The St. Louis Blues now know what the 2026-27 season will look like, and the opening stretch is a brutal one.
The NHL released its full 84-game schedule, giving the Blues their first look at where the year begins. With the home opener coming nearly a week and change after the season starts on September 29, a road game was always the likely setup. What landed instead is a tough early gauntlet.
St. Louis opens with three straight road games, and the first two come on consecutive nights, October 2 and 3.
All three are against Central Division opponents: Dallas first, then Colorado, then Chicago. That means the Blues are being thrown right into division play before they even get settled.
The home opener follows against the San Jose Sharks, a team described as playoff-hopeful. It is a rough first week by any measure, and the Blues are staring at an uphill climb almost immediately.
There is at least one small break in the setup for that first matchup with Chicago. Connor Bedard will be out for the Blackhawks’ initial meeting with St.
Louis, though the source notes he is expected to return later in the season. Chicago also made several offseason moves aimed at making itself a better Central Division team.
Beyond the opening week, the schedule has some friendly spots mixed in. Twenty-two home games are on the weekend, and the Blues will be at home for Christmas, hosting the New York Rangers after the break. Their longest homestand of the season comes right after Thanksgiving, giving the team a stretch of stability in the middle of the grind.
Still, the bigger picture is clear: the Blues are facing a difficult start, and it does not look like the pressure eases much after that. They have found ways to heat up late in the last two seasons, but this schedule could force them to get going earlier, especially with a little easier travel around the holidays.
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