NHL unveils full 2026-27 preseason schedule

The return of NHL hockey is now officially just over five weeks away.

On Thursday, the NHL announced the complete schedule for the 2026-27 preseason.

The 2026-27 preseason will begin on Saturday, Sept. 19th and finish on Saturday, Sept. 26.

The schedule is notable for a few reasons. Firstly, it is the first preseason schedule to have a shortened 65 total games compared to the previous norm of having well over 100 total games. This reduction was negotiated in NHL/NHLPA collective bargaining agreement (CBA) to accommodate the newly lengthened regular season, which will now include 84 games per team.

Secondly, the premier event of the preseason will take place on Monday, Sept. 21 as the Montreal Canadiens will face the Ottawa Senators at the Colisee Videotron in Trois-Rivières, Quebec as part of the celebration of Saint-Boniface, Quebec, the winner of the 2025 Kraft Hockeyville designation.

There will be three other neutral-site games in the preseason, including the Los Angeles Kings playing the Vegas Golden Knights in Ontario, California on Sept. 19, the Philadelphia Flyers playing the Washington Capitals in Hershey, Pennsylvania on Sept. 21, and the Carolina Hurricanes playing the Nashville Predators in Greensboro, North Carolina on Sept. 24.

The preseason will wrap up with 14 total games on Saturday, Sept. 26 before the regular season kicks off on Tuesday, Sept. 29.

See the full 2026-27 preseason schedule below (all times are Eastern):

SATURDAY, SEPT. 19

Dallas at St. Louis, 7 p.m.

Montreal (split-squad) at Toronto (split-squad), 7 p.m.

Toronto (split-squad) at Montreal (split-squad), 7 p.m.

Winnipeg at Edmonton, 8 p.m.

Chicago at Minnesota, 8 p.m.

Los Angeles vs. Vegas, at Ontario, Calif. (Toyota Arena), 9 p.m.

Vancouver at Seattle, 9 p.m.

SUNDAY, SEPT. 20

NY Islanders at New Jersey, 1 p.m.

San Jose at Anaheim, 4 p.m.

Nashville at Tampa Bay, 5 p.m.

Washington at Boston, 5 p.m.

Carolina at Florida, 7 p.m.

Utah at Colorado, 7 p.m.

Seattle at Calgary, 8 p.m.

MONDAY, SEPT. 21

Buffalo at Pittsburgh, 7 p.m.

Detroit at Columbus, 7 p.m.

NY Rangers at New Jersey, 7 p.m.

Philadelphia vs. Washington, at Hershey, Pa. (Giant Center), 7 p.m.

Montreal vs. Ottawa, at Trois-Rivières, Que. (Colisée Vidéotron) (Kraft Hockeyville), 7 p.m.

Colorado at Winnipeg, 8 p.m.

Minnesota at Chicago, 8 p.m.

St. Louis at Dallas, 8 p.m.

TUESDAY, SEPT. 22

Columbus at Buffalo, 7 p.m.

Detroit at Pittsburgh, 7 p.m.

Florida at Carolina, 7 p.m.

NY Islanders at NY Rangers, 7 p.m.

Philadelphia at Boston, 7 p.m.

Edmonton at Winnipeg, 8 p.m.

Tampa Bay at Nashville, 8 p.m.

Vancouver at Calgary, 9 p.m.

Utah at Los Angeles, 10 p.m.

Vegas at San Jose, 10 p.m.

WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 23

Ottawa (split-squad) at Toronto (split-squad), 7 p.m.

Toronto (split-squad) at Ottawa (split-squad), 7 p.m.

Minnesota at Dallas, 8 p.m.

Los Angeles at Anaheim, 10 p.m.

THURSDAY, SEPT. 24

Boston at Philadelphia, 7 p.m.

Buffalo at Detroit, 7 p.m.

Florida at Tampa Bay, 7 p.m.

Carolina vs. Nashville, at Greensboro, N.C. (First Horizon Coliseum), 7 p.m.

New Jersey at NY Rangers, 7 p.m.

Pittsburgh at Columbus, 7 p.m.

Chicago at St. Louis, 8 p.m.

Edmonton at Vancouver, 9 p.m.

Calgary at Seattle, 9:40 p.m.

Anaheim at San Jose, 10 p.m.

Utah at Vegas, 10 p.m.

FRIDAY, SEPT. 25

Boston at Washington, 7 p.m.

NY Rangers at NY Islanders, 7:30 p.m.

Dallas at Minnesota, 8 p.m.

Winnipeg at Colorado, 8:30 p.m.

SATURDAY, SEPT. 26

Carolina at Nashville, 3 p.m.

Pittsburgh at Buffalo, 3 p.m.

Anaheim at Los Angeles, 4 p.m.

Colorado at Utah, 5 p.m.

Washington at Philadelphia, 5 p.m.

Tampa Bay at Florida, 6 p.m.

Seattle at Vancouver, 7 p.m.

St. Louis at Chicago, 7 p.m.

Columbus at Detroit, 7 p.m.

Montreal (split-squad) at Ottawa (split-squad), 7 p.m.

Ottawa (split-squad) at Montreal (split-squad), 7 p.m.

New Jersey at NY Islanders, 7:30 p.m.

Calgary at Edmonton, 9 p.m.

San Jose at Vegas, 10 p.m.