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New York – The Florida Panthers are set to raise their second consecutive Stanley Cup banner before beginning the NHL season against the Chicago Blackhawks.

The back-to-back champions play at 5 p.m. EDT on Oct. 7 to lead off an opening night tripleheader, the league announced Monday. Florida defeated Edmonton in the teams’ Cup final rematch and is aiming for the NHL’s first threepeat since the New York Islanders’ dynasty from 1980-83.

Also on Oct. 7, the New York Rangers host the Pittsburgh Penguins at Madison Square Garden at 8 p.m., with the Colorado Avalanche visiting the Los Angeles Kings at 10:30 p.m. EDT. Mike Sullivan makes his Rangers coaching debut against the team he guided to the Stanley Cup in 2016 and ’17 and from whom he split after a third consecutive season out of the playoffs.

The remainder of the schedule is set to be released Wednesday. It includes a break for players to participate in the Milan-Cortina Olympics, the NHL’s return to that stage for the first time since 2014.

This is the final 82-game regular season before going to 84 in 2026-27 as part of a collective bargaining agreement extension agreed to and ratified by the league and the Players’ Association. Along with a reduction in exhibition play, that will mean a total of 1,344 games, up from the current 1,312.

Oilers shake up coaching staff

Edmonton – Hall of Fame defenceman Paul Coffey will not be behind the Edmonton Oilers’ bench next season, and the NHL club is moving on from goaltending coach Dustin Schwartz.

The Oilers announced the moves Monday, which included the addition of Paul McFarland, Peter Aubry and former NTDP coach Conor Allen to their coaching staff. Aubrey takes over as goaltending coach, while McFarland will serve as an assistant coach, and Allen will handle team skills.

The club said Coffey will return to his role as a special adviser to ownership and hockey operations after having a more hands-on role last season, working with the defence as assistant coach.

His role on the bench will be filled by the 39-year-old McFarland spent last season as head coach of the Western Hockey League’s Calgary Hitmen.

He makes his return to the NHL after working as an assistant coach for the Seattle Kraken for three seasons (2021-24). He also spent time as an assistant with the Florida Panthers (2017-19) and Toronto Maple Leafs (2019-20).

Schwartz had been Edmonton’s goaltending coach since 2014. While the Oilers made it to back-to-back Stanley Cup finals over the past two years, the inconsistent play of their goaltenders in the post-season became an area of concern.

They will aim for more stability under the 48-year-old Aubry, who spent two seasons as an associate coach at Nebraska-Omaha (NCAA).

He spent eight seasons (2015-16 to 2023-24) as the Chicago Blackhawks developmental goaltending coach as well as the goaltending coach for the team’s AHL affiliate in Rockford.

McFarland will work as an assistant coach, Aubry will be the new goaltending coach and Allen will work as a skills coach.

McFarland joins head coach Kris Knoblauch’s staff after leading the WHL’s Calgary Hitmen as head coach a year ago. He previously worked as an assistant coach with the Florida Panthers (2017-19), Toronto Maple Leafs (2019-20) and Seattle Kraken (2021-24).

Allen gets his first chance to coach in the NHL after spending last season with USA Hockey’s national under-17 team.

Edmonton is coming off a second consecutive defeat at the hands of the Florida Panthers in the Stanley Cup Final, falling in six games this year.

Jets sign restricted free agent Barron

The Winnipeg Jets signed restricted free agent Morgan Barron to a two-year, $3.7 million contract. avoiding arbitration. 

Barron, who filed for arbitration earlier this month, will carry a cap hit of $1.85 million under the new deal.

The 26-year-old forward had eight goals and 15 points in 74 games last season, adding two assists in 13 playoff games. Barron averaged 10:22 of ice time during the regular season and 12:01 in the playoffs.

He carried a cap hit of $1.35 million under his previous two-year deal.

Selected by the New York Rangers in the sixth round of the 2017 draft, Barron has 30 goals and 60 points in 256 career games. 

Gabe Vilardi and Dylan Samberg of the Jets are also in need of new deals as restricted free agents and also filed for salary arbitration. 

Maple Leafs add Saginaw equipment manager

After five seasons in two separate stints as the equipment manager for the Saginaw Spirit, Lester Tiu has accepted a role on the equipment staff for the Toronto Maple Leafs, the team announced Monday.

Assuming the role of head equipment manager will be Aden Gohm, who has served as Saginaw’s assistant equipment manager since the 2021-2022 season.

“Lester had a huge hand in making our program elite behind the scenes,” said Spirit GM Dave Drinkill. “Our players and hockey staff were taken care of at an NHL level thanks to his work and careful planning. We’re grateful for his time here and wish him all the best with the Maple Leafs.”

Gohm has already participated in Saginaw’s equipment operations for four seasons, learning under Tiu and former Spirit equipment manager Adam Wozniak (Toledo Walleye, ECHL).

A 2020 graduate of Heritage High School in Saginaw, Gohm grew up attending Spirit games. In addition to his assistant equipment manager duties with the Spirit, Gohm also served as the head equipment manager for Northwood University’s hockey team as a student during the 2024-2025 season.

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