The 2026-27 NHL season is here, bringing another full season of hockey featuring all 32 teams, marquee outdoor games, rivalry matchups and the race for the 2027 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
The 2026-27 NHL regular season begins Tuesday, September 29, 2026, and is scheduled to conclude Saturday, April 10, 2027.
One of the biggest changes this season is the expanded schedule. Each NHL team is scheduled to play 84 regular-season games, including 42 home games and 42 road games. That creates a league-wide schedule of 1,344 games.
When Does the 2026-27 NHL Season Start?
The 2026-27 NHL regular season officially begins on Tuesday, September 29, 2026.
Opening night features five games across the league:
- Florida Panthers at Carolina Hurricanes — 5:00 p.m. ET
- Montreal Canadiens at Toronto Maple Leafs — 7:00 p.m. ET
- New York Rangers at Boston Bruins — 8:00 p.m. ET
- Vancouver Canucks at Edmonton Oilers — 10:00 p.m. ET
- Chicago Blackhawks at Vegas Golden Knights — 10:30 p.m. ET
The opening-night schedule immediately features several notable matchups, including an Original Six meeting between Montreal and Toronto and an all-Canadian matchup between Vancouver and Edmonton.
How Many Games Are in the 2026-27 NHL Season?
Each NHL team is scheduled to play 84 games during the 2026-27 regular season, an increase from the traditional 82-game format.
Teams will play:
- 42 home games
- 42 road games
- 84 total regular-season games
Across all 32 NHL teams, the schedule consists of 1,344 regular-season games.
2026 NHL Heritage Classic
One of the first major special events on the NHL schedule is the 2026 Heritage Classic.
The Montreal Canadiens will face the Winnipeg Jets on October 25, 2026, in Winnipeg.
The Heritage Classic continues the NHL’s tradition of staging outdoor games while highlighting Canadian teams and hockey culture.
2026 NHL Winter Classic
The NHL Winter Classic returns on December 31, 2026, with the Colorado Avalanche facing the Utah Mammoth at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City, Utah.
The New Year’s Eve outdoor matchup will be one of the marquee events on the 2026-27 NHL calendar.
2027 NHL All-Star Weekend
The 2027 NHL All-Star Weekend is scheduled for February 5-6, 2027, at UBS Arena in Elmont, New York, home of the New York Islanders.
The event brings together many of the league’s biggest stars during the second half of the regular season.
2027 NHL Stadium Series
Another major outdoor game arrives on February 20, 2027, when the Vegas Golden Knights face the Dallas Stars at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
AT&T Stadium, best known as the home of the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys, will provide one of the largest venues on the NHL calendar.
When Does the 2026-27 NHL Regular Season End?
The NHL regular season is scheduled to conclude on Saturday, April 10, 2027.
All 32 NHL teams are scheduled to play on the final day, creating a potentially important closing slate as teams battle for playoff positioning, division titles and Stanley Cup Playoff berths.
2026-27 NHL Schedule Key Dates
Regular-season opener: September 29, 2026
Heritage Classic: October 25, 2026
Winter Classic: December 31, 2026
NHL All-Star Weekend: February 5-6, 2027
NHL Stadium Series: February 20, 2027
Regular-season finale: April 10, 2027
What’s Different About the 2026-27 NHL Schedule?
The biggest difference is the move to an 84-game regular-season schedule.
The NHL calendar also includes additional daytime games on Mondays in North America. The scheduling strategy creates more games that can be shown during prime viewing hours for hockey fans in Europe.
Combined with the Heritage Classic, Winter Classic, All-Star Weekend and Stadium Series, the 2026-27 schedule includes several major events spread throughout the season.
2026-27 NHL Season Outlook
From opening night on September 29 through the regular-season finale on April 10, the 2026-27 NHL schedule gives hockey fans more games than ever before.
With 84 games per team, major outdoor showcases and all 32 clubs in action on the final day of the regular season, the road to the 2027 Stanley Cup Playoffs will feature more than six months of NHL action.