On Wednesday afternoon, the NHL released the 2025-26 regular-season schedule. 

The New Jersey Devils will kick things off witha three-gameroad trip beginning on Thursday,  Oct. 9, against the Carolina Hurricanes. The club will also visit the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Columbus Blue Jackets. 

There is a benefit to beginning the season on the road away from Newark, as it presents an opportunity for new additions Connor Brown and Evgenii Dadonov, as well as Arseni Gritsyuk if he makes the roster, to spend time with their new teammates and build chemistry and camaraderie. There are also fewer distractions from family and friends as the group spends more time together on the road. 

The club's first home game at Prudential Center will take place exactly three months from now on Thursday, Oct. 16, against the defending champions, the Florida Panthers.  New Jersey earned a 2-0-1 record against Florida last season, and outscored Florida 11-5 in those games.

Key Dates 

- New Jersey will host the New York Rangers at Prudential Center on March 7. 

- Head coach Sheldon Keefe will get his first opportunity to earn a win against his former team, the Toronto Maple Leafs, on Oct. 21 at Scotiabank Arena. 

- Former Devil Curtis Lazar will return to Prudential Center with the Edmonton Oilers on Oct. 18.

- Ex-Devils forward Erik Haula and the Nashville Predators will fly to Newark for a Jan. 29 game.   

- On Jan. 3, 2026, the Devils will host the Utah Mammoth. It will be John Marino's first game back at Prudential Center since being traded on June 29, 2024. It marks the second time he will face his former team. 

The NHL season will begin on Tuesday, Oct. 7, with a tripleheader on ESPN, beginning at 5:00 p.m. ET, as the two-time defending Stanley Cup champions, the Panthers, face the Blackhawks at Amerant Bank Arena. At 8:00 p.m. ET, the Pittsburgh Penguins will visit MSG and the Rangers. The night will conclude with the Colorado Avalanche taking on the Los Angeles Kings at 10:30 p.m. ET. 

The entire Devils' 2025-26 schedule can be viewed here. 

Make sure you bookmark THN's New Jersey Devils site for THN's latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more.

The Mental Side of the Game: Devils Players & Mental Skills Coach Andy Swärd Take You Behind the Scenes

Hischier's Manager Patrick Fischer: 'He's Driven to Succeed, but Not Easily

Photo Credit: © Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

The Toronto Maple Leafs unveiled their 2025-26 regular season schedule on Wednesday.

With Mitch Marner departing the Maple Leafs for the Vegas Golden Knights, all eyes are on when the Thornhill, Ontario, native will make his anticipated return to Scotiabank Arena. That will take place on Jan. 23, 2026. 

The Maple Leafs will host the Montreal Canadiens to open the regular season on Oct. 8.

San Jose Sharks forward Ryan Reaves returns to Toronto on Dec. 11.

The Maple Leafs will host Pontus Holmberg and the Tampa Bay Lightning on Dec. 8.

REGULAR SEASON SCHEDULE NOTES

• Longest home stand: Five games (3x) – October 13 to October 21, December 6 to December 16, January 19 to January 27

• Longest road stretch: Six games (2x) – November 22 to December 4, January 29 to February 26

• Number of back-to-back games: 15

• Busiest month: 16 games – January

• Busiest home month: Eight games (3x) – October, December, January

• Busiest road month: Nine games – March

• Busiest day of the week: Saturday – 23 games (10 home, 13 road)

(Top image credit:  Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images)

Sabres Troll Maple Leafs As 'Choking Hazard' Ahead of NHL Schedule ReleaseThe NHL is set to reveal the rest of their regular season schedule on Wednesday, and it’s clear that every team’s social media accounts have been gearing up for their visual presentations. The Buffalo Sabres provided a sneak peek of what they were up to Tuesday by presenting all of their opponents as chicken wings, a Buffalo staple. Maple Leafs' Matthew Knies Ranked In Top-10 Of NHL.com's Top Forwards Under 25 ListToronto Maple Leafs forward Matthew Knies has made NHL.com's top 10 forwards under 25 list. Why The Maple Leafs Signed Prospect Miroslav Holinka To An Entry-Level ContractThe Toronto Maple Leafs have signed prospect Miroslav Holinka to a three-year, entry-level contract.

