The NHL has put the 2026-27 Columbus Blue Jackets schedule on the board, and the first thing that jumps out is how early the season gets rolling at home. Columbus opens the year on October 1, 2026, against the Buffalo Sabres, and the Blue Jackets will play seven of their first nine games in their own building.
This season comes with the league’s new 84-game format, which the NHL says creates “a more balanced scheduling matrix where every team plays its division rivals exactly four times.” The structure breaks down into 28 divisional games, 24 conference games and 32 inter-conference games. That means four games against each of the other seven teams in the division, three against each of the eight teams in the other division in the same conference, and two against all 16 teams from the opposite conference.
There are a few other markers worth circling. Columbus has 12 Saturday home games and two Sunday home games.
The schedule also includes 13 back-to-backs, plus a five-game homestand in February and March that stands as the longest stretch at home on the calendar. On the road, the Blue Jackets’ longest trips are multiple four-game swings.
Around the league, the marquee events are already set. The 2026 Heritage Classic lands on Oct. 25, 2026, with the Winnipeg Jets hosting the Montreal Canadiens.
The 2027 Winter Classic is set for Dec. 31, 2026, when the Utah Mammoth host the Colorado Avalanche. The 2027 Stadium Series follows on Feb. 20, 2027, with the Dallas Stars hosting the Vegas Golden Knights.
The international slate is also locked in, with Seattle and Carolina meeting in Helsinki, Finland, on Nov. 12 and 14, 2026, and Chicago and Ottawa playing in Düsseldorf, Germany, on Dec. 18 and 20, 2026.
For Columbus, though, there’s still plenty to sort out before puck drop on Oct. 1. Don Waddell still has players to sign and a farm team to stock.
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