The NHL is entering a new era in 2026–27, with the regular season expanding from 82 to 84 games per team. The campaign begins Tuesday, September 29, with 1,344 regular-season games scheduled across the league.
Opening Night
The season begins with several marquee matchups:
Montreal Canadiens at Toronto Maple Leafs — 7 p.m. ET
Florida Panthers at Carolina Hurricanes — 5 p.m. ET, with Carolina raising its Stanley Cup banner
New York Rangers at Boston Bruins — 8 p.m. ET
Vancouver Canucks at Edmonton Oilers — 10 p.m. ET
Chicago Blackhawks at Vegas Golden Knights — 10:30 p.m. ET
Toronto Maple Leafs
Toronto enters the season with one of the league’s most dramatically changed rosters after missing the playoffs in 2025–26. Jim Hiller takes over as head coach, while John Chayka begins his first season as general manager.
The biggest additions include:
Gavin McKenna, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft
Sergei Bobrovsky, two-time Stanley Cup champion
Nick Paul
Jack Roslovic
Colton Sissons
Teddy Blueger
Brandon Duhaime
The major question is how quickly the revamped roster can develop chemistry, particularly with a shortened training camp.
Teams and Storylines to Watch
Carolina Hurricanes
The defending Stanley Cup champions begin the season by raising their championship banner before hosting Florida. Carolina’s title defense immediately puts the club under the spotlight.
Vegas Golden Knights
Vegas returns after reaching the 2026 Stanley Cup Final and remains one of the Western Conference’s major storylines. The Golden Knights also have a February outdoor matchup against Dallas at AT&T Stadium.
Edmonton Oilers
Edmonton opens against Vancouver before the two clubs meet again just two days later in the Canucks’ home opener. That early home-and-home will provide an immediate test for both Pacific Division clubs.
Young Stars
The 2026–27 season could introduce a new wave of NHL stars. McKenna leads NHL.com’s preseason list of top rookie-eligible prospects, with Porter Martone and Anton Frondell also among the highly regarded young players.
Major Events
October 25: Canadiens vs. Jets — 2026 Tim Hortons NHL Heritage Classic in Winnipeg.
November 12 & 14: Hurricanes and Kraken meet in the NHL Global Series Finland.
December 18 & 20: Senators and Blackhawks play the NHL Global Series Germany.
December 31: Utah Mammoth vs. Colorado Avalanche — 2027 Winter Classic at Rice-Eccles Stadium.
February 5–6: 2027 NHL All-Star Weekend at UBS Arena.
February 20: Vegas Golden Knights vs. Dallas Stars — 2027 Stadium Series at AT&T Stadium.
The New 84-Game Schedule
Each team now plays 84 games, with the additional games coming from divisional play. The regular season concludes April 10, 2027, with all 32 teams scheduled to play that day.
For Toronto specifically, the Leafs have 42 home and 42 road games, 11 back-to-backs and a league-high workload of 16 games in March.
Toronto’s Early Test
The Leafs face an especially demanding opening: Montreal on September 29, followed by the New York Islanders on September 30. McKenna could potentially make his NHL debut against Montreal and then face 2025 No. 1 pick Matthew Schaefer and the Islanders the following night.
Season Themes
84 games. New stars. New-look Leafs. Defending champions under pressure. Outdoor hockey. International events.
The 2026–27 NHL season is set to begin with plenty of storylines before the first puck is even dropped.
