R
ecord snappers and legacy chasers. Contract hunters and comeback seekers. Clever negotiators and billionaire influencers.
As the curtain rises on the 2025-26 campaign, fans will be glued to the drama on and off the ice. They’ll get hyped over the fresh faces in the new places and will tune in en masse to the triumphant return of NHLers to the Winter Olympics.
Like pens scratching paper, skates scratching ice will write this season’s indelible, incredible stories.
And at the core of every good (and bad and ugly) sporting story, you’ll find people. Supreme on-ice talents and front-office giants. Combustible coaches and groundbreaking overachievers. The National Hockey League will lean on all of the above to keep our attention through the winter, past the trade deadline, then deep into spring.
Here, in alphabetical order, are the 26 characters set to define the NHL in 2025-26.