The 2026-27 NHL season is approaching and the league took another step in the ramp-up by announcing the preseason schedule on Thursday, Aug. 13.
Because the NHL season has increased from 82 games to 84 this season under the new collective bargaining agreement, the preseason schedule has been reduced.
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There will be 65 games over eight days, starting on Sept. 19 and ending on Sept. 27. The regular season will start two days later with five games.
The exhibition schedule features four neutral-site games, including the annual Kraft Hockeyville game.
The Montreal Canadiens and Ottawa Senators will face off on Monday, Sept. 21, in Trois-Rivières, Quebec. As part of the Kraft Hockeyville program, the nearby town of Saint-Boniface, Quebec, received $250,000 for upgrades to its local arena and $10,000 worth of youth hockey equipment from NHLPA Goals & Dreams.
Here is the 2026 NHL preseason schedule:
1 / 28
NHL players who changed teams in the offseason
Forward Brady Tkachuk was traded to the Florida Panthers, where he will join brother Matthews.
(James Guillory, Imagn Images)
1 / 28
NHL players who changed teams in the offseason
Forward Brady Tkachuk was traded to the Florida Panthers, where he will join brother Matthews.
(James Guillory, Imagn Images)
2 / 28
NHL players who changed teams in the offseason
Forward Pavel Dorofeyev was traded to the New York Rangers.
(Bruce Bennett, Getty Images)
3 / 28
NHL players who changed teams in the offseason
Defenseman Darnell Nurse was traded to the San Jose Sharks.
(David Gonzales, Imagn Images)
4 / 28
NHL players who changed teams in the offseason
Defenseman Simon Nemec was traded to the Calgary Flames.
(Ed Mulholland, Imagn Images)
5 / 28
NHL players who changed teams in the offseason
Forward Vincent Trocheck was traded to the Utah Mammoth.
(Sam Navarro, Imagn Images)
6 / 28
NHL players who changed teams in the offseason
Forward JJ Peterka was traded to the Boston Bruins.
(Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images)
7 / 28
NHL players who changed teams in the offseason
Forward Mason McTavish was traded to the St. Louis Blues.
(Kirby Lee, Imagn Images)
8 / 28
NHL players who changed teams in the offseason
Mavrik Bourque was traded to the Nashville Predators.
(Steve Roberts, Imagn Images)
9 / 28
NHL players who changed teams in the offseason
Defenseman Bowen Byram was traded to the Chicago Blackhawks.
(Timothy T. Ludwig, Imagn Images)
10 / 28
NHL players who changed teams in the offseason
Forward Alex Tuch joined the Washington Capitals in a sign-and-trade.
(Winslow Townson, Imagn Images)
11 / 28
NHL players who changed teams in the offseason
Forward Jordan Kyrou was traded to the Washington Capitals.
(Isaiah J. Downing, Imagn Images)
12 / 28
NHL players who changed teams in the offseason
Goalie Jacob Markstrom was traded to the Florida Panthers.
(David Kirouac, Imagn Images)
13 / 28
NHL players who changed teams in the offseason
Forward Blake Coleman was traded to the Minnesota Wild.
(Jerome Miron, Imagn Images)
14 / 28
NHL players who changed teams in the offseason
Forward Keegan Kolesar was traded to the Detroit Red Wings.
(James Guillory-Imagn Images)
15 / 28
NHL players who changed teams in the offseason
Forward Nick Paul was traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs.
(Nathan Ray Seebeck, Imagn Images)
16 / 28
NHL players who changed teams in the offseason
Forward William Eklund was traded to the Ottawa Senators.
(Kirby Lee, Imagn Images)
17 / 28
NHL players who changed teams in the offseason
Defenseman Darren Raddysh joined the Toronto Maple Leafs in a sign-and-trade deal.
(Darren Yamashita, Imagn Images)
18 / 28
NHL players who changed teams in the offseason
Forward Nick Paul was traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs.
(Keito Newman, IMAGN IMAGES)
19 / 28
NHL players who changed teams in the offseason
Defenseman Marcus Pettersson was traded to the New York Rangers.
(Stan Szeto, Imagn Images)
20 / 28
NHL players who changed teams in the offseason
Goaltender Joonas Korpisalo was traded to the New York Rangers.
(James Guillory, Imagn Images)
21 / 28
NHL players who changed teams in the offseason
Goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky signed with the Toronto Maple Leafs.
(Dennis Schneidler, Imagn Images)
22 / 28
NHL players who changed teams in the offseason
Goaltender Frederik Andersen signed with the Edmonton Oilers.
