NEW YORK — On Wednesday, the NHL announced the complete schedule for the 2025-26 season, which will be the last one with 82 games before the new collective bargaining agreement starts and raises it to 84 games.
The league’s 32 teams will play a total of 1,312 games from October 7 to April 16, with playoffs taking place the following weekend and continuing into June. Starting in the 2026-27 season, there will be 1,344 games, setting a record for the most games in NHL history.
Alex Ovechkin will kick off his 21st season on October 8 when he and the Washington Capitals face off against Boston. After breaking Wayne Gretzky’s record, Ovechkin has achieved 897 career goals and has a chance to increase that number at age 40.
It’s possible that Ovechkin will score his 900th goal in the same arena on Long Island where he netted his 895th to surpass Gretzky. The Capitals will face off against the New York Islanders in their second game on October 11, before taking on the Rangers at Madison Square Garden on October 12.
After raising their second consecutive Stanley Cup banner on opening night against Chicago on October 7, the Florida Panthers, who are back-to-back champions, will continue their quest for a third title two days later when they host Philadelphia.
Utah will have its first game as the Mammoth on October 9 against Colorado. They were previously called the Utah Hockey Club during their first year in Salt Lake City after moving from Arizona.
For the first time in over ten years, the league will take a winter break to allow players to participate in the Olympics. This break will happen from February 6-24, with games starting up again on February 25.
The last time the NHL took part in the Olympics was in 2014 in Sochi. However, the new collective bargaining agreement allows for players to compete again in 2030, depending on reaching another agreement with the International Olympic Committee and the International Ice Hockey Federation.
