per NHL Media, the opening night will also feature two classic Original Six rivalries. The Montreal Canadiens will visit the Toronto Maple Leafs at Scotiabank Arena, while the New York Rangers will face the Boston Bruins at TD Garden. The league has chosen these historic matchups to make the start of the season more exciting for fans.

Later that night, the Vancouver Canucks will face the Edmonton Oilers in a Pacific Division game. The Chicago Blackhawks will also play the Vegas Golden Knights in another Western Conference matchup.

The league also confirmed that TNT will broadcast its first games of the season on Wednesday, September 30. The doubleheader will feature the Pittsburgh Penguins taking on the Philadelphia Flyers as the main game.

NHL adds more marquee events to 2026-27 calendar

Beyond the opening-night games, the NHL also announced a busy schedule with several international and outdoor hockey events during the season, as reported by NHL Media.

The 2026 Tim Hortons NHL Heritage Classic will happen on October 25. The Winnipeg Jets will host the Montreal Canadiens at Princess Auto Stadium in Winnipeg.

The NHL will also continue growing its global presence. The defending champion Carolina Hurricanes and the Seattle Kraken will play in the 2026 NHL Global Series Finland. The teams will face each other in Helsinki on November 12 and November 14 at Veikkaus Arena.

The league also announced that the Ottawa Senators and Chicago Blackhawks will travel to Germany for the 2026 NHL Global Series. They will play regular-season games in Düsseldorf on December 18 and December 20.

According to the league’s announcement, outdoor hockey will return on New Year’s Eve. The Utah Mammoth and Colorado Avalanche will play in the Discover NHL Winter Classic at Rice-Eccles Stadium.

The NHL will also host the 2027 Honda NHL All-Star Weekend at UBS Arena on Long Island. The event will feature a new five-team international format with teams from Canada, Finland, Sweden, the United States, and a World team.

Later in February, the Dallas Stars and Vegas Golden Knights will headline the 2027 Navy Federal Credit Union NHL Stadium Series at AT&T Stadium.

The NHL will release the full 2026-27 regular-season schedule on July 16. Fans will then get the complete details of the upcoming season.

With championship celebrations, historic rivalries and global events already planned, the 2026-27 NHL season opener promises to bring plenty of excitement for hockey fans around the world.

What do you think? Let us know in the comments. 

Read more at the NHL Fan Central. 

Written by

Kapil Manghnani

Kapil Manghnani brings over 4.5 years of experience in sports journalism, covering a wide range of sports, including Soccer, NHL, Tennis, Gymnastics, NASCAR, Swimming, and more. He has written for leading sports platforms, producing everything from breaking news and features to in-depth analysis, opinion pieces, long-form stories, and short-form content. Beyond articles, he has also scripted long-form storytelling videos for YouTube channels. His work focuses on delivering well-researched, engaging, and reader-first sports content across multiple formats.

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Edited by

Suyashdeep Sason