NHL Season Expansion
NHL Unveils Expanded 84-Game Schedule; Avalanche Host Kings to Open Season
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Key Points
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Opening-week schedule expands across networks: a Sept. 29 opening tripleheader (Hurricanes vs. Panthers with banner-raising, Bruins vs. Rangers, Golden Knights vs. Blackhawks) on ESPN in the U.S. and Sportsnet in Canada, followed by a Sept. 30 TNT doubleheader featuring Penguins vs. Flyers and Kings vs. Avalanche, with the full schedule released on July 16 at 1 p.m. ET.
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The league is moving to an 84-game regular season, adding two more divisional games per team, which necessitates an earlier start (Sept. 29) and a four-game preseason nationwide.
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Colorado’s 2026-27 home opener is set for Sept. 30 at Ball Arena against the Los Angeles Kings, with an 8 p.m. MT puck drop, marking the Avs' first home opening since 2022.
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The Kings will begin the season without Anze Kopitar for the first time in 20 years, a notable roster shift as opening-night rivalries resume in this expanded schedule.
The NHL is expanding to an 84-game regular season for 2026-27, and the Colorado Avalanche will kick off their home schedule on Sept. 30 against the Los Angeles Kings at Ball Arena. The game tips off at 8 p.m. MT and airs on TNT, making it part of the league's opening-night doubleheader Vancouver CityNews.
The full 2026-27 schedule was released on July 16. Colorado, coming off a Presidents' Trophy-winning season and a Western Conference Final appearance, enters the new year as one of the league's top contenders.
NHL Adds Two Games, Starts Season Earlier
The league is moving from 82 to 84 regular-season games for 2026-27. Each team plays two more divisional games. To fit the extra games, the season starts earlier — Sept. 29 — and the preseason is cut to just four games National Post.
The earlier start is a big shift. Teams will have less summer recovery time. The league says the four-game preseason is designed to help rosters adjust to the new format before things count.
Opening Week Spreads Across ESPN and TNT
The season opens with a five-game Tuesday night slate on Sept. 29. A tripleheader airs on ESPN in the U.S. and Sportsnet in Canada. It includes the Hurricanes vs. Panthers banner-raising, Bruins vs. Rangers, and Golden Knights vs. Blackhawks Vancouver CityNews.
The next night, Sept. 30, TNT carries a doubleheader. First, Penguins vs. Flyers. Then Kings vs. Avalanche at 8 p.m. MT. Colorado's home opener is the nightcap of the league's first full week back.
Avalanche Host Kings Without Kopitar for First Time in 20 Years
The Kings arrive in Denver with a major hole. Anze Kopitar, the face of the franchise for two decades, will not be on the ice. It marks the first time Los Angeles opens a season without him in 20 years. That absence adds weight to an already notable rivalry game.
Colorado's core stays mostly intact under head coach Jared Bednar. But the Avs did make moves. They traded Valeri Nichushkin and added veteran forward Jaden Schwartz. The team is built to compete again after last year's deep playoff run.
Oilers and Canucks Highlight Opening Night in Canada
While Colorado eyes its home opener, the Canadian spotlight falls on Edmonton. The Oilers open the 2026-27 season with a home-and-away series against the Vancouver Canucks National Post. Vancouver finished last season with a league-low 58 points, making them a heavy underdog.
The full schedule, including all 84-game slates for every team, was released Thursday at 11 a.m. Recorder. Fans now have the complete picture of what the expanded season looks like from Sept. 29 through the spring.
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