The 2026-27 NHL season opens Tuesday, Sept. 29, and the league is wasting no time serving up a heavy slate. The night starts with the Carolina Hurricanes unveiling their 2026 Stanley Cup banner against the Florida Panthers at 5 p.m.
ET on ESPN. It’s a meeting of two Eastern Conference powerhouses, and it sets the tone for a loaded opening night.
The marquee action keeps rolling after that. The Montreal Canadiens and Toronto Maple Leafs renew their rivalry at 7 p.m.
ET, while the Edmonton Oilers and Vancouver Canucks meet again at 10 p.m. ET.
There’s more on the board too, with Rangers-Bruins at 8 p.m. ET and Blackhawks-Golden Knights at 10:30 p.m.
ET, both on ESPN.
Before the puck drops, the betting picture already has a clear front-runner. Per FanDuel, the Panthers hold the best Stanley Cup odds at +650.
Aleksander Barkov is back healthy after missing all of last season, and Florida also added Brady Tkachuk in the offseason. That’s a dangerous combination, and the market clearly thinks so.
The Hurricanes are next at +750, right alongside the Colorado Avalanche. Edmonton sits at +1000, while the Washington Capitals and Vegas Golden Knights are both listed at +1100.
FanDuel also posted its own breakdown, calling Florida the favorite, Carolina the reigning champ, Edmonton Canada’s leading contender, and the Flames and Canucks the least likely at +50000.
It’ll be fun to see whether any of these odds hit this year.
Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.
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Jacob Markstrom Just Changed The Feel Around These Panthers
Jacob Markstroms return to Florida came with a familiar kind of composure, the sort the Panthers have valued before and seem eager to lean on again. In his first start for the club in almost 13 years, the veteran goalie looked settled from the opening puck drop in a season-opening win over Carolina, and both coach Paul Maurice and defenseman Gus Forsling came away impressed with how steady he was in net.
For a team trying to defend every inch after bringing Markstrom back in a trade with the New Jersey Devils, the timing mattered as much as the performance. He was calm, he was effective, and he gave Florida the kind of foundation that can change the mood around a locker room quickly, especially when a former Panthers draft pick has come full circle to help them start the year on the right note. [Read more 🡒]
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The lines presence mattered because it gave Florida another reliable option in a matchup that featured plenty of grinding hockey and very little room to breathe. Eller, Hathaway and Imama helped set a tone in the middle of the game, and for a Panthers team built on structure, that kind of debut is the sort of early-season sign a coach can use right away, even if the bigger question still lingers about how much more this trio can offer as the schedule gets harder. [Read more 🡒]
Panthers Opened The Season With A Statement Win Fans Will Love
The Panthers wasted no time reminding everyone what kind of team they are. In a season opener defined by structure and patience, Florida came away with a 1-0 overtime win over Carolina, leaning on a sharp defensive effort and steady goaltending from Jacob Markstrom while Brandon Bussi kept the Hurricanes in it with save after save at the other end.
Florida still found a way to finish, and that is the part Panthers fans will like most. Gustav Forsling delivered the only goal in the extra period as the game tilted into one final chance, giving the reigning standard-bearer in the East an opening-night result that looked every bit like a team comfortable winning tight games. The Panthers now head to San Jose for their next test, while Carolina turns its attention to a home date with Washington. [Read more 🡒]