(Reuters) -The National Hockey League said on Monday its 2025-26 season will begin on October 7 when the reigning Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers host the Chicago Blackhawks in the first game of a triple-header.
The Panthers, who clinched the Stanley Cup in June for a second consecutive year, will raise their championship banner to the rafters ahead of the 5 p.m. ET (2100 GMT) face-off.
The Pittsburgh Penguins will then visit the New York Rangers for an 8 p.m. ET game before the opening night action concludes with the 10:30 p.m. ET clash between the Colorado Avalanche and host Los Angeles Kings.
The complete schedule for the 2025-26 regular-season, which includes a break for players to compete in the Milano-Cortina Olympics, is set to be announced on Wednesday.
The season will be the last 82-game campaign before the NHL moves to an 84-game schedule in 2026-27 as part of a four-year extension of the collective bargaining agreement ratified last week by the league and NHL Players’ Association.
(Reporting by Frank Pingue in TorontoEditing by Christian Radnedge)
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