The Florida Panthers are preparing to raise their second consecutive Stanley Cup banner as they kick off the NHL season against the Chicago Blackhawks.
The back-to-back champions will play at 5 p.m. ET on October 7, starting an opening night tripleheader, as announced by the league on Monday. Florida triumphed over Edmonton in their Cup final rematch and is aiming to become the first team since the New York Islanders (1980-83) to win three titles in a row.
On October 7, the New York Rangers will face off against the Pittsburgh Penguins at 8 p.m., followed by the Colorado Avalanche visiting the Los Angeles Kings at 10:30 p.m. ET. The rest of the schedule will be released on Wednesday.
This will be the last regular season with 82 games before it expands to 84 games in 2026-27 due to a new agreement between the league and the Players’ Association. The schedule for 2025-26 includes a break for players to take part in the Milan-Cortina Olympics, marking the NHL’s return to that event for the first time since 2014.
