The NHL’s 1,344-game regular season is almost here, and the league wasted no time stacking the calendar with dates worth circling.
For the first time since the 1993-94 season, all 32 teams will play 84 games apiece, a jump from 82, and the schedule opens next week after pared-down training camps. The headline moments are spread across the season, from banner-raising on opening night to a possible final Crosby-Ovechkin meeting in April.
Tuesday’s opening night gives fans a little bit of everything. The Carolina Hurricanes will raise their Stanley Cup banner before hosting the Florida Panthers.
In Toronto, No. 1 overall pick Gavin McKenna is set for his NHL debut when the Maple Leafs face the Montreal Canadiens. And in Edmonton, the Mike Babcock era begins as the Oilers’ new head coach and Connor McDavid take on the Vancouver Canucks.
One of the earliest reunion games comes Oct. 21, when the Ottawa Senators host Florida and former captain Brady Tkachuk returns to the nation’s capital. Tkachuk spent eight seasons with Ottawa after being taken No. 4 overall in the 2018 draft. After last spring’s first-round playoff exit, he said he was committed to the organization before quietly requesting a trade.
Another notable return lands just days later. Former Canucks captain Quinn Hughes goes back to Vancouver on Oct.
- The 2023-24 Norris Trophy winner, selected three spots after Tkachuk in 2018, spent parts of eight seasons with the Canucks before a trade to the Minnesota Wild last December.
That same date also brings the season’s first outdoor game, as the Winnipeg Jets host Montreal in the Heritage Classic at Princess Auto Stadium, home of the CFL’s Blue Bombers. Winnipeg is 1-1-0 outdoors all-time, while the Canadiens are 2-2-0. The NHL has two more outdoor dates lined up in 2026-27: Utah hosts Colorado in the Winter Classic on New Year’s Eve in Salt Lake City, and Vegas visits Dallas on Feb. 20 in the Stadium Series at Arlington, Texas.
There’s a Cup final rematch on the board too. Carolina travels to Vegas on Dec. 21, giving the Hurricanes and Golden Knights another look at each other after Carolina won its second title in six games in June despite trailing the best-of-seven series 1-0 and 2-1. Vegas will have a new coach behind the bench by then, with Ryan Craig replacing John Tortorella just three days after the Hurricanes lifted the trophy.
The league’s all-star game and skills competition are back as well after missing the last two years because of the 4 Nations Face-Off and the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics. UBS Arena, home of the New York Islanders, will host the events, including a 3-on-3 tournament with players from Canada, the United States, Finland, Sweden and a “World” team.
There’s also a Florida reunion for Sergei Bobrovsky, who will return to face the Panthers for the first time since signing with Toronto in free agency this summer. The veteran goalie helped Florida win consecutive Cups in 2024 and 2025 over Edmonton.
And then there’s the one that still carries the most weight. Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin are scheduled to meet for the fourth and final time this season on April 4, with the Penguins and Capitals facing off again in a rivalry that has stretched across more than two decades. Ovechkin is 41 and Crosby is 39, and neither has said this will be their last NHL season, but the countdown keeps getting shorter.
In Other News...
Panthers Are Back In The Middle Of A Familiar Free Agent Chase
The Panthers are once again hovering around the edge of a familiar summer pursuit, this time with Vladimir Tarasenko among the remaining free agents drawing attention in Florida. Tarasenko is reportedly skating in the state, and the Panthers are showing interest as they continue to keep tabs on the market for possible late additions.
One of the more intriguing names still in play is Connor Hellebuyck, though the situation around the Winnipeg goalie remains unresolved and could still take a few different turns. Winnipeg has kept the door open to options, but with the calendar moving and no clear movement on a trade, the pressure around his status is starting to build in the background. [Read more 🡒]
Former Panthers First Round Pick Hits Early Setback In Seattle
Mackie Samoskevichs first few days with Seattle have already hit a snag, with the forward dealing with an upper-body injury after arriving from Florida and working through a new start in the Pacific Northwest. The former Panthers first-round pick, who also spent his college years at Michigan before turning pro, recently signed a three-year contract with the Kraken and was in line to get moving with his new club in preseason action.
Instead, Seattle will hold him out against Vancouver, another early reminder that even a fresh opportunity can come with an unwelcome interruption. For the Panthers, the move that sent Samoskevich away was part of a broader transaction package, and his quick setback adds another layer of interest to a change that Florida is still watching unfold from afar. [Read more 🡒]
Panthers Still Have One Roster Squeeze To Solve Before Opening Night
The Panthers wrapped up their final training camp practices and are down to one last preseason tune-up against the Tampa Bay Lightning, with the opening-night roster picture still not fully settled. Florida is aiming to have its roster finalized by Monday, and some players could be on waivers by Sunday as the club works through the usual late-camp trim and sorts out the salary-cap math.
Cap space remains the main squeeze, but the Panthers are expecting some relief from injured forwards Brad Marchand and Jonah Gadjovich, both of whom are candidates to land on long-term injured reserve. Marchands absence would keep him sidelined for the early part of the season, while Gadjovichs status leaves Florida with another moving piece to account for as it tries to get under the cap and carry the group it wants into opening night. [Read more 🡒]