NHL Reveals Home Openers for All Teams Ahead of 2026-27 Schedule Announcement

The first 84-game NHL regular season will begin Sept. 29.

The NHL released a first look Wednesday at the home openers for each team on the 2026-27 schedule, which begins with 10 teams playing on opening night.

The Tuesday night season opener features a triple-header on ESPN and a double-header on Sportsnet.

The full 2026-27 schedule will be announced Thursday at 1 p.m. ET.

The Tuesday ESPN triple-header will kick off with a matchup featuring the last two Stanley Cup champions as the Florida Panthers and Montreal Canadiens face off in Raleigh.

The network will also feature an Original Six matchup between the New York Rangers and Boston Bruins before the Chicago Blackhawks take on the 2026 Cup runners-up Vegas Golden Knights.

The double-header on Sportsnet will include two Canadian matchups as the Montreal Canadiens take on the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Vancouver Canucks play the Edmonton Oilers.

The season continues that Wednesday on TNT with a rivalry matchup between the Pittsburgh Penguins and Philadelphia Flyers before the Los Angeles Kings play the Colorado Avalanche.

All home openers will take place between Sept. 29 and Oct. 10, a slate that features rivalry matchups including the Blackhawks and St. Louis Blues as well as the Penguins and Washington Capitals.

The NHL has already announced the dates of two outdoor games, including the Oct. 25 Heritage Classic between the Canadiens and Winnipeg Jets, the Dec. 31 Winter Classic between the Utah Mammoth and Avalanche and the Feb. 20 Stadium Series featuring the Golden Knights and Dallas Stars.

The league is also featuring four international games, with the Hurricanes playing the Seattle Kraken in Finland on Nov. 12 and Nov. 14 before the Ottawa Senators and Blackhawks compete in Germany on Dec. 18 and Dec. 20.

The NHL is expanding the regular season from 82 to 84 games, which will add two divisional games per team. Teams will find out what that newly-expanded slate looks like when the full schedule drops Thursday afternoon.