The Colorado Avalanche now know what the road ahead looks like for the 2026-27 season, and it opens fast.
Colorado’s first game comes on September 30 against the Los Angeles Kings, with the schedule starting to stack up quickly after that. The Avalanche have 13 games in October, including their second game of the season on October 3 against the St.
Louis Blues. That early stretch also brings a quick turnaround before a trip to Winnipeg and then Calgary on back-to-back days.
There’s no easing into the middle of the month, either. On October 13 and 14, the Avalanche meet the Dallas Stars twice, first in Dallas and then back in Colorado. Their first matchup with the Nashville Predators arrives on October 25 in Nashville.
November brings one of the more interesting early division meetings. Colorado’s first game against the Chicago Blackhawks is set for November 2, but Connor Bedard is expected to be out until mid-November because of shoulder surgery, so that first clash comes before he’s available. Since the two teams are in the same division, that absence stands out, and it gives Colorado a major advantage in that matchup.
The Avalanche also get two looks at the Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes, with games on December 18 and February 9. Those should be strong measuring-stick games for Colorado, especially if the power play takes the leap from last season that the Avalanche need. Against a team like Carolina, that kind of improvement could matter a lot.
One of the more demanding portions of the schedule lands in November, when Colorado is on the road from the 10th through the 18th. That trip includes Toronto on the 10th, then Ottawa two days later, followed by another game against the Ottawa Senators on Saturday, and it finishes with Utah Mammoth. The source notes that, aside from Utah, those are eastern teams, which means the Avalanche won’t see them as often as Western Conference opponents.
Colorado handled the road well last season, finishing 29-7-5 away from home, while going 26-9-6 at home. That kind of balance should help when the schedule gets messy.
The NHL’s all-star games will run from February 5-7, 2027, rather than a Winter Olympic break, since that only comes around every four years.
There’s also a Winnipeg wrinkle worth watching. Connor Hellebuyck has been rumored to be in trade discussions, but the Avalanche should plan as if he’ll still be in goal for the Jets when the teams meet in the third game of the season. Their second meeting doesn’t come until late February, by which point plenty should be settled and both clubs will have a better sense of where they stand in the postseason race.
Regular season hockey is only a couple of months away now.
In Other News...
Avalanche Fans May Need To Rethink Fabian Lysell Fast
Fabian Lysell is the kind of summer addition that can look like a depth move in July and something much more interesting by the time camp opens. The Avalanche brought in the former first-round pick earlier this summer, and that alone gives the deal a different feel than a routine flyer. Lysell still carries the upside that made him a premium selection, which is why Colorado can view him in more than one way as it sorts out the rest of its roster.
For the Avalanche, the real question is whether Lysell can make himself hard to ignore at the NHL level. If he does, he could force his way into the conversation as a roster player rather than just another name in the system, and his place in the organization will also be shaped by the contract picture around him. Colorado does not have to decide everything right away, but the next stretch will go a long way toward showing whether Lysell is part of the plan or simply part of the asset pool. [Read more 🡒]
Avalanche Opening Night And Winter Classic Dates Are Finally Set
The Avalanche finally have their opening-night date set, and for the first time in franchise history theyll be kicking off a season in September. It gives Colorado a little extra runway before the grind begins, and it also locks in the kind of early-season spotlight that comes with being one of the leagues marquee teams.
Colorados calendar also now includes a Winter Classic date, adding another showcase game to a season that already has plenty of intrigue. Around the league, the Red Wings are moving on from Steve Yzerman as president and general manager, Trevor Zegras has landed a lucrative extension in Philadelphia, and Anthony Mantha is headed to the Devils, but for the Avalanche the immediate focus is on how the first stretch of the schedule will shape up once the puck drops. [Read more 🡒]
Avalanche Land Near Bottom Of Aggression Ranking And Fans Know Why
A new study from Casino Guru put a number to something Avalanche fans have long recognized: Colorado played with far more speed and skill than bite last season. The ranking used hits, penalty minutes, major penalties, fights, and suspensions or fines to build an Aggression Index, and the Avalanche ended up near the bottom of the NHL list, a reflection of a team that usually prefers to skate past trouble rather than lean into it.
Colorados place in the standings of that category fits the way this roster is built and the way it tries to win. The Avalanche have never been mistaken for a heavy, grinding club, and the postseason only sharpened that contrast as opponents looked for ways to make them uncomfortable physically. It also leaves an interesting comparison point for the teams that did manage to drag Colorado into a more punishing style, even if the most successful version of that approach came from a different Western Conference foe. [Read more 🡒]