Debuts, returns and rematches: Games to circle on this season’s NHL calendar

The NHL opens its 1,344-game regular-season schedule next week. The league’s 32 teams will play 84 contests each — up from 82 — for the first time since the 1993-94 campaign following pared-down training camps.

The Canadian Press takes a look at some of the headline-grabbing dates on the calendar.

OPENING NIGHT

The puck drops on five fronts Tuesday, including the Carolina Hurricanes raising their Stanley Cup banner before taking on the Florida Panthers. No. 1 overall pick Gavin McKenna will make his NHL debut when the Toronto Maple Leafs host the Montreal Canadiens. Meanwhile in Edmonton, the Mike Babcock era begins when the Oilers’ new head coach and Connor McDavid face the Vancouver Canucks.

TKACHUK RETURNS

The Ottawa Senators host Florida on Oct. 21 in the return of former captain Brady Tkachuk. The bruising winger spent eight seasons in the nation’s capital after being selected No. 4 overall at the 2018 draft. Tkachuk emphatically said following last spring’s first-round playoff exit he was committed to the organization before quietly requesting a trade.

BROTHERLY LOVE

Anaheim centre Leo Carlsson will suit up on Oct. 24 in his first game against the Flyers since Philadelphia tried to pry him out of California with a jaw-dropping five-year, US$90-million offer sheet this summer. Anaheim eventually matched the deal to keep the 21-year-old as a key part of its young core.

GREAT OUTDOORS

The Winnipeg Jets welcome Montreal on Oct. 25 for the first outdoor game of the season in the Heritage Classic at Princess Auto Stadium, home of the CFL’s Blue Bombers. Winnipeg is 1-1-0 all-time in the elements, while the Canadiens are 2-2-0. The NHL will hold two other outdoor games in 2026-27. The Utah Mammoth host the Colorado Avalanche in Salt Lake City on New Year’s Eve in the Winter Classic before the Vegas Golden Knights visit the Dallas Stars in Arlington, Texas, on Feb. 20 in the Stadium Series.

BACK WEST

Former Canucks captain Quinn Hughes returns to Vancouver on Oct. 25. The Norris Trophy winner as the NHL’s top defenceman in 2023-24, selected three picks after Tkachuk in 2018, played parts of eight seasons in Vancouver before a trade to the Minnesota Wild last December.

WE MEET AGAIN

The Hurricanes visit the Golden Knights for a Cup final rematch Dec. 21 in Sin City. Carolina won its second-ever title in six games back in June despite trailing the best-of-seven series 1-0 and 2-1. There will be new face behind the Vegas bench. Ryan Craig replaced John Tortorella just three days after the Hurricanes hoisted hockey’s holy grail.

SHOWCASE RETURNS

The NHL all-star game and skills competition are back on the schedule after being shelved the last two years for the 4 Nations Face-Off and the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics. UBS Arena — home of the New York Islanders — will host the events, which include a 3-on-3 tournament featuring players from Canada, the United States, Finland, Sweden and a “World” team.

FAMILIAR FACE

Maple Leafs goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky will be back in Florida to meet the Panthers for the first time since signing with Toronto in free agency this summer. The veteran netminder helped the Panthers secure consecutive Cup triumphs in 2024 and 2025 over the Oilers.

LAST DANCE?

Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby and Washington Capitals counterpart Alex Ovechkin will play their fourth and final game of the campaign against each other April 4. Ovechkin, 41, and Crosby, 39, entered the league together in 2005 and their decorated careers have been intertwined for more than two decades. Neither has indicated this will be their final NHL season, but the clock continues to tick down on two of the game’s greats.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 25, 2026.