NHL Opening Night 2026: Start Times, TV and Printable Schedule
By Meyer Roy | Updated Sept. 20, 2026
NHL opening night 2026 is Tuesday, Sept. 29, with five games on the board. The Florida Panthers visit the Carolina Hurricanes at 5:00 PM ET on ESPN to start the 2026-27 season. Toronto hosts Montreal at 7:00 PM ET on Sportsnet, and the last puck drops in Vegas at 10:30 PM ET.
NHL Opening Night 2026 Quick Facts
| Detail | Info |
|---|---|
| Date | Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2026 |
| Games | 5 |
| First puck drop | 5:00 PM ET, Panthers at Hurricanes |
| Last puck drop | 10:30 PM ET, Blackhawks at Golden Knights |
| US TV | ESPN (3 games) |
| Canada TV | Sportsnet (2 games), TVA Sports in French |
| Season length | 84 games per team, 1,344 games total |
| Regular season ends | Saturday, April 10, 2027 |
| Cup champion | Carolina Hurricanes (2026) |
NHL Opening Night 2026 Schedule and Start Times
All five games are listed below in Eastern Time, with US and Canadian TV from the NHL.com schedule. The away team is listed first.
| Time (ET) | Game | Arena | US TV | Canada TV |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5:00 PM | Florida Panthers at Carolina Hurricanes | Lenovo Center, Raleigh | ESPN | Not listed yet |
| 7:00 PM | Montreal Canadiens at Toronto Maple Leafs | Scotiabank Arena, Toronto | NHL Power Play (ESPN App) | Sportsnet, TVA Sports |
| 8:00 PM | New York Rangers at Boston Bruins | TD Garden, Boston | ESPN | Not listed yet |
| 10:00 PM | Vancouver Canucks at Edmonton Oilers | Rogers Place, Edmonton | NHL Power Play (ESPN App) | Sportsnet |
| 10:30 PM | Chicago Blackhawks at Vegas Golden Knights | T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas | ESPN | TVA Sports 2 |
Each game has its own page with records, the season series and a preview. Click any matchup above to open it.
What Each Opening Night Game Brings
- Panthers at Hurricanes, 5:00 PM ET. Carolina raises its 2026 Stanley Cup banner before the game. It is the second in club history.
- Canadiens at Maple Leafs, 7:00 PM ET. One of the league’s oldest rivalries opens the Canadian doubleheader. Per NHL.com, it’s the likely NHL debut of No. 1 draft pick Gavin McKenna.
- Rangers at Bruins, 8:00 PM ET. An Original Six game in Boston fills ESPN’s prime-time slot.
- Canucks at Oilers, 10:00 PM ET. A Pacific Division rivalry closes the Sportsnet doubleheader.
- Blackhawks at Golden Knights, 10:30 PM ET. Vegas hosts the late game. The Golden Knights lost last season’s Final to Carolina in six games.
Opening Night Start Times in Every Time Zone
The NHL lists every start time in Eastern Time. Use this table to find the puck drop where you live.
| Game | ET | CT | MT | PT |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Panthers at Hurricanes | 5:00 PM | 4:00 PM | 3:00 PM | 2:00 PM |
| Canadiens at Maple Leafs | 7:00 PM | 6:00 PM | 5:00 PM | 4:00 PM |
| Rangers at Bruins | 8:00 PM | 7:00 PM | 6:00 PM | 5:00 PM |
| Canucks at Oilers | 10:00 PM | 9:00 PM | 8:00 PM | 7:00 PM |
| Blackhawks at Golden Knights | 10:30 PM | 9:30 PM | 8:30 PM | 7:30 PM |
Fans on the West Coast get the best deal. Every opening night game starts between 2:00 PM and 7:30 PM Pacific.
How to Watch NHL Opening Night 2026 on TV
In the US, ESPN has a national tripleheader on opening night. In Canada, Sportsnet has a doubleheader, and TVA Sports carries games in French.
