Shivery feels like fans are waiting for their unbelievable momentum to create a new season of the NHL. National Hockey League fans are catching an ice stadium full of excitement and celebration this year. What? At this point, is there an advantage to which teams perform better and retain their standards, or do new teams dominate? In addition, the NHL 2025-26 season has a preseason, regular season, and Stanley Cup Finals. Pathway to the Winter Olympics 2026 in ice hockey. The NHL is a glorious celebration of grit, skill, and passion that brings fans from around the globe together! The excitement is electric as we leap into the mesmerizing NHL 2025-26 season! This NHL season is set to deliver unforgettable moments, intense rivalries, and inspiring tales of perseverance. Whether you are a longtime fan or new to ice hockey, don’t miss the incredible NHL 2025-26 season!
NHL 2025–26 Season: A Novel Epoch on Ice
The NHL 2025-26 season will begin on October 7, 2025, and last until June 2026, ending with the Stanley Cup playoffs. NHL players will play in the 2026 Winter Olympics with a timetable break from February 6 to 24. This NHL 2025-26 season event allows fans to watch their front-runner players represent their countries. The Utah Hockey Club had rebranded as the Utah Mammoth, introducing a fresh identity to the NHL league. A new agreement will last until 2030 and will include some vital changes. Teams must follow salary cap limits during the playoffs. Contracts cannot have deferred payments. Players can display their personal style off the ice and are allowed to endorse alcoholic beverages. The new season salary cap rises to $95.5 million, and the 2026–27 NHL season will have 84 games. Veterans like Ovechkin chase records, while new stars aim to shine. Can the Panthers win their third championship in a row?
This year, the NHL 2025-26 season will be the 109th National Hockey League (NHL) season. The regular season begins on October 7, 2025, and the Stanley Cup playoffs will start in April 2026. With upset, think of the NHL 2025-26 season ending with the Stanley Cup Finals in June. This season is special in NHL history for several reasons. Teams and players are adjusting their tactical moves for extra workload, making this season more intense. NHL players will compete in the Winter Olympics in Milan, testing team depth. The season will also see changes due to the end of the current Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA). The new CBA will enforce a playoff salary cap, eliminate deferred contract payments, and relax dress codes. These changes display how the league evolves, and the NHL 2025-26 season signifies continuity. This season will progress by linking the past to the future. This NHL 2025-26 season will be exciting for fans, as well as the latest updates.
Recap of the past year’s champion
The Florida Panthers won the 2024-25 Stanley Cup, their second in a row, while the Vegas Golden Knights. This team had 46 regular-season victories but lost in the conference finals. The Winnipeg Jets had had a tough season, scored 116 points and reached the conference semi-finals. The Edmonton Oilers reached the Stanley Cup Final, driven by their potent offense, but lost to Florida. Connor Hellebuyck won the Hart and Vezina Trophies with 47 wins. Nikita Kucherov led with 121 points, while Leon Draisaitl scored 52 points. Lane Huston of the Canadiens won the Calder Trophy with 66 points. The hockey community mourned Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau, who tragically died in a bicycle accident. The Utah Mammoth began its first season, while Florida won the Stanley Cup after a Game 7 versus the Oilers. Alex Ovechkin kept fans engaged as he pursued records. Explore all game-related updates and fresh news.
Event Details for the NHL 2025-26 Season
NHL Preseason Starting Date: September 20, 2025
NHL Preseason Ending Date: October 4, 2025
How can I watch the streaming options in the NHL 2025-26 season?
Prepare for the NHL 2025-26 season, which will be on Sportsnet, its 12th and final season of Canadian National broadcasts. Sportsnet before a new 12-year contract begins in the NHL in 2026-27. This original deal, expiring in the NHL 2025-26 season, includes Sportsnet’s sub-licensing agreements. To Saturday Hockey Night in Canada games on CBC Television and in the French language on TVA Sports. In Canada, fans are getting news about streaming the final year of Amazon Prime Video’s two-year streaming deals.
Don’t miss out on the Saturday Hockey Night in Canada games airing on CBC, Sportsnet feeds, and Sportsnet One. Even more available access for the NHL 2025-26 season will be Sportsnet 360 or Citytv. These broadcasts are made weekly and select games or multiple networks.
Sportsnet will stream Wednesday Night Hockey, the Winter Classic, the Stadium Series, and the All-Star Game.
TVA Sports includes Saturday La Super Soiree LNH with NHL Super Evening games, as well as the French-language air of the Winter Classic, All-Star Games, and others.
In the USA, fans, the NHL 2025-26 season will be broadcast on ESPN, TNT, ABC, and HBO Max, and will also be available on the ESPN family of networks. TNT Sports has a fifth season of the league’s seven-year U.S. national stream rights.
Experience with the third season of the league’s six-year deal with SiriusXM and SiriusXM Canada. This radio broadcast all 32 teams’ local regular-season and postseason rights.