(Stephen R. Sylvanie, Imagn Images)
23 / 28
NHL players who changed teams in the offseason
Forward Viktor Arvidsson signed with the Detroit Red Wings.
(Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images)
24 / 28
NHL players who changed teams in the offseason
Forward Mason Marchment signed with the San Jose Sharks.
(Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch)
25 / 28
NHL players who changed teams in the offseason
Defenseman John Carlson was signed by the Tampa Bay Lightning.
(Stephen R. Sylvanie, Imagn Images)
26 / 28
NHL players who changed teams in the offseason
Forward Jack Roslovic signed with the Toronto Maple Leafs.
(Perry Nelson, Perry Nelson-Imagn Images)
27 / 28
NHL players who changed teams in the offseason
Forward Jaden Schwartz signed with the Colorado Avalanche.
(Stephen Brashear, Imagn Images)
28 / 28
NHL players who changed teams in the offseason
Defenseman Ian Cole signed with the Chicago Blackhawks.
(Stephen R. Sylvanie, Imagn Images)
NHL preseason schedule
All times Eastern
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SATURDAY, SEPT. 19
Montreal (split-squad) at Toronto (split-squad), 7 p.m.
Toronto (split-squad) at Montreal (split-squad), 7 p.m.
SUNDAY, SEPT. 20
MONDAY, SEPT. 21
NY Rangers at New Jersey, 7 p.m.
Philadelphia vs. Washington, at Hershey, Pennsylvania, 7 p.m.
Montreal vs. Ottawa, at Trois-Rivières, Quebec, 7 p.m.
Colorado at Winnipeg, 8 p.m.
Minnesota at Chicago, 8 p.m.
St. Louis at Dallas, 8 p.m.
TUESDAY, SEPT. 22
Columbus at Buffalo, 7 p.m.
Detroit at Pittsburgh, 7 p.m.
Florida at Carolina, 7 p.m.
NY Islanders at NY Rangers, 7 p.m.
Philadelphia at Boston, 7 p.m.
Edmonton at Winnipeg, 8 p.m.
Tampa Bay at Nashville, 8 p.m.
Vancouver at Calgary, 9 p.m.
Utah at Los Angeles, 10 p.m.
Vegas at San Jose, 10 p.m.
WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 23
Ottawa (split-squad) at Toronto (split-squad), 7 p.m.
Toronto (split-squad) at Ottawa (split-squad), 7 p.m.
Minnesota at Dallas, 8 p.m.
Los Angeles at Anaheim, 10 p.m.
THURSDAY, SEPT. 24
Boston at Philadelphia, 7 p.m.
Buffalo at Detroit, 7 p.m.
Florida at Tampa Bay, 7 p.m.
Carolina vs. Nashville, at Greensboro, North Carolina, 7 p.m.
New Jersey at NY Rangers, 7 p.m.
Pittsburgh at Columbus, 7 p.m.
Chicago at St. Louis, 8 p.m.
Edmonton at Vancouver, 9 p.m.
Calgary at Seattle, 9:40 p.m.
Anaheim at San Jose, 10 p.m.
FRIDAY, SEPT. 25
Boston at Washington, 7 p.m.
NY Rangers at NY Islanders, 7:30 p.m.
Dallas at Minnesota, 8 p.m.
Winnipeg at Colorado, 8:30 p.m.
SATURDAY, SEPT. 26
Carolina at Nashville, 3 p.m.
Pittsburgh at Buffalo, 3 p.m.
Anaheim at Los Angeles, 4 p.m.
Washington at Philadelphia, 5 p.m.
Tampa Bay at Florida, 6 p.m.
Seattle at Vancouver, 7 p.m.
St. Louis at Chicago, 7 p.m.
Columbus at Detroit, 7 p.m.
Montreal (split-squad) at Ottawa (split-squad), 7 p.m.
Ottawa (split-squad) at Montreal (split-squad), 7 p.m.
New Jersey at NY Islanders, 7:30 p.m.
Calgary at Edmonton, 9 p.m.
San Jose at Vegas, 10 p.m.
When does the 2026-27 NHL regular season begin?
The schedule for the 2026-27 NHL season will begin on Sept. 29 with five games on opening night:
NHL key dates 2026-27
Sept. 19: NHL preseason begins
Nov. 18 and 20: NHL Global Series Finland (Hurricanes vs. Kraken in Helsinki)
Dec. 18 and 20: NHL Global Series Germany (Blackhawks vs. Senators in Dusseldorf)
Feb. 6: NHL All-Star Game at UBS Arena in Elmont, New York
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 2026 NHL preseason schedule announced with reduced number of games
