The Calgary Flames will kick off their 2025-26 season with a Battle of Alberta.
Their Christmas festivities will be punctuated by back-to-back games against the Edmonton Oilers, too, with games on December 23 and 27.
On Wednesday morning, the NHL released its entire schedule for the upcoming season and it’s got all the usual fun and chaos.
Here’s a few key things to know about what lies ahead as the Flames try to improve on last year’s surprising season and qualify for the playoffs for the first time since 2022.
1. TOUGH START
The Flames are going to spend a lot of time on the road to start the season.
Between their season opener in Edmonton on Oct. 8 and when they return home from a gruelling five-game trip that finishes up in Nashville on Dec. 2, the Flames will play 18 of their first 28 games on the road.
It’s not an easy way to kick off the season.
There are back-to-backs in Chicago and Buffalo on Nov. 18 and 19, followed by a return home on Nov. 22 to host the Dallas Stars and then another game the next night in Vancouver against the Canucks.
The Flames started strong last year and were able to carry the momentum they gained forward to stay in the playoff race right until the final days of the regular season.
The schedule-makers ensured that if they’re going to replicate that same early season success, they’re going to need to work for it.
2. AVALANCHE OF GAMES
If the Flames’ start is tough, well, the stretch run won’t be easy, either.
While they finish off the season with a three-game homestand, they’ve got a six-game trip that immediately precedes it.
That trip includes two games in Colorado against the Avalanche, who will also visit the Saddledome on April 14.
Yes, to be clear, that means the Flames will face the Avalanche three times in their final nine games. Given that the Avs are perennial contenders, that’s a lot of things, but it’s definitely not easy.
That final stretch could be crucial, though, as it features road games against the Anaheim Ducks (April 4) and Seattle Kraken (April 11) and a home matchup against the Utah Mammoth (April 12), all of whom are expected to be better next year and could be in the playoff hunt.
Related3. BATTLING IT OUT
As we noted earlier, the Flames will kick off their season against the Oilers on Oct. 8 in Edmonton and there will be three further matchups between the provincial rivals.
The back-to-back on Dec. 23 and 27 should be a lot of fun and get the competitive juices flowing over the holiday season, too. The first of those games is in Edmonton while the return engagement is back at the Saddledome.
And the Flames will host the Oilers for one last Battle of Alberta tilt on Feb. 4, right before the whole league settles down for an extended break and hockey world shifts it focus to Italy for the return of NHLers to the Winter Olympics.
The Flames will return from that break for a game against the San Jose Sharks on Feb. 26, but will go nearly a month without playing at the Saddledome. Their first game back will be against the Dallas Stars on March 3.