Scripps Sports will replace FanDuel Sports Network Sun as the Tampa Bay Lightning broadcaster partner at local telecast options. Other options are WXPX-TV, and the DTC streaming option will also be available.
In the NHL 2025-26 season, the Dallas Stars’ local rights are held by the FAST-streaming service Victory+. It was announced with Fox Television Stations and Gray Media over-the-air stations in states like Texas, Arkansas, and Louisiana.
Attention to all ice hockey fans! The NHL 2025-26 season will air on NHL.tv and move to DAZN in around 200 countries.
Catch Sky Sports will air selected NHL games in the United Kingdom, Austria, Germany, and Italy. Some more countries have streaming options to see the National Hockey League (NHL) 2025-26 season.
Australian viewers, the NHL 2025-26 season will air on Kayo Sports, Foxtel, and Foxtel Now. Kayo Sports offers a seven-day free trial, Kayo Standard for $25/month, and Kayo Premium for $40/month. Foxtel & Foxtel Now offers a ten-day free trial and includes live playoff coverage and the Stanley Cup Finals.
Format
A collective bargaining agreement (CBA) in 2013 will end after the NHL 2025-26 season for the 2020 extension. On June 27, 2025, the NHL and Players’ Association announced a new four-year extension. This agreement covers the seasons from 2026-27 to 2029-30 and increases the regular season from 82 to 84 games. The 2025 NHL entry draft occurred in Los Angeles on June 27-28, 2025. The Utah Hockey Club, after a temporary name in the 2024-25 season, let fans vote for a permanent name in 2025. “Mammoth” was confirmed as the official name on May 7, 2025, with a new logo and uniforms. The 2025-26 NHL season format will be the traditional one with 32 teams in two conferences and no changes to alignments. This season also finalizes under the 82-game schedule before expanding to 84 games in 2026-27.
Playoff Format
The National Hockey League (NHL) playoff format is simple. The top three teams from each division earn playoff spots. Additionally, two wild-card teams from each conference join them. Many players and fans want to return to the 1-8 seeding format, but the NHL has chosen to continue. Using the division-based system for now for the NHL 2025-26 season. Excitingly, this season brings a vital update: a strict enforcement of salary cap compliance throughout the playoffs! This fixes an old issue that let teams go over the salary cap by using long-term injured reserve. This is an essential step toward justice and morality in the game.
Preseason and Regular Season
Looking forward to the new season! Preseason games will kick off from September 20 to October 4. The regular season officially launches on October 7 and ends on April 16, 2026, promising an experience for fans. Mark your calendars for an exciting matchup! The Nashville Predators will play over the Pittsburgh Penguins on November 14-16, 2025, at the Avicii Arena in Stockholm, Sweden. Get ready for some spectacular outdoor games this season! The 2026 Winter Classic will occur on January 2, 2026, at LoanDepot Park in Miami. The Florida Panthers will compete against the New York Rangers. The 2026 Stadium Series will occur on February 1, 2026, at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa. The game will feature the Tampa Bay Lightning playing against the Boston Bruins.
Negated All-Star Game and Olympique Break
Ice hockey fans are excited for a new season! The All-Star Game 2026 was set for early February at UBS Arena in Elmont, New York. The 2026 All-Star Game is planned for the home turf of the New York Islanders. This league envisioned this as a fantastic send-off for our talented players heading to the Winter Olympics in Italy. This would have been remarkable, marking the league’s first Olympic participation since 2014. The first time the All-Star Game has coincided with the Olympics since 2002! Therefore, the All-Star Game is canceled, and UBS Arena will host a kick-off event for Olympic athletes. NHL players will represent their nations from February 6 to 24, 2026. Although the All-Star Game won’t take place this year. We can look forward to a unique opportunity to cheer on our players as they embark on this incredible journey. The Olympic return after 12 years is exciting—let’s support our players!
Guideline Changes
The NHL season will implement rule changes for fairness, including a salary cap for teams during the Stanley Cup Playoffs. In the past, teams could go over the cap using Long-Term Injured Reserve (LTIR) loopholes. Now, each team must submit a playoff roster of 18 skaters and 2 goalies whose combined salaries fit within the cap. This ensures that wealthier teams cannot unfairly load their rosters with talent. Relief from LTIR is capped at the previous season’s average league salary of $3.817 million for 2025–26. Starting October 7, 2025, teams must make player payments within the contract period. The dress code has also been relaxed, allowing more personal expression while maintaining some guidelines. Players can now endorse alcohol, opening new opportunities for the NHL. Other updates include cap management restrictions and discussions on allowing 19-year-old CHL players in the AHL.
Participating Teams
This season, we are excited to introduce the Utah Mammoth. They are officially starting their journey with their new name after playing last season as the Utah Hockey Club! Houston and Atlanta are considering expansion, but no new franchises are confirmed for 2025–26.
