NHL releases 2026-27 regular-season schedule, expanding to 84 games

The National Hockey League announced its 2026‑27 regular‑season schedule on July 16. The season will begin on Tuesday, September 29, 2026, and conclude on Saturday, April 10, 2027, featuring 84 games per team – an all‑time high and the first expansion to this length since the 1993‑94 season. The league will stage a total of 1,344 regular‑season games.

Opening night includes a triple‑header in the United States and Canada: the Carolina Hurricanes raise their second Stanley Cup banner before facing the Florida Panthers, the Montreal Canadiens play the Toronto Maple Leafs, and the New York Rangers meet the Boston Bruins. The schedule adds a series of Monday matinee and European‑prime‑time games to reach international fans, plus regular‑season Global Series contests in Helsinki, Finland and Düsseldorf, Germany.

Three outdoor games are highlighted: the Heritage Classic (Winnipeg Jets vs. Montreal Canadiens on Oct 25), the Winter Classic (Colorado Avalanche vs. Utah Mammoth on Dec 31), and the Stadium Series (Dallas Stars vs. Vegas Golden Knights on Feb 20). The All‑Star weekend returns in early February, and the league will host a record 13 back‑to‑back sets and several long road trips. All 32 teams will be in action on Oct 13 and Apr 10, the final day of the season.