Habs, Leafs, Canucks and Oilers to open NHL season
NHL 2026-27 season opens Sept. 29 with Canadiens-Leafs and Oilers-Canucks See the full schedule, Canadian home openers and global games for key dates
The 202627 NHL season will begin on Sept. 29 with two allCanadian matchups, according to the league schedule announced Wednesday.
The Montreal Canadiens will visit the Toronto Maple Leafs, while the Edmonton Oilers will host the Vancouver Canucks later that night. Both games will air on Sportsnet under a new broadcast branding, after the CBC sublicensing deal for Hockey Night in Canada was not renewed.
The league also said the regular season will expand from 82 to 84 games. The full schedule is set to be released on Thursday, and the season includes other Canadian home openers, plus international games in Finland and Germany and outdoor events such as the Winter Classic and Heritage Classic.