Eastern Conference
| Atlantic Division | Metropolitan Division |
| Boston Bruins | Carolina Hurricanes |
| Buffalo Sabres | Columbus Blue Jackets |
| Detroit Red Wings | New Jersey Devils |
| Florida Panthers | New York Islanders |
| Montreal Canadiens | New York Rangers |
| Ottawa Senators | Philadelphia Flyers |
| Tampa Bay Lightning | Pittsburgh Penguins |
| Toronto Maple Leafs | Washington Capitals |
Western Conference
| Central Division | Pacific Division |
| Arizona Coyotes | Anaheim Ducks |
| Chicago Blackhawks | Calgary Flames |
| Colorado Avalanche | Edmonton Oilers |
| Dallas Stars | Los Angeles Kings |
| Minnesota Wild | San Jose Sharks |
| Nashville Predators | Seattle Kraken |
| St. Louis Blues | Utah Mammoth (new name) |
| Winnipeg Jets | Vancouver Canucks |
Schedule
| Season Phase | Start Date | End Date |
| Preseason | September 20, 2025 | October 4, 2025 |
| Regular Season | October 7, 2025 | April 16, 2026 |
| Olympic Break | February 6, 2026 | February 24, 2026 |
| Stanley Cup Playoffs | April 19, 2026 | June 2026 |
| Stanley Cup Finals | June 9, 2026 | June 23, 2026 |
Prediction
Dallas Stars vs St. Louis Blues
The Dallas Stars will come to blows with the St. Louis Blues on September 20, 2025, at American Airlines Center, Dallas. For the preseason in the 2025-26 NHL season.
Standings
- Dallas Stars—Central Division in the Western Conference.
- St. Louis Blues—Central Division in the Western Conference.
Previous Game
A standout player, Robertson has been in excellent form, scoring 35 goals, 45 assists, and 80 points. Another top player is Matt Duchene, who scored 82 points; Jason Robertson scored 35 goals. Matt Duchene assisted on 52 scores, and Esa Lindell got a 34.0 score. Casey DeSmith got a .915 in SV%. During the regular season, the Dallas Stars ranked 3rd in goals for, 275, and 6th in goals against, 222. Thomas Harley emerged as a promising young defenseman. However, Dallas struggled in the playoffs, scoring first in just three of 18 games, which forced them to play from behind. Fans are worried about how strong the team’s defense is after trading Chris Tanev and losing other players.
After a slow start, the Blues were enhanced under coach Jim Montgomery. When they led after two periods, the Blues had been a strong group of prospects with good depth in all positions. Key player Dylan Holloway also had a breakout season, with 26 goals and 37 assists. Despite this, the penalty kill team struggled, finishing 28th in the league at 74.2%. A major issue in their playoff series was the Winnipeg Jets, who had the best power play in the league. Dominant player Kyrou scored 36 goals, 34 assists, and 70 points. Robert Thomas supports the St. Louis Blues team with 81 points scored. Jordan Kryrou had a remarkable performance with more scoring players. Robert Thomas had been assisting with a score of 60. Jordan Kyrou, another incredible player, did his smart work this past year, and Joel Hofer scored. 904 SV%. The top defensive pair, Colton Parayko and Nick Leddy, faced tough matchups and followed many scoring changes over them. According to their performances, the Dallas Stars will have a home ice advantage to secure success in their upcoming matches.
New Jersey Devils vs New York Rangers
On September 21, 2025, the New Jersey Devils will conflict with the New York Rangers at Prudential Center, Newark, New Jersey. They are playing for the preseason in the NHL 2025-26 moment of truth.
Standings
- New Jersey Devils—Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference.
- New York Rangers—Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference.
Previous Game
The New Jersey Devils displayed their ability to score over the Rangers. They had had two big wins with a 5-1 triumph and a 5-0 shutout later that month. They played well on special teams by scoring on 50% of their power play chances in one game. This team has improved its penalty kill over the NHL season. Goaltender Jacob Markstrom played very well against the Rangers. He made 39 saves in a 5-1 win and had two shutouts in the past year. With their new head coach, Sheldon Keefe, the Devils significantly improved their defense. This is clear from the decreased goals allowed per game and their tough record. When they were looking forward after two periods.
Conversely, the Rangers had often depended on their power play and goaltending. However, their performances at even strength, including likely goals for and per 60 minutes, ranked lower than those of other playoff teams. They battled to score in their losses to the Devils, displaying their futility. It was tough for them to get past New Jersey’s enhanced defense. Their challenging power play and better goaltending can help them win games. However, these strengths might become faint over time or those that can limit their performance. Despite being a tough team, the New York Rangers struggled to consistently generate offense and drive play in rivalry games. Hence, the New Jersey Devils will have more chances to hold on to a victory in their forthcoming ice series.
You may also like
2025 NHL Fixtures: Schedule, Stats and Odds
2025 Stanley Cup playoffs: Odds and Predictions
On the Clock: NHL Draft 2025 Player Auction Strategy
NHL 2025-26 Matchups | Predictions and Injury
NHL 2025-26 Matchups | Injury and Predictions
NHL Regular Season 2025-26 – 2 December 2025, Schedule and Predictions