Watch in the United States
- ESPN airs Panthers at Hurricanes, Rangers at Bruins and Blackhawks at Golden Knights.
- ESPN App: all three ESPN games stream with an ESPN Unlimited plan or a pay TV login.
- NHL Power Play on the ESPN App streams more than 1,050 out-of-market games this season, per ESPN. That includes the two Canadian opening night games for most US viewers. Local blackout rules apply.
Watch in Canada
- Sportsnet airs Canadiens at Maple Leafs at 7:00 PM ET and Canucks at Oilers at 10:00 PM ET.
- TVA Sports has Canadiens at Maple Leafs in French. TVA Sports 2 has Blackhawks at Golden Knights.
- Sportsnet+ streams Sportsnet’s games for subscribers, and has its own Monday night games from Oct. 5.
This is the first season of Rogers’ new 12-year national deal. CBC no longer carries NHL games, ending a 74-year run. Sportsnet has Saturday nights now, under the name Saturday Night Hockey, starting Oct. 3.
NHL Opening Week Schedule: Sept. 29 to Oct. 5, 2026
Opening night is only the start. The first week has 43 games, and the busiest night is Saturday, Oct. 3, with 13 games.
| Date | Games | National TV highlights (ET) |
|---|---|---|
| Tue., Sept. 29 | 5 | ESPN tripleheader; Sportsnet doubleheader |
| Wed., Sept. 30 | 3 | Penguins at Flyers, 7:30 PM, TNT; Islanders at Maple Leafs, 7:30 PM, Prime Video in Canada with coverage from 7:00 PM; Kings at Avalanche, 10:00 PM, TNT |
| Thu., Oct. 1 | 8 | Flyers at Devils, 7:00 PM, ESPN+; Blackhawks at Mammoth, 9:30 PM, ESPN+ |
| Fri., Oct. 2 | 5 | Rangers at Red Wings, 6:30 PM, TNT; Blues at Stars, 9:00 PM, TNT |
| Sat., Oct. 3 | 13 | Senators at Maple Leafs, 7:00 PM, Sportsnet; Flames at Canucks, 10:00 PM, Sportsnet |
| Sun., Oct. 4 | 5 | Jets at Red Wings opens the day at 1:00 PM |
| Mon., Oct. 5 | 4 | Senators at Bruins and Jets at Penguins, 7:30 PM, on Sportsnet+ in Canada as Monday Night Hockey |
TNT games also stream on HBO Max. ESPN+ games also stream on Disney+ and Hulu. For every game and time in one place, see our full NHL schedule.
When Each Team Plays Its First Game
All 32 teams play by Saturday, Oct. 3. The Ottawa Senators are the last team to start, at Toronto.
| Team | First game | Start (ET) |
|---|---|---|
| Anaheim Ducks | Fri., Oct. 2, at Vegas | 10:00 PM |
| Boston Bruins | Tue., Sept. 29, vs. NY Rangers | 8:00 PM |
| Buffalo Sabres | Thu., Oct. 1, at Columbus | 7:00 PM |
| Calgary Flames | Thu., Oct. 1, vs. Seattle | 9:00 PM |
| Carolina Hurricanes | Tue., Sept. 29, vs. Florida | 5:00 PM |
| Chicago Blackhawks | Tue., Sept. 29, at Vegas | 10:30 PM |
| Colorado Avalanche | Wed., Sept. 30, vs. Los Angeles | 10:00 PM |
| Columbus Blue Jackets | Thu., Oct. 1, vs. Buffalo | 7:00 PM |
| Dallas Stars | Fri., Oct. 2, vs. St. Louis | 9:00 PM |
| Detroit Red Wings | Fri., Oct. 2, vs. NY Rangers | 6:30 PM |
| Edmonton Oilers | Tue., Sept. 29, vs. Vancouver | 10:00 PM |
| Florida Panthers | Tue., Sept. 29, at Carolina | 5:00 PM |
| Los Angeles Kings | Wed., Sept. 30, at Colorado | 10:00 PM |
| Minnesota Wild | Thu., Oct. 1, at Nashville | 8:00 PM |
| Montreal Canadiens | Tue., Sept. 29, at Toronto | 7:00 PM |
| Nashville Predators | Thu., Oct. 1, vs. Minnesota | 8:00 PM |
