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    NHL 2026-27 season tracker: opening night, results, storylines

    The 2026-27 NHL season opened on 29 September 2026 with five games. In the opener, Florida beat the defending champion Carolina Hurricanes 1-0 in overtime.[1][2] As of 10 October, Edmonton was unbeaten in regulation at 4-0-1, Philadelphia was still winless at 0-4-2, and the Rangers had lost goaltender Igor Shesterkin for the season.[3][4][5]

    Editor reviewedUpdated DevelopingSports

    What we know

    • The 2026-27 season has 84 games per team and runs to 10 April 2027[1]
    • Carolina won the 2026 Stanley Cup and raised its banner on opening night[11]
    • No. 1 pick Gavin McKenna debuted for Toronto in a 3-2 loss to Montreal[7]
    • Igor Shesterkin is out for the season with a lower-body injury[5]
    • Edmonton was 4-0-1 as of 10 October[3]
    • Philadelphia was 0-4-2 as of 10 October[4]

    What we don't know yet

    • How the Rangers will replace Shesterkin in goal over the rest of the season
    • Whether five or six games is enough to read anything into early records in an 84-game season
    • Results of games played after 10 October 2026, which this page has not yet recorded
    Story status

    Story status

    State
    developing
    Started
    2026-09-29
    Timeline entries
    11
    Last entry

    Timeline data (JSON)

    The 2026-27 NHL season began on 29 September 2026 and is the first with 84 games per team.[1] This tracker records dated, sourced results and storylines. Records are as of the date given. With five or six games played of 84, they say little yet about the final standings. New to hockey? Read How the NHL season works.

    Opening night: 29 September 2026

    GameScoreNote
    Panthers at HurricanesFLA 1, CAR 0 (OT)Forsling scored with 4.3 seconds left[2]
    Canadiens at Maple LeafsMTL 3, TOR 2Gavin McKenna’s NHL debut[6][7]
    Rangers at BruinsBOS 3, NYR 0Three goals in 1:15 late in the third[8]
    Canucks at OilersVAN 6, EDM 5 (OT)Vancouver blew a three-goal lead, then won[9]
    Blackhawks at Golden KnightsVGK 5, CHI 2Ryan Craig’s debut as Vegas coach[10]

    Before the opener, the Hurricanes raised their 2026 Stanley Cup banner.[11]

    Early records (as of 10 October 2026)

    • Edmonton Oilers, 4-0-1. A 3-1 win at San Jose was their fourth straight. Connor McDavid has a point in all five games.[3]
    • Boston Bruins, 4-2-0. They beat Philadelphia 5-1 to finish a three-game homestand.[4]
    • Philadelphia Flyers, 0-4-2. Still without a win after six games.[4]

    All 32 teams are scheduled to play on 13 October, the first of two such days this season.[12]

    Storylines to watch

    • Can Carolina defend its title? The Hurricanes are the 2026 champions and lost their opener in overtime to Florida.[11][2]
    • Florida reloads. The Panthers won back-to-back Cups before Carolina’s title. In June they acquired former Ottawa captain Brady Tkachuk to join his brother Matthew.[13][14]
    • McKenna in Toronto. The No. 1 pick in the 2026 draft debuted on opening night. He was minus-2 with one shot in 15:19.[7]
    • Rangers without Shesterkin. New York’s goaltender will miss the rest of the season with a lower-body injury sustained on 9 October at Washington.[5]
    • New coaches. Ryan Craig (Vegas) and Manny Malhotra (Vancouver) both won their debuts.[10][9]
    • Vegas as Western champions. The Golden Knights were the 2026 Western Conference champions.[15]

    Coming up

    The NHL plays games in Finland on 12 and 14 November and in Germany on 18 and 20 December.[16] The regular season ends on 10 April 2027.[1] National games air on ESPN, ABC and TNT in the US and Sportsnet in Canada. See the how-to-watch guide.[17]

    Timeline

    11 confirmed

    1. confirmed

      Rangers rule Shesterkin out for the season[5]

      The team announced a lower-body injury.

    2. confirmed

      Oilers win fourth straight to reach 4-0-1[3]

      Edmonton won 3-1 at San Jose. Connor McDavid extended his season-opening point streak to five games.

    3. confirmed

      Bruins beat Flyers, who stay winless[4]

      Boston won 5-1 to go 4-2-0. Philadelphia fell to 0-4-2.

    4. confirmed

      Shesterkin injured in Rangers' loss at Washington[5]

    5. confirmed

      Panthers spoil Hurricanes' banner night in OT[2][11]

      Gustav Forsling scored with 4.3 seconds left in overtime for a 1-0 Florida win.

    6. confirmed

      Canadiens beat Maple Leafs in McKenna's debut[6][7]

      Montreal won 3-2 in Toronto. McKenna finished minus-2 with one shot in 15:19.

    7. confirmed

      Bruins blank Rangers 3-0[8]

      Boston scored three times in 1:15 late in the third period.

    8. confirmed

      Canucks beat Oilers 6-5 in OT[9]

      Vancouver blew a three-goal third-period lead before winning in Manny Malhotra's coaching debut.

    9. confirmed

      Golden Knights beat Blackhawks in Craig's debut[10]

      Vegas won 5-2 in Ryan Craig's first game as coach.

