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This content was machine-translated from the French version.
01A season that will go down in history\n\nOn Wednesday 16 July, the NHL unveiled its 2026–2027 fixture list. For the first time since the 1993–94 season, every franchise will play 84 regular-season matches – two more than the traditional 82-match format. A total of 1,344 matches are scheduled, an all-time record in the league’s history. This sets the tone for a season that is already shaping up to be historic, following two seasons marked by international fixtures and interruptions.\n\n## A five-star kick-off on 29 September\n\nThe season will get underway on Tuesday 29 September with a gala programme. At the Lenovo Centre, the defending champions, the Carolina Hurricanes, will raise their banner before hosting the Florida Panthers at 5.00 pm Eastern Time. This will be followed by a Rangers-Bruins classic at the TD Garden at 8.00 pm, then a Blackhawks-Golden Knights clash in Las Vegas at 10.30 pm. Three headline fixtures, three different atmospheres, to kick off the festivities and set the tone for a Stanley Cup race that promises to be more wide-open than ever. The tone has been set: the league is looking to make a big impact right from the very first night.\n\n## McKenna faces the Canadiens, the All-Star Game returns\n\nThe first pick in the 2026 draft, Gavin McKenna, is set to make his debut for the Toronto Maple Leafs on the very first night, against the Montreal Canadiens. It will be a baptism of fire in the spotlight for the young prodigy, in what remains one of the fiercest rivalries in North American sport. The league could not have hoped for a better fixture to showcase its new star attraction.\n\nAnother eagerly awaited return: the All-Star Game. Absent for the last two seasons — replaced by the Four Nations Showdown in 2025 and then by the 2026 Olympic break — the event returns on 5 and 6 February at the UBS Arena on Long Island, home of the New York Islanders. The skills competition will take place on the 5th, with the game – in a revamped format – on the 6th. It’s a showcase that the broadcast partners have been eagerly awaiting the return of.\n\n## Europe, open-air venues and weeknights\n\nThe NHL is continuing its international push. In November, the Hurricanes and the Seattle Kraken will be heading to Helsinki for the Finland Global Series (12 and 14 November). In December, the Blackhawks and the Ottawa Senators will cross the Atlantic for two games in Düsseldorf (18 and 20 December). A notable new feature: several Monday games will be scheduled as ‘matinee’ fixtures to align with European prime-time slots. This is a minor revolution for fans across Europe, who will no longer have to stay up until 3 am to watch their favourite teams.\n\nAs for outdoor games, three fixtures are on the programme: the Heritage Classic in Winnipeg (Canadiens v Jets on 25 October), the Winter Classic in Salt Lake City, where the Utah Mammoth will host the Avalanche at Rice-Eccles Stadium on 31 December, and the Stadium Series at AT&T Stadium in Dallas (Stars v Golden Knights on 20 February), in the home of the NFL’s Cowboys. The regular season will conclude on Saturday 10 April 2027 with all 32 teams on the ice.\n\nOne question remains – though Hurricanes fans are no longer even asking it: can this team, driven by a young and deep squad, retain its Stanley Cup in this expanded format, where squad management will be more crucial than ever?
