NHL teams creatively announce 2026-27 season schedules

By Noah Lavoie — 16 July 2026 — 3 min read

The National Hockey League (NHL) recently released its full 2026-27 regular-season schedule, prompting teams across the league to engage in creative social media campaigns for the announcement. Following a trend seen in other sports, the majority of the 32 NHL teams utilized videos to share details of their 84-game schedules.

The upcoming season marks a significant change, as it will be the first time since the 1993-94 season that the league will play 84 regular-season games per team. This expanded schedule will result in a total of 1,344 games, setting a new record for the NHL.

Creative Schedule Reveals

Teams adopted various approaches to their schedule announcements. For instance, the Boston Bruins‘ social media team humorously depicted defenseman Nikita Zadorov taking charge of the schedule release. Zadorov enlisted teammates Charlie McAvoy and Jeremy Swayman, along with the team mascot Blades and anthem singer Todd Angilly, to brainstorm ideas before ultimately posting the schedule on X.

The 2026-27 NHL season is set to begin on September 29, which will be only the second time in league history that the season commences before October. This earlier start, along with the extended schedule, is part of a new collective bargaining agreement that also includes a reduction in the preseason to four games.

Key Matchups and Events

The season will feature several notable events and matchups. A highly anticipated rematch of the Stanley Cup Final will see the Carolina Hurricanes face the Vegas Golden Knights. The Hurricanes will raise their second championship banner in September before their first game of the season. The two teams will meet in Las Vegas on December 21 and again in Raleigh on January 17.

The NHL will also host two separate Global Series events, marking their return after two years. In November, the Hurricanes will play the Seattle Kraken in a pair of games in Helsinki, Finland. This will be the Kraken’s first overseas appearance since their league debut in 2021. The Hurricanes previously played in Europe in October 2010, also in Helsinki. The games between the Hurricanes and Kraken are scheduled for November 12 and November 14.

In December, the Ottawa Senators and Chicago Blackhawks will compete in Dusseldorf, Germany, at the PSD Bank Dome. The last time an NHL team played in Germany was in September 2024 for an exhibition match. The games in Germany are set for December 18 and December 19.

The 19th edition of the NHL Winter Classic will take place on New Year’s Eve, featuring the Colorado Avalanche against the Utah Mammoth in Salt Lake City. This marks the Mammoth’s first appearance in the Winter Classic. The game will be held at Rice-Eccles Stadium on the campus of the University of Utah, with a scheduled start time of 6 p.m. ET.

The Heritage Classic will also return, with the Winnipeg Jets hosting the Montreal Canadiens at Princess Auto Stadium on October 25. Additionally, the 2027 Stadium Series will feature the Dallas Stars and the Vegas Golden Knights at AT&T Stadium on February 20.

The NHL All-Star weekend will see a revamped format. The skills competition on February 5 will include only players aged 25 and younger. On February 6, a five-team tournament will take place, with players representing their countries rather than divisions. Teams from Canada, Finland, Sweden, the United States, and a team of athletes from other nations will participate in 3-on-3 games.

The season will also include nights where all 32 teams are in action, offering extended viewing opportunities for fans. The first such 16-game night is scheduled for Tuesday, October 13, with games beginning at 6 p.m. ET. The final day of the season, April 10, will also feature all teams playing, with games starting at Noon ET.

Source: sportsnet.ca