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The wait is over. The NHL has dropped its 2026-27 regular-season schedule, and this year's slate comes with a twist: the league has expanded from 82 to 84 games per team for the first time since the early 1990s. That means more hockey, more rivalry nights, and more chances to see your favorite team live.

Puck drop is set for Tuesday, September 29, and the schedule is loaded with Original Six showdowns, outdoor spectacles, international games, and a few storylines that could define the entire season. Here's everything you need to know — and where to grab tickets before the good seats are gone.

Opening Night: A Five-Game Showcase

The league is kicking things off in style with a tripleheader on ESPN in the U.S. and a doubleheader on Sportsnet in Canada.

The night's headline event: the Carolina Hurricanes will raise their second Stanley Cup championship banner before taking on the Florida Panthers at Lenovo Center at 5 p.m. ET. It's a fitting start, and a rematch fans have been circling since the offseason began.

The rest of the opening-night card is just as stacked:

• Montreal Canadiens at Toronto Maple Leafs — an Original Six clash at Scotiabank Arena, with extra intrigue since Sportsnet's opener will likely feature No. 1 overall pick Gavin McKenna making his NHL debut for Toronto.
• New York Rangers at Boston Bruins — another Original Six matchup, this one at TD Garden.
• Vancouver Canucks at Edmonton Oilers — a Pacific Division rivalry game at Rogers Place.
• Chicago Blackhawks at Vegas Golden Knights — a Western Conference matchup that also marks Patrick Kane's return to Chicago as a visiting player, facing the team that fell in last year's Western Conference Final.

Want to be in the building for any of these? Tickets for every opening-night game are available now at ticketpurchase.com.

Marquee Matchups Worth Circling

A few storylines from opening night alone are enough to build a season around:

Brother vs. Brother. Matthew and Brady Tkachuk face off as Florida visits Carolina to open the season — a sibling rivalry that's quickly becoming one of the league's most fun subplots.

A Homecoming for Patrick Kane. The three-time Stanley Cup champion returns to Chicago colors, but this time as the visiting team walking into Vegas. Expect a heavy dose of nostalgia and a building full of fans who remember his glory years with the Blackhawks.

Original Six, Twice Over. Both Leafs-Canadiens and Rangers-Bruins headline opening night, giving fans two of the league's oldest and most storied rivalries on the very first night of the season.

Beyond opening night, keep an eye on your favorite team's schedule for divisional rematches and rivalry weekends — those tend to sell out fastest, so it's worth locking in tickets early.

Outdoor and International Games: Don't Sleep on These

If you want a hockey experience unlike any other, this is the section to bookmark. The 2026-27 season features one of the most ambitious outdoor and global schedules in recent memory:

• 2026 Heritage Classic — The Winnipeg Jets host the Montreal Canadiens outdoors on October 25, kicking off the season's run of outdoor hockey.
• Winter Classic — The Utah Mammoth will host their first-ever outdoor game, facing the Colorado Avalanche at Rice-Eccles Stadium on December 31.
• 2027 Stadium Series — The Dallas Stars host the Vegas Golden Knights at AT&T Stadium on February 20, bringing NHL hockey to one of the largest venues in professional sports.
• NHL Global Series — The league continues its international push with Carolina and Seattle playing a pair of games in Helsinki, Finland, while Ottawa and Chicago headline a Global Series stop in Germany.

These games have limited capacity and tend to sell out well ahead of puck drop. If any of these are on your bucket list, don't wait — check availability now at ticketpurchase.com.

All-Star Weekend Makes Its Return

After a two-year hiatus due to international best-on-best events, All-Star Weekend is back, landing at UBS Arena on Long Island. The skills competition is set for February 5 and will feature a fresh format spotlighting 10 players age 25 and under — a nice showcase for the league's next wave of stars.

Players to Watch This Season

A new schedule means new storylines. Here are the names to track from puck drop through the spring:

Gavin McKenna — The No. 1 overall pick is expected to make his NHL debut for Toronto on opening night. Every game he plays this season will be watched closely as he adjusts to the pace of the NHL.

Patrick Kane — Now with Chicago, Kane returns to face Vegas on opening night. At this stage of his career, every game carries a bit of history with it.

Matthew and Brady Tkachuk — The brothers face off immediately on opening night as Florida visits Carolina. Expect this matchup to be a recurring highlight all season.

Cale Makar — Already regarded as one of the league's best defensemen, Makar enters the season with real buzz around another Norris Trophy run.

Rasmus Dahlin — Coming off a career-high 74-point season and a third-place Norris finish, Dahlin is being talked about as a legitimate first-time Norris Trophy favorite this year.

Macklin Celebrini — Fresh off signing the richest average annual value contract in NHL history, Celebrini enters the season as one of the most closely watched young stars in the sport.

Key Dates to Add to Your Calendar

• September 29 — Season opener (Carolina banner raising vs. Florida)
• October 25 — Heritage Classic (Jets vs. Canadiens)
• November 12 & 14 — Global Series Finland (Hurricanes vs. Kraken)
• December 31 — Winter Classic (Avalanche vs. Mammoth)
• February 5 — All-Star Skills Competition
• February 20 — Stadium Series (Golden Knights vs. Stars)
• April 10 — Regular season concludes

Get Your Tickets Before They're Gone

With an expanded 84-game season, more outdoor games, and international series than ever before, this is shaping up to be one of the most exciting NHL seasons in years. Whether you're chasing an Original Six rivalry, a once-in-a-lifetime outdoor game, or just want to catch your favorite team live, ticketpurchase.com has you covered for every matchup on the 2026-27 schedule.

Lock in your seats now — the marquee games on this schedule won't stay available for long.