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OCT. 21, 2026 Florida Panthers at Ottawa Senators Brady Tkachuk, who was the captain of the Senators for five seasons, returns to Ottawa for the first time alongside his brother, Matthew, after he was traded to the Stanley Cup-contending Florida Panthers this past summer in a blockbuster deal. DEC. 21, 2026 Carolina Hurricanes at Vegas Golden Knights The Hurricanes return to T-Mobile Arena for the first time since rallying from a 2-1 Stanley Cup Final series deficit to stun the Golden Knights in six games. Carolina won two of three games in Vegas during the Final and celebrated their second Stanley Cup title in franchise history with a Game 6 win in Vegas. DEC. 31, 2026 2026 DISCOVER WINTER CLASSIC Colorado Avalanche at Utah Mammoth The Uta h Ma mmoth welcome the Colorado Avalanche to Rice-Eccles Stadium, home of the University of Utah football team, for the 2026 Discover Winter Classic on New Year's Eve. The Mammoth qualified for the postseason for the first time last season, while the Avs are slated for their first road outdoor game in franchise history. FEB. 5-6, 2027 NHL All-Star Game U BS A rena w i ll welcome the N HL's best to Long Island for a newly-formatted NHL A ll- Star Game. The festivities will include a 3-on-3 tourna ment w ith tea ms made up of players from the U.S., Canada, Sweden, Finland and 'The Rest Of The World.' FEB. 20, 2027 Vegas Golden Knights at Dallas Stars AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, the home of the Dallas Cowboys, has hosted Super Bowls, and it will now host an NHL Stadium Series game between the Vegas Golden Knights and Dallas Stars. The t wo Western Conference powerhouses a re ex pected to contend for the Stanley Cup and the Stars have reached the Western Conference Final in three of the past four seasons. APRIL 10, 2027 Final day of the NHL regular season The pressure builds for 16 teams as the regular season ends and the field for the Stanley Cup Playoffs is set. For the first time since the 1993-94 season, NHL teams will play 84 regular-season games instead of a traditional 82-game schedule. PHOTOS BY Getty Images The 2026-27 season officially started on Sept. 29 and will feature 1,344 games. Here are some games you won't want to miss! IS THE NEW 84 82 Peter Laviolette, the winningest American coach in NHL history, is making a return to the bench this season as the head coach of the Los Angeles Kings. The 61-year-old begins his 24th season in the NHL with 846 career wins behind the bench, while also having led Carolina to the Stanley Cup championship in 2006. Laviolette is the only American coach to lead three different franchises to the Stanley Cup Final, having done so with Philadelphia (2010) and Nashville (2017). During Laviolette's introductory press conference, he shared what he believes are three core principles for a team: 1. BEING A FAMILY INSIDE THE LOCKER ROOM 2. BUILDING A CULTURE 3. WORKING DAILY ON YOUR GAME American-Born Head Coaches 2026-27 NHL Season Chicago Blackhawks > Jeff Blashill Los Angeles Kings > Peter Laviolette Minnesota Wild > John Hynes New York Rangers > Mike Sullivan Pittsburgh Penguins > Dan Muse San Jose Sharks > Ryan Warsofsky American General Managers Calgary Flames > Craig Conroy Carolina Hurricanes > Eric Tulsky Columbus Blue Jackets > Don Waddell Edmonton Oilers > Stan Bowman Florida Panthers > Bill Zito Minnesota Wild > Bill Guerin Nashville Predators > Chris MacFarland New Jersey Devils > Sunny Mehta New York Rangers > Chris Drury San Jose Sharks > Mike Grier Washington Capitals > Chris Patrick Laviolette Ready To Write A New Hollywood Script With The Kings S TA D I U M S E R I E S I N A R L I N GT O N Laviolette is the only American coach to lead three different franchises to the Stanley Cup Final. 32 // OCTOBER 2026 USAHOCKEYMAGAZINE.COM NHL ALL-STAR GAME