The 2026-27 NHL season is approaching and the league took another step in the ramp-up by announcing the preseason schedule on Thursday.
Because the NHL season has increased from 82 games to 84 this season under the new collective bargaining agreement, the preseason schedule has been reduced.
There will be 65 games over eight days, starting on Sept. 19 and ending Sept. 27. The regular season will start two days later with five games.
The exhibition schedule features four neutral-site games, including the annual Kraft Hockeyville game.
The Montreal Canadiens and Ottawa Senators will face off Monday, Sept. 21, in Trois-Rivières, Quebec. As part of the Kraft Hockeyville program, the nearby town of Saint-Boniface, Quebec, received $250,000 for upgrades to its local arena and $10,000 worth of youth hockey equipment from NHLPA Goals & Dreams.
Here is the 2026 NHL preseason schedule (all times ET):
SATURDAY, SEPT. 19
Dallas at St. Louis, 7 p.m.
Montreal (split-squad) at Toronto (split-squad), 7 p.m.
Toronto (split-squad) at Montreal (split-squad), 7 p.m.
Winnipeg at Edmonton, 8 p.m.
Chicago at Minnesota, 8 p.m.
Los Angeles vs. Vegas, at Ontario, California, 9 p.m.
Vancouver at Seattle, 9 p.m.
SUNDAY, SEPT. 20
NY Islanders at New Jersey, 1 p.m.
San Jose at Anaheim, 4 p.m.
Nashville at Tampa Bay, 5 p.m.
Washington at Boston, 5 p.m.
Carolina at Florida, 7 p.m.
Utah at Colorado, 7 p.m.
Seattle at Calgary, 8 p.m.
MONDAY, SEPT. 21
Buffalo at Pittsburgh, 7 p.m.
Detroit at Columbus, 7 p.m.
NY Rangers at New Jersey, 7 p.m.
Philadelphia vs. Washington, at Hershey, Pennsylvania, 7 p.m.
Montreal vs. Ottawa, at Trois-Rivières, Quebec, 7 p.m.
Colorado at Winnipeg, 8 p.m.
Minnesota at Chicago, 8 p.m.
St. Louis at Dallas, 8 p.m.
TUESDAY, SEPT. 22
Columbus at Buffalo, 7 p.m.
Detroit at Pittsburgh, 7 p.m.
Florida at Carolina, 7 p.m.
NY Islanders at NY Rangers, 7 p.m.
Philadelphia at Boston, 7 p.m.
Edmonton at Winnipeg, 8 p.m.
Tampa Bay at Nashville, 8 p.m.
Vancouver at Calgary, 9 p.m.
Utah at Los Angeles, 10 p.m.
Vegas at San Jose, 10 p.m.
WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 23
Ottawa (split-squad) at Toronto (split-squad), 7 p.m.
Toronto (split-squad) at Ottawa (split-squad), 7 p.m.
Minnesota at Dallas, 8 p.m.
Los Angeles at Anaheim, 10 p.m.
General view of NHL logo.
Sergei Belski, Imagn Images
THURSDAY, SEPT. 24
Boston at Philadelphia, 7 p.m.
Buffalo at Detroit, 7 p.m.
Florida at Tampa Bay, 7 p.m.
Carolina vs. Nashville, at Greensboro, North Carolina, 7 p.m.
New Jersey at NY Rangers, 7 p.m.
Pittsburgh at Columbus, 7 p.m.
Chicago at St. Louis, 8 p.m.
Edmonton at Vancouver, 9 p.m.
Calgary at Seattle, 9:40 p.m.
Anaheim at San Jose, 10 p.m.
Utah at Vegas, 10 p.m.
FRIDAY, SEPT. 25
Boston at Washington, 7 p.m.
NY Rangers at NY Islanders, 7:30 p.m.
Dallas at Minnesota, 8 p.m.
Winnipeg at Colorado, 8:30 p.m.
SATURDAY, SEPT. 26
Carolina at Nashville, 3 p.m.
Pittsburgh at Buffalo, 3 p.m.
Anaheim at Los Angeles, 4 p.m.
Colorado at Utah, 5 p.m.
Washington at Philadelphia, 5 p.m.
Tampa Bay at Florida, 6 p.m.
Seattle at Vancouver, 7 p.m.
St. Louis at Chicago, 7 p.m.
Columbus at Detroit, 7 p.m.
Montreal (split-squad) at Ottawa (split-squad), 7 p.m.
Ottawa (split-squad) at Montreal (split-squad), 7 p.m.
New Jersey at NY Islanders, 7:30 p.m.
Calgary at Edmonton, 9 p.m.
San Jose at Vegas, 10 p.m.
When does the regular schedule begin?
The schedule for the 2026-27 NHL season will begin Sept. 29 with five games on opening night:
Florida Panthers vs. Carolina Hurricanes, 5 p.m.
Montreal Canadiens vs. Toronto Maple Leafs, 7 p.m.
New York Rangers vs. Boston Bruins, 8 p.m.
Vancouver Canucks vs. Edmonton Oilers, 10 p.m.
Chicago Blackhawks vs. Vegas Golden Knights, 10:30 p.m.
NHL key dates 2026-27
Sept. 19: NHL preseason begins
Sept. 29: Opening night
Nov. 18 and 20: NHL Global Series Finland (Hurricanes vs. Kraken in Helsinki)
Dec. 18 and 20: NHL Global Series Germany (Blackhawks vs. Senators in Dusseldorf)
Feb. 6: NHL All-Star Game at UBS Arena in Elmont, New York