| New Jersey Devils | Thu., Oct. 1, vs. Philadelphia | 7:00 PM |
| New York Islanders | Wed., Sept. 30, at Toronto | 7:30 PM |
| New York Rangers | Tue., Sept. 29, at Boston | 8:00 PM |
| Ottawa Senators | Sat., Oct. 3, at Toronto | 7:00 PM |
| Philadelphia Flyers | Wed., Sept. 30, vs. Pittsburgh | 7:30 PM |
| Pittsburgh Penguins | Wed., Sept. 30, at Philadelphia | 7:30 PM |
| San Jose Sharks | Thu., Oct. 1, vs. Florida | 10:00 PM |
| Seattle Kraken | Thu., Oct. 1, at Calgary | 9:00 PM |
| St. Louis Blues | Fri., Oct. 2, at Dallas | 9:00 PM |
| Tampa Bay Lightning | Thu., Oct. 1, at NY Rangers | 7:00 PM |
| Toronto Maple Leafs | Tue., Sept. 29, vs. Montreal | 7:00 PM |
| Utah Mammoth | Thu., Oct. 1, vs. Chicago | 9:30 PM |
| Vancouver Canucks | Tue., Sept. 29, at Edmonton | 10:00 PM |
| Vegas Golden Knights | Tue., Sept. 29, vs. Chicago | 10:30 PM |
| Washington Capitals | Fri., Oct. 2, at Carolina | 7:00 PM |
| Winnipeg Jets | Fri., Oct. 2, vs. Boston | 8:00 PM |
Free Printable NHL Opening Night and Opening Week Schedule
Our free printable lists all 43 games from Sept. 29 to Oct. 5, 2026. Every game shows the date, start time in ET, arena and TV, plus a blank box to write in the final score.
It prints on US Letter paper. On A4, choose “Fit to page” in your print settings.
What I’m Watching
Chicago opens with three road games in five days: Vegas on Sept. 29, Utah on Oct. 1 and Buffalo on Oct. 3. That’s two time zone jumps before the Blackhawks’ first home game. Toronto has the opposite start, with three home games in five days, including a back-to-back on nights one and two.
NHL Opening Night 2026 FAQ
When is NHL opening night 2026?
NHL opening night is Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2026. Five games are scheduled, starting at 5:00 PM ET.
What time does the first NHL game of the 2026-27 season start?
The first game starts at 5:00 PM ET. The Florida Panthers play the Carolina Hurricanes in Raleigh on ESPN.
What channel is NHL opening night on?
In the US, ESPN airs three games. In Canada, Sportsnet airs two games, and TVA Sports carries games in French.
How many games are on NHL opening night?
There are 5 games. ESPN has 3 in the US, and Sportsnet has 2 in Canada.
Can I stream NHL opening night?
Yes. The ESPN games stream on the ESPN App with ESPN Unlimited or a pay TV login. In Canada, Sportsnet games stream on Sportsnet+.
Why does the season start in September this year?
The 2026-27 season has 84 games per team, up from 82. It’s the first 84-game season since 1993-94, so the schedule starts earlier.
Where is the Stanley Cup banner raised on opening night?
The Carolina Hurricanes raise their 2026 Stanley Cup banner at Lenovo Center before the 5:00 PM ET game against Florida.
When does every team play its first game?
All 32 teams play by Saturday, Oct. 3, 2026. Ottawa is the last to start, at Toronto at 7:00 PM ET.
NHL opening night 2026 packs five games into one Tuesday, from 5:00 PM to 10:30 PM ET. Print the free schedule, mark your team’s first game and check back for live scores.
On game day, NHL games today shows every matchup, start time and TV channel.