For Ottawa Senators fans, fresh off the club's first playoff appearance since 2017, the countdown to October has never felt more exciting.

The NHL officially released the Senators' 2025-26 regular season schedule on Wednesday afternoon. 

The Senators begin with a Florida road trip they'd probably prefer to save for later in the season when Ottawa's weather turns cold. They face the Tampa Bay Lightning on October 9 and the Florida Panthers on October 11. The Sens home opener at Canadian Tire Centre will be on October 13th against the Nashville Predators.

After playing just three regular-season games against the rival Toronto Maple Leafs last season, the league saw fit to get them together the usual four times this season. But we'll have to wait almost half the season for the first meeting on December 27.

The Senators have a seven-game road trip at the end of November. Their tour takes them through Anaheim, San Jose, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, St. Louis, Dallas and Montreal. According to the team, it will be third-longest road trip in team history. The Sens had a nine-gamer last season when the World Junior Tournament chased them out of their building.

As was the case for last year's 4 Nations Face-off, things will shut down in February for the Winter Olympics. This one will be a 20-day-long break as eligible active NHL players return to Olympic hockey for the first time in eight years. 

2025-26 Ottawa Senators Schedule

Thursday, Oct. 9 at Tampa Bay, 7 p.m.

Saturday, Oct. 11 at Florida, 7 p.m.

Monday, Oct 13 vs. Nashville, 1 p.m.

Wednesday, Oct. 15 at Buffalo, 7 p.m.

Thursday, Oct. 16 vs. Seattle, 7 p.m.

Saturday, Oct. 18 vs. N.Y. Islanders, 3 p.m.

Tuesday, Oct. 21 vs. Edmonton, 7 p.m.

Thursday, Oct. 23 vs. Philadelphia, 7 p.m.

Saturday, Oct. 25 at Washington, 7 p.m.

Monday, Oct. 27 vs. Boston, 7:30 p.m.

Tuesday, Oct. 28 at Chicago, 8:45 p.m.

Thursday, Oct. 30 vs. Calgary, 7 p.m.

Saturday, Nov. 1 at Montreal, 7 p.m.

Thursday, Nov. 6 at Boston, 7 p.m.

Saturday, Nov. 8 at Philadelphia, 1 p.m.

Sunday, Nov. 9 vs. Utah, 7 p.m.

Tuesday, Nov. 11 vs. Dallas, 7 p.m.

Thursday, Nov. 13 vs. Boston, 7 p.m.

Saturday, Nov. 15 vs. Los Angeles, 7 p.m.

Thursday, Nov. 20 at Anaheim, 10 p.m.

Saturday, Nov. 22 at San Jose, 7 p.m.

Monday, Nov. 24 at Los Angeles, 9 p.m.

Wednesday, Nov. 26 at Vegas, 10 p.m.

Friday, Nov. 28 at St. Louis, 4 p.m.

Sunday, Nov. 30 at Dallas, 6 p.m.

Tuesday, Dec. 2 at Montreal, 7 p.m.

Thursday, Dec. 4 vs. N.Y. Rangers, 7 p.m.

Saturday, Dec. 6 vs. St. Louis, 7 p.m.

Tuesday, Dec. 9 vs. New Jersey, 7 p.m.

Thursday, Dec. 11 at Columbus, 7 p.m.

Saturday, Dec. 13 at Minnesota, 2 p.m.

Monday, Dec. 15 at Winnipeg, 7:30 p.m.

Thursday, Dec. 18 vs. Pittsburgh, 7 p.m.

Saturday, Dec. 20 vs. Chicago, 3 p.m.

Sunday, Dec. 21 at Boston, 7 p.m.

Tuesday, Dec. 23 vs. Buffalo, 7 p.m.

Saturday, Dec. 27 at Toronto, 7 p.m.

Monday, Dec. 29 vs. Columbus, 7 p.m.

Thursday, Jan. 1 vs. Washington, 1 p.m.

Saturday, Jan. 3 vs. Winnipeg, 7 p.m.

Monday, Jan. 5 vs. Detroit, 7:30 p.m.

Wednesday, Jan. 7 at Utah, 9:30 p.m.

Thursday, Jan. 8 at Colorado, 9 p.m.

Saturday, Jan. 10 vs. Florida, 7 p.m.

Tuesday, Jan. 13 vs. Vancouver, 7 p.m.

