The Carolina Hurricanes ended their Stanley Cup drought in June, and they will raise their championship banner a month from now on Sept. 29.
The NHL 2026-27 regular season will get underway that day, kicking off a change to a longer 84-game schedule – up from 82.
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Training camps will open in mid-September, and the shortened preseason schedule will begin on Sept. 19.
There will be no in-season international tournament this season, but the NHL All-Star Game will return for the first time since 2024 and feature an international theme.
Here is when the NHL regular season begins and the key dates for the 2026-27 season:
When does the NHL regular season begin?
The 2026-27 NHL season starts on Sept. 29 with the following five games. There will be an ESPN tripleheader in the United States and a Sportsnet doubleheader in Canada.
All times Eastern
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)
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NHL players who changed teams in the offseason
Defenseman Darnell Nurse was traded to the San Jose Sharks.
(David Gonzales, Imagn Images)
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NHL players who changed teams in the offseason
Defenseman Simon Nemec was traded to the Calgary Flames.
(Ed Mulholland, Imagn Images)
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NHL players who changed teams in the offseason
Forward Vincent Trocheck was traded to the Utah Mammoth.
(Sam Navarro, Imagn Images)
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NHL players who changed teams in the offseason
Forward JJ Peterka was traded to the Boston Bruins.
(Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images)
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NHL players who changed teams in the offseason
Forward Mason McTavish was traded to the St. Louis Blues.
(Kirby Lee, Imagn Images)
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NHL players who changed teams in the offseason
Mavrik Bourque was traded to the Nashville Predators.
(Steve Roberts, Imagn Images)
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NHL players who changed teams in the offseason
Defenseman Bowen Byram was traded to the Chicago Blackhawks.
(Timothy T. Ludwig, Imagn Images)
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NHL players who changed teams in the offseason
Forward Alex Tuch joined the Washington Capitals in a sign-and-trade.
(Winslow Townson, Imagn Images)
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NHL players who changed teams in the offseason
Forward Jordan Kyrou was traded to the Washington Capitals.
(Isaiah J. Downing, Imagn Images)
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NHL players who changed teams in the offseason
Goalie Jacob Markstrom was traded to the Florida Panthers.
(David Kirouac, Imagn Images)
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NHL players who changed teams in the offseason
Forward Blake Coleman was traded to the Minnesota Wild.
(Jerome Miron, Imagn Images)
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NHL players who changed teams in the offseason
Forward Keegan Kolesar was traded to the Detroit Red Wings.
(James Guillory-Imagn Images)
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NHL players who changed teams in the offseason
Forward Nick Paul was traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs.
(Nathan Ray Seebeck, Imagn Images)
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NHL players who changed teams in the offseason
Forward William Eklund was traded to the Ottawa Senators.
(Kirby Lee, Imagn Images)
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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)
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NHL players who changed teams in the offseason
Forward Nick Paul was traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs.
(Keito Newman, IMAGN IMAGES)
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NHL players who changed teams in the offseason
Defenseman Marcus Pettersson was traded to the New York Rangers.
(Stan Szeto, Imagn Images)
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NHL players who changed teams in the offseason
Goaltender Joonas Korpisalo was traded to the New York Rangers.
(James Guillory, Imagn Images)
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NHL players who changed teams in the offseason
Goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky signed with the Toronto Maple Leafs.
(Dennis Schneidler, Imagn Images)
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NHL players who changed teams in the offseason
Goaltender Frederik Andersen signed with the Edmonton Oilers.
(Stephen R. Sylvanie, Imagn Images)
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NHL players who changed teams in the offseason
Forward Viktor Arvidsson signed with the Detroit Red Wings.
(Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images)
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NHL players who changed teams in the offseason
Forward Mason Marchment signed with the San Jose Sharks.
(Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch)
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NHL players who changed teams in the offseason
Defenseman John Carlson was signed by the Tampa Bay Lightning.
(Stephen R. Sylvanie, Imagn Images)
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NHL players who changed teams in the offseason
Forward Jack Roslovic signed with the Toronto Maple Leafs.
(Perry Nelson, Perry Nelson-Imagn Images)
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NHL players who changed teams in the offseason
Forward Jaden Schwartz signed with the Colorado Avalanche.
(Stephen Brashear, Imagn Images)
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NHL players who changed teams in the offseason
Defenseman Ian Cole signed with the Chicago Blackhawks.
(Stephen R. Sylvanie, Imagn Images)
When will all 32 NHL teams be in action?
All 32 teams will be in action on Oct. 13 and April 10.
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When does Brady Tkachuk return to Ottawa?
The former Ottawa Senators captain will return on Oct. 21. He was traded to the Florida Panthers, where he’s joining brother Matthew.
When does Quinn Hughes return to Vancouver?
He never did last season after his blockbuster trade to the Minnesota Wild. He will this season on Oct. 25.
When is the Heritage Classic game?
The Winnipeg Jets and Montreal Canadiens will play in the outdoor Heritage Classic on Oct. 25 at Princess Auto Stadium in Winnipeg.
When is the Hockey Hall of Fame induction?
Patrice Bergeron, Carey Price, Pekka Rinne, Cindy Curley, Keith Tkachuk and Brian Burke will be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame on Nov. 9. The Hall of Fame game will feature the New Jersey Devils playing at the Maple Leafs on Nov. 7 in Toronto.
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When is the NHL Global Series?
The Carolina Hurricanes and Seattle Kraken will play in Helsinki, Finland on Nov. 12 and 14.
The Ottawa Senators and Chicago Blackhawks will play in Dusseldorf, Germany on Dec. 18 and 20.
When does Frederik Andersen return to Carolina?
Stanley Cup-winning goalie Frederik Andersen, who signed with the Edmonton Oilers, will return to Carolina on Nov. 21.
When is the Stanley Cup Final rematch?
The Golden Knights host the Hurricanes on Dec. 20. Carolina will host Vegas on Jan. 17.
When is the Winter Classic?
The Winter Classic will be on New Year’s Eve at University of Utah’s Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City. The Utah Mammoth will host the Colorado Avalanche, starting at 6 p.m. ET.
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When is the NHL All-Star Game?
The NHL All-Star weekend will be Feb. 5-6, at UBS Arena in Elmont, New York. The skills competition is on the 5th and the All-Star Game will be on the 6th. There are new formats this season.
When is the Stadium Series game?
The Dallas Stars and Golden Knights play in the outdoor Stadium Series game at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas on Feb. 20.
When does Sergei Bobrovsky return to Florida?
The two-time Stanley Cup winner, who signed with Toronto in the offseason, will return on March 6.
When does John Carlson return to Washington?
The Capitals’ all-time top-scoring defenseman was dealt to the Anaheim Ducks last season and will return with the Tampa Bay Lightning on March 15.
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When the 2026-27 NHL season end?
It will end on April 10 with all 32 teams in action.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: When does the 2026-27 NHL season start? Here are the key dates
