NHL 2026-27 schedule will start Sept. 29 with 5 games: Here are details

[ASFN Admin]

The 2026-27 NHL season will have two major differences.

Each team will play 84 games for the first time since 2003-04 and as a result, the season will start in September.

The season usually starts in early October but the date was moved to Sept. 29 to accommodate the extra two games per team.

The opening day schedule was announced on Wednesday, July 15, and will feature five games, including the Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes raising their banner before a 5 p.m. ET game against the 2024 and 2025 champion Florida Panthers.

The Western Conference champion Vegas Golden Knights will host the Chicago Blackhawks at 10:30 p.m. ET.

Three of the games will be shown on ESPN and the other two on Sportsnet.

The full 2026-27 schedule will be announced on Thursday afternoon.

NHL opening day schedule​

MARK YOUR CALENDARS

The puck drops on the 2026-27 season September 29th! #NHLFaceOffpic.twitter.com/LsUHolwBHO

— NHL (@NHL) July 15, 2026

Every NHL team's home opener​

The @NHL announced today the 2026-27 regular season, expanded to 84 games with the addition of two more divisional contests per team, will open on Tuesday, Sept. 29. In addition, the League announced each team’s home opener.

Details: https://t.co/jMxZCwXZU6pic.twitter.com/wfrDekHQs1

— NHL Public Relations (@NHLPR) July 15, 2026

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NHL 2026-27 schedule will start Sept. 29 with 5 games: Here are details

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