On Thursday, the Vegas Golden Knights released the schedule for the 2026-27 regular season, which will have 84 games after a shortened preseason. The regular season begins on September 29th at home against the Chicago Blackhawks and ends on April 10th at home against the Los Angeles Kings.
Every game is important in its own right, but certain ones certainly stand out for their narratives and entertainment value. So, without further ado, here are the five biggest matchups for the Golden Knights during the 2026-27 regular season.
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Every year, as soon as the NHL releases the regular season schedule, neutral fans scramble to circle the rematch of the most recent Stanley Cup Final. After a truly dominant run to the Stanley Cup Final, the Golden Knights exited the postseason with a whimper on the back of a 22-save shutout from Hurricanes goaltender Brandon Bussi. They’re desperate to get the taste of defeat out of their mouths, and this is the first chance to do so.
While winning the rematch won’t fully erase the sting of defeat, it might be critical to do so to set the tone for the new season. There’s no question that the Golden Knights will give this game everything they’ve got, and the Hurricanes will as well.
While the Stanley Cup Final rematch promises emotional fireworks, it’s possible that the Western Conference Final rematch could threaten to steal the spotlight in terms of entertainment. And how could it not, after what the Golden Knights did to the Avalanche during those six days in late May? Make no mistake, the Golden Knights thoroughly embarrassed the Avalanche, and their opponent will likely be out for blood.
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The Avalanche are a high-flying offensive team, and after getting shut down for four straight games, they’ll be chomping at the bit to prove it. And, hey, Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar are always worth the price of admission. This has the potential to be one of the best matchups of the season.
The Golden Knights will host several return games during the 2026-27 regular season, but two will stand out from the rest in terms of emotional impact. The first return game will be for Keegan Kolesar, a fan favorite known for his physicality, who was traded to the Red Wings at the start of the offseason.
Kolesar embraced the Las Vegas community, and they embraced him right back. He’s sure to get a warm welcome from the fans in T-Mobile Arena ahead of what will be an emotional game.
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Few things are more compelling than an outdoor hockey game. The actual hockey itself is often quite sloppy because of the weather conditions, but we love these outdoor games anyway because of the spectacle they offer. The two teams walk out in themed outfits, there’s usually a musical entertainer, and nothing makes athletes happier than an opportunity to take the game back to the way they played it as kids.
On February 19th, the Golden Knights will play their second outdoor game— and first Stadium Series game— in franchise history against the Dallas Stars at AT&T Stadium. They already used the Elvis outfit back at the 2024 Winter Classic against the Seattle Kraken, so it’s anybody’s guess what they’ll walk out in this year.
The second and final return game of the season features a rare home-grown talent: Pavel Dorofeyev. Vegas selected Dorofeyev in the third round of the 2019 NHL Entry Draft, and he developed into a dangerous scoring winger. But all good things come to an end– because they couldn’t afford his looming payday, the Golden Knights traded the pending Restricted Free Agent to the New York Rangers during the 2026 NHL Entry Draft.
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Because they prioritize staying in win-now mode, the Golden Knights haven’t made many draft picks and have hit on very few of them. Dorofeyev was perhaps their greatest success story, as he led the team in goals for the past two seasons. Hockey is a business, and there are no hard feelings between the two parties, but the two-time 35-goal scorer’s return game is sure to include some fireworks.
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