The Lightning are set to find out their full schedule for the 2025-26 NHL regular season on Wednesday, July 16, at 1 p.m. ET. Last year, the Bolts opened the 2024-’25 regular season on the road against the Carolina Hurricanes as the Tampa Bay Area was reeling from the devastation caused by Hurricane Milton. The home-opener was eventually rescheduled.
While we wait on the new schedule, the NHL has announced that the 2025-26 regular season will open on Tuesday, Oct. 7 with a tripleheader broadcast.
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The Chicago Blackhawks will take on the defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers at 5 p.m. ET. Before puck drop, the Panthers will raise their second championship banner in a ceremony at Amerant Bank Arena.
The action continues at 8 p.m. ET as the Pittsburgh Penguins face the New York Rangers in a Metropolitan Division showdown at Madison Square Garden.
Capping off the night, the Colorado Avalanche will visit the Los Angeles Kings for a Western Conference battle at Crypto.com Arena, with puck drop set for 10:30 p.m. ET.
NHL Network will broadcast a special one-hour edition of NHL Tonight to cover the schedule release, hosted by Jamison Coyle, Mike Rupp, and E.J. Hradek. The special will also be available for streaming on NHL.com.
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