The NHL is back.
The puck drops on the 2026-27 season on Tuesday with a marquee tripleheader on ESPN. The defending Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes raise their championship banner before taking on the Florida Panthers in the season-opening matchup. The Boston Bruins then host the New York Rangers, followed by the Chicago Blackhawks hitting the road to face the defending Western Conference champion Vegas Golden Knights.
Steve Levy, Mark Messier and P.K. Subban set the table for the new campaign with pregame coverage on "The Point."
Here are key facts about the opening night of the 2026-27 NHL season:
What is the schedule?
*All times Eastern
Tuesday
4 p.m.: "The Point" on ESPN
5 p.m.: Florida Panthers at Carolina Hurricanes on ESPN
7 p.m.: Montreal Canadiens at Toronto Maple Leafs in the ESPN App
8 p.m.: New York Rangers at Boston Bruins on ESPN
10 p.m.: Vancouver Canucks at Edmonton Oilers in the ESPN App
10:30 p.m.: Chicago Blackhawks at Vegas Golden Knights on ESPN
How can fans watch?
Fans can catch all of the action in the ESPN App and in the NHL streaming hub.
2026 Stanley Cup Favorites*
▪︎ Carolina Hurricanes, +650
▪︎ Florida Panthers, +650
▪︎ Colorado Avalanche, +700
▪︎ Edmonton Oilers, +800
▪︎ Vegas Golden Knights, +850
*Odds provided by DraftKings Sportsbook
How can fans access more NHL content from ESPN?
Check out the ESPN NHL hub page for the latest news, analysis, schedules and more.