2026-27 NHL Regular Season: Start Date, Games, Schedule and More
The 2026-27 NHL regular season begins on Sept. 29 with five games, while all 32 teams will play 84 games before the regular season ends on April 10, 2027.
The 2026-27 NHL regular season starts on Sept. 29, 2026. The Carolina Hurricanes will open the season against the Florida Panthers at home, with Carolina raising its Stanley Cup banner before the game. The opening night will have five games in total, including Montreal Canadiens vs. Toronto Maple Leafs, New York Rangers vs. Boston Bruins, Vancouver Canucks vs. Edmonton Oilers and Chicago Blackhawks vs. Vegas Golden Knights. This season, each of the NHL's 32 teams will play 84 regular-season games. The schedule will run until April 10, 2027, when all 32 teams will play on the final day of the regular season.
Opening Night Games,Times and Networks
The first five games will be played on Sept. 29. Here is the opening-night schedule in one place:
|
Date |
Game |
Time (ET) |
Network |
|
Sept. 29 |
Florida Panthers vs. Carolina Hurricanes |
5:00 p.m. |
ESPN (U.S.) |
|
Sept. 29 |
Montreal Canadiens vs. Toronto Maple Leafs |
7:00 p.m. |
Sportsnet (Canada) |
|
Sept. 29 |
New York Rangers vs. Boston Bruins |
8:00 p.m. |
ESPN (U.S.) |
|
Sept. 29 |
Vancouver Canucks vs. Edmonton Oilers |
10:00 p.m. |
Sportsnet (Canada) |
Carolina will raise its Stanley Cup banner before the Panthers game. The Montreal-Toronto game could also include the NHL debut of 2026 No. 1 pick Gavin McKenna.
The next night has two more games. Pittsburgh will play against Philadelphia at 7:30 p.m. ET, while Los Angeles will face Colorado at 10 p.m.
How Many Games Will NHL Teams Play?
Every NHL team will play 84 regular-season games in 2026-27. Each club will have 42 home games and 42 road games.
The extra two games are division games. Each team will play its seven division opponents four times during the season, with two games at home and two on the road.
There will be two dates when all 32 teams are scheduled to play. The first is Oct. 13, while the second is April 10, the final day of the regular season.
Global Series and Outdoor Games
The NHL will take two regular-season matchups to Europe this season. Carolina and Seattle will play in Helsinki on Nov. 12 and 14. Chicago and Ottawa will then play in Düsseldorf on Dec. 18 and 20.
The outdoor schedule starts Oct. 25, when Winnipeg hosts Montreal in the Heritage Classic. Utah will play Colorado in the Winter Classic on Dec. 31 at Rice-Eccles Stadium. The Dallas Stars will host the Vegas Golden Knights at AT&T Stadium on Feb. 20 for the Stadium Series.
When Is The 2027 NHL All-Star Weekend?
The NHL All-Star Weekend returns after a two-year break. The Skills competition will take place Feb. 5 at UBS Arena, with the All-Star Game on Feb. 6.
The format will also be different this time. Five teams will represent Canada, Finland, Sweden, the United States and a World Team.
After the All-Star break and the rest of the regular-season schedule, the NHL will finish the 2026-27 regular season on April 10.Â