The NHL announced the regular-season schedule for the 2025-26 season on Wednesday, which includes a tripleheader on opening night. The Florida Panthers will have the opportunity to raise their Stanley Cup banner for the second consecutive season prior to their game against the Chicago Blackhawks at Amerant Bank Arena on Oct. 7.
In addition, the NHL’s opening night will also include the New York Rangers hosting the Pittsburgh Penguins in a Metropolitan Division clash, while the Los Angeles Kings will host the Colorado Avalanche in Western Conference action.
The league will have a nationally-televised doubleheader on Oct. 8, featuring the Boston Bruins taking on the Washington Capitals, while the Vegas Golden Knights will host the Los Angeles Kings. Wednesday’ slate will also showcase the defending Western Conference champion Edmonton Oilers taking on the Calgary Flames in the season’s first installment of the “Battle of Alberta.”
One of more intriguing dates on the NHL calendar will be a rematch of the last two Stanley Cup Final matchups between the Panthers and Oilers, which takes place on Nov. 22 at Amerant Bank Arena. Meanwhile, the Oilers will host the Panthers on March 19 at Rogers Place.
The 2026 Winter Classic will feature the Panthers hosting the Rangers on Jan. 2 at Loan Depot Park in Miami. It marks the first time that the Winter Classic will be played in the state of Florida and it’s also the first occasion in which the Panthers will be participating in the annual outdoor game.
In addition, the Stadium Series will see the Tampa Bay Lightning hosting the Bruins at Raymond James Stadium, which is the home of the NFL’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers. It will mark the first Stadium Series appearance for either team, while this will be the Lightning’s first outdoor game.
The league will also have the NHL Global Series in Stockholm, Sweden on Nov. 14 and 16 in which the Nashville Predators will take on the Penguins. Several Swedish stars will take the ice in Stockholm, including Penguins defenseman Erik Karlsson, Penguins forward Rickard Rakell and Predators forward Filip Forsberg.
In total, there will be 1,312 games that will be played with the regular season concluding on April 16. The league’s regular-season schedule will be placed on pause from Feb. 6-24 when the NHL’s top stars will compete in the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina, Italy.