Wednesday, Jan. 14 at N.Y. Rangers, 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, Jan. 17 vs. Montreal, 7 p.m.

Sunday, Jan. 18 at Detroit, 5 p.m.

Tuesday, Jan. 20 at Columbus, 7 p.m.

Thursday, Jan. 22 at Nashville, 8 p.m.

Saturday, Jan. 24 vs. Carolina, 7 p.m.

Sunday, Jan. 25 vs. Vegas, 5 p.m.

Wednesday, Jan. 28 vs. Colorado, 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, Jan. 31 vs. New Jersey, 7 p.m.

Monday, Feb. 2 at Pittsburgh, 7 p.m.

Tuesday, Feb. 3 at Carolina, 7 p.m.

Thursday, Feb. 5 at Philadelphia, 7 p.m.

Thursday, Feb. 26 vs. Detroit, 7 p.m.

Saturday, Feb. 28 at Toronto, 7 p.m.

Tuesday, March 3 at Edmonton, 9 p.m.

Thursday, March 5 at Calgary, 9 p.m.

Saturday, March 7 at Seattle, 10 p.m.

Monday, March 9 at Vancouver, 9 p.m.

Wednesday, March 11 vs. Montreal, 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, March 14 vs. Anaheim, 1 p.m.

Sunday, March 15 vs. San Jose, 5 p.m.

Wednesday, March 18 at Washington, 7:30 p.m.

Thursday, March 19 vs. N.Y. Islanders, 7 p.m.

Saturday, March 21 vs. Toronto, 7 p.m.

Monday, March 23 at N.Y. Rangers, 7:30 p.m.

Tuesday, March 24 at Detroit, 7 p.m.

Thursday, March 26 vs. Pittsburgh, 7 p.m.

Saturday, March 28 at Tampa Bay, 1 p.m.

Tuesday, March 31 at Florida, 7 p.m.

Thursday, April 2 vs. Buffalo, 7 p.m.

Saturday, April 4 vs. Minnesota, 1 p.m.

Sunday, April 5 vs. Carolina, 5 p.m.

Tuesday, April 7 vs. Tampa Bay, 7 p.m.

Thursday, April 9 vs. Florida, 7 p.m.

Saturday, April 11 at N.Y. Islanders, 1 p.m.

Sunday, April 12 at New Jersey, 7 p.m.

Wednesday, April 15 vs. Toronto, 7:30 p.m.

After playing just three regular-season games against the rival Toronto Maple Leafs last season, the league saw fit to get them together the usual four times this season. But we'll have to wait almost half the season for the first meeting on December 27.

The Senators have a seven-game road trip at the end of November. Their tour takes them through Anaheim, San Jose, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, St. Louis, Dallas and Montreal. According to the team, it will be third-longest road trip in team history. The Sens had a nine-gamer last season when the World Junior Tournament chased them out of their building.

As was the case for last year's 4 Nations Face-off, things will shut down in February for the Winter Olympics. This one will be a 20-day-long break as eligible active NHL players return to Olympic hockey for the first time in eight years. 

The NHL announced on Monday that the 2025-26 regular season will open on Oct. 7.

The league opted to go with a horrible mismatch to kick things off. They announced on Monday that the first game of the season will be in Florida, where the two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Panthers will host the 31st-place Chicago Blackhawks.

By Steve Warne
The Hockey News - Ottawa

Image Credit: James Guillory-Imagn Images

More Sens Headlines:
Can The Senators Count On Dylan Cozens To Consistently Produce?
Expectations For The Senators' Mount Rushmore Of Old Guys
Sens Rewind: Looking Back On The Sens Season Of 13 Goalies
Sam Gagner Says Hockey IQ Is Teachable
Creating The Sens Opening Night Roster Based On Salary

Seattle - The Seattle Kraken announced their first regular season game at home will be on October 9th against the Anaheim Ducks at Climate Pledge with the remainder of the regular season schedule rumored to be released later today. The Kraken will look to win their first opening night after going 0-4 in their first four seasons as a franchise.

This matchup will feature two fresh head coaches coaches on their respective teams, Joel Quenneville for the Ducks, and Lane Lambert for the Kraken. Quenneville is back behind an NHL bench after a hiatus, last coaching the Florida Panthers in the 2021-22 season. This will be Lambert's first home game as Kraken head coach after serving as an associate head coach with the Toronto Maple Leafs last season.

