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The NHL regular season gets underway tonight, with historic rivalries returning to the ice and the Carolina Hurricanes set to celebrate their Stanley Cup championship before facing the Florida Panthers.
Carolina will raise its championship banner at home before the puck drops against Florida. The Panthers enter the new season with renewed confidence, as captain Aleksander Barkov has returned to the lineup.
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Canadian Teams Take Centre Stage
Four Canadian franchises also open their seasons on the same night. The Toronto Maple Leafs host the Montreal Canadiens in one of the most anticipated matchups of opening night. Toronto will debut No. 1 overall draft pick Gavin McKenna, while Montreal arrives fresh off a run to the Eastern Conference final last season.
Meanwhile, the Edmonton Oilers begin their first season under new head coach Mike Babcock. Edmonton hosts the Vancouver Canucks, who are currently in the middle of a rebuild. The Oilers-Canucks matchup adds another layer of interest to an already busy opening night for Canadian hockey fans.
Original Six Clash and Western Conference Action
Also on the schedule tonight is a classic Original Six showdown. The Boston Bruins host the New York Rangers in what promises to be a high-intensity game. In addition, the Chicago Blackhawks travel to Las Vegas to face the Golden Knights.
Not all Canadian teams open on the same night, however. The Calgary Flames begin their season Thursday at home against the Seattle Kraken. Then, on Friday, the Winnipeg Jets host the Bruins. Finally, the Ottawa Senators open their campaign on Saturday with a road game against the Leafs in Toronto.
A Packed Start to the New NHL Year
The opening stretch of the 2026-27 NHL season features a mix of championship celebrations, marquee rivalries and highly anticipated debuts. For fans across Canada and the United States, the first week of play offers an early look at how the league’s top contenders have shaped up heading into the new year.
With Gavin McKenna making his NHL debut, Barkov returning to Florida and Babcock taking the bench in Edmonton, this season already carries plenty of storylines worth following from the very first night.
