The return of NHL action will have to wait but not long before. The 2026-27 NHL preseason kicks off on Saturday, Sept. The 19 already have a shorter schedule of only six games in seven days, held entirely on Broadway and in 31 inaugural neutral-site locations. The pre-season will end on Sept. It’s 26 days before the regular season starts.
A much-condemned short preseason is a significant shift for the league. Forms a part of the Collective Bargaining Agreement between the National Hockey League and the National Hockey League Players’ Association, and is intended to meet the needs of a lengthened regular season that involves teams playing 84 games.
Seven games are played on the opening night including Dallas and St. Louis, Winnipeg and Edmonton, Chicago and Minnesota and Vancouver and Seattle. One of the mores interesting games will be held in Ontario, California against the Los Angeles Kings at Toyota Arena against the Vegas Golden Knights.
Throughout the preseason there are also a number of special games played away from home. The two teams will face each other in Trois Rivières, Quebec, on Sept. The 21th edition of Kraft Hockeyville aims to center around Saint-Boniface as the 2025 community grand champion. Hershey, PA will also host Philadelphia vs. Washington, and Greensboro, NC will host Carolina vs. Nashville.
The last day is Sept. The 14 games for 26 will give teams their final chance to take the running off the field between the regular season and Sept. 29. There may be fewer of these games in the preseason, but that doesn’t mean more games in the regular season will not make a difference for players vying for roster spots or coaches making their final cuts.
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