8️⃣5️⃣ days until we're back in The Deep 🌊 pic.twitter.com/vUFFM65dLc

— Seattle Kraken (@SeattleKraken) July 16, 2025

This Ducks team will also look quite different to Kraken fans with the departures of star goalie John Gibson (Detroit Red Wings) and flashy forward Trevor Zegras (Philadelphia Flyers), however, the Ducks did add veteran presence in winger, Chris Kreider in a trade with the New York Rangers and signed center, Mikael Granlund toa three-year deal in free agency.

The Kraken are 9-4-1 against the Ducks all time and had a record of 0-2-1 last season. The Kraken also have an 0-4 record on opening day, losing to the Vancouver Canucks (2021), Vegas Golden Knights (2022), Colorado Avalanche (2023), and St. Louis Blues (2024).

Related

Seattle Kraken Announce 2025 Preseason ScheduleThe Seattle Kraken have announced their preseason schedule for the 2025-26 season. They will play six games in total and kick things off against the Vancouver Canucks, on Sunday, September 21st at Climate Pledge Arena. This will be a great chance to see young prospects and veterans in action throughout the training camp process.

Featured graphic by - via nhl.com/kraken

Hero graphic by - via nhl.com/kraken

The NHL schedules will be released today, with each team posting the dates when they play their respective opponents at 1 p.m. ET.

Most schedules will look relatively standard, except for one team that has gone above and beyond to release their upcoming opponents ahead of the schedule release in the most creative way: the Buffalo Sabres.

The Sabres took an approach similar to the National Football League, unveiling their opponents as chicken wings on X, complete with clever captions and playful references.

Our schedule drops tomorrow...so here are our opponents as wings. 🧵

See all teams in the gallery → https://t.co/DWhjzTy44n#LetsGoBuffalo | @Ticketmasterpic.twitter.com/mewwI3BMFN

— Buffalo Sabres (@BuffaloSabres) July 15, 2025

This creative strategy of taunting opponents is something no other NHL team has attempted this year. The Sabres focused on finding niche references for each team, offering fans fun hints about their opponents.

For example, the Vancouver Canucks, displayed two orange wings on one side of the plate and one blue wing on the other.

The caption? “Where art thou, brother?”

This was a reference to the Hughes brothers, Jack and Luke, who both play for the Devils (orange wings), and Quinn Hughes in Vancouver (blue wing).

For the New Jersey Devils, the Sabres posted a single wing covered in flames with the caption: “Hell.”

7/8 #LetsGoBuffalo | @Ticketmasterpic.twitter.com/3HBhodLKGY

— Buffalo Sabres (@BuffaloSabres) July 15, 2025

The Sabres modeled their schedule release after the NFL, which has mastered turning schedule announcements into major social media events. The NFL’s creative reveals generate buzz from both fans and media.

Of course, the NHL faces a challenge the NFL doesn’t: there are 82 games instead of 17. Creating a detailed video for every matchup would result in something closer to a 30-minute production.

Instead, the Sabres thought outside the box, revealing their full season of opponents in a clever, digestible format.

This type of creativity should become part of NHL culture. It sparks media coverage, excites fans, and adds personality to the league. Who doesn’t love a little shade thrown at rival teams?

The Sabres nailed it, incorporating subtle digs into their posts.

Take their representation of the New York Rangers, for example. 

At first glance, the image of the wing seems harmless. But remember when Rangers staffers were given restrictions on access to players following an alleged conflict involving a staffer and a player? The Sabres hinted at that drama by positioning the Rangers’ wing far from the camera. Keeping the admin a safe distance from the wing.

They didn’t stop there. The Toronto Maple Leafs’ wing was drizzled with sauce, nothing unusual, until you read the caption: “Choking hazard.” A not-so-subtle jab at Toronto’s playoff struggles.

While all of this was done in good fun, it highlights something important: more NHL teams should embrace this level of creativity. With an hour left before the official schedule drop, other teams still have a chance to jump on board, but so far, the Sabres stand alone.

Hockey is fun. Why leave the chirping to the players? Let the social media teams have their moment to shine.

Photo Credit: © Jerome Miron-Imagn Images