    10. confirmed

      New NHL labor agreement takes effect[18]

      The deal runs to 15 September 2030 and expanded the regular season.

    11. confirmed

      NHL releases 84-game 2026-27 schedule[1][16]

      1,344 games, with games in Finland and Germany, three outdoor games and an All-Star Game.

    Next in the crash course

    Questions readers ask

    When did the 2026-27 NHL season start?

    On Tuesday 29 September 2026, with five games. The regular season ends on 10 April 2027.[1]

    Who won the first game of the 2026-27 NHL season?

    The Florida Panthers beat the defending champion Carolina Hurricanes 1-0 in overtime.[2]

    How did Gavin McKenna do in his debut?

    The 2026 No. 1 pick finished minus-2 with one shot in 15:19 of ice time as Toronto lost 3-2 to Montreal.[7][6]

    Is Igor Shesterkin injured?

    Yes. On 10 October 2026 the Rangers announced he will miss the rest of the season with a lower-body injury sustained the previous night at Washington.[5]

    Which teams started 2026-27 best and worst?

    As of 10 October 2026, Edmonton was 4-0-1 and Philadelphia was winless at 0-4-2. Early records cover only five or six of 84 games.[3][4][1]

    Sources

    · 18 claims from 3 publishers

    Each numbered claim is a statement we checked against the sources listed with it. Tap a number in the text to see its sources in place.

    1. [1]

      The 2026-27 NHL regular season has 1,344 games, 84 per team (up from 82), starting on 29 September 2026 and ending on 10 April 2027. confirmedas of 2026-07-16

    2. [2]

      On opening night, 29 September 2026, the Florida Panthers beat the Carolina Hurricanes 1-0 in overtime on a Gustav Forsling goal with 4.3 seconds left. confirmedas of 2026-09-29

    3. [3]

      As of 10 October 2026 the Edmonton Oilers were 4-0-1 after a 3-1 win at San Jose, with Connor McDavid on a five-game season-opening point streak. confirmedas of 2026-10-10

    4. [4]

      On 10 October 2026 the Bruins beat the Flyers 5-1, moving Boston to 4-2-0 and leaving Philadelphia winless at 0-4-2. confirmedas of 2026-10-10

    5. [5]

      On 10 October 2026 the New York Rangers announced that goaltender Igor Shesterkin will miss the rest of the season with a lower-body injury sustained the previous night against Washington. confirmedas of 2026-10-10

    6. [6]

      On 29 September 2026 the Montreal Canadiens beat the Toronto Maple Leafs 3-2 in Toronto. confirmedas of 2026-09-29

    7. [7]

      Gavin McKenna, the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NHL Draft, made his debut for Toronto on opening night, finishing minus-2 with one shot in 15:19 of ice time. confirmedas of 2026-09-29

    8. [8]

      On 29 September 2026 the Boston Bruins beat the New York Rangers 3-0, scoring three times in 1:15 late in the third period. confirmedas of 2026-09-29

    9. [9]

      On 29 September 2026 the Vancouver Canucks beat the Edmonton Oilers 6-5 in overtime after blowing a three-goal third-period lead, in Manny Malhotra's coaching debut. confirmedas of 2026-09-29

    10. [10]

      On 29 September 2026 the Vegas Golden Knights beat the Chicago Blackhawks 5-2 in Ryan Craig's debut as coach; Craig was hired on 17 June to replace John Tortorella. confirmedas of 2026-09-29

    11. [11]

      The Carolina Hurricanes won the 2026 Stanley Cup and raised their championship banner before their 2026-27 opener. confirmedas of 2026-09-29

    12. [12]

      The NHL has 32 teams. confirmedas of 2026-07-16

    13. [13]

      The Florida Panthers won back-to-back Stanley Cups before Carolina's 2026 title. reportedas of 2026-09-29

    14. [14]

      The Florida Panthers acquired former Ottawa Senators captain Brady Tkachuk in June 2026, pairing him with his brother Matthew. reportedas of 2026-09-29

    15. [15]

      The Vegas Golden Knights were the 2026 Western Conference champions. confirmedas of 2026-09-29

    16. [16]

      The 2026-27 NHL schedule includes two games in Finland in November, two in Germany in December, three outdoor games and the first All-Star Game since 2024. confirmedas of 2026-07-16

    17. [17]

      The NHL's national broadcast partners for 2026-27 are The Walt Disney Company (ESPN/ABC) and TNT Sports (TNT/HBO Max) in the US and Sportsnet in Canada; the Stanley Cup Final airs exclusively on TNT in the US and Sportsnet in Canada. confirmedas of 2026-07-16

    18. [18]

      A new NHL collective bargaining agreement took effect on 16 September 2026 and runs to 15 September 2030; it expanded the regular season and shortened maximum contract length. confirmedas of 2026-10-11

    Revision history (1)
    1. Tracker created with results through 10 October 2026.

    Created Oct 11, 2026. Last reviewed by an editor on Oct 11, 2026. Next scheduled review: Oct 14, 2026.

    Cite this page

    "NHL 2026-27 season tracker: opening night, results, storylines." ContentLora, updated Oct 11, 2026. https://contentlora.com/events/nhl-2026-27-season-tracker

    Spotted an error? Suggest a correction or emailcorrections@contentlora.com.

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