With an influx of talent up front, there are several games that new Washington Capitals forwards Jordan Kyrou, Boone Jenner, and Alex Tuch have earmarked as special contests in 2026-27. For these three NHL veterans, a different date on the upcoming campaign represents a chance to return to a second home where each individual molded himself into a bona fide NHL contributor. Here are three Capitals’ road contests featuring tributes to returning franchise stalwarts before accepting a new quest in Washington this summer. 

Nov. 28 – Kyrou Returns to St. Louis

Kyrou should be the first Capitals newcomer to receive his homecoming contest in a return to St. Louis on Saturday, Nov. 28. The 28-year-old center scored 168 goals and generated 210 assists for 378 points in 488 games before an offseason trade for Connor McMichael delivered him to Washington. 

Kyrou sits 13th all-time in Blues history in goals ahead of names like Brendan Shanahan (156) and Robert Thomas, while finishing 17th all-time in points in front of iconic Blues players like Chris Pronger (356) and Pierre Turgeon (355). His five hat tricks in a St. Louis sweater are tied for sixth all-time with Vladimir Tarasenko, Shanahan, and Jorgen Pettersson. 

It’s bound to be an emotional return for Kyrou as he returns to the only NHL home arena he’s ever known, the Enterprise Center, later this fall. 

Dec. 31 – Jenner Saluted in Columbus

A former captain returns to Columbus, Ohio on New Year’s Eve 2027 (Dec. 31) after more than a decade in the capital city. Jenner departs the Blue Jackets franchise with legendary status as the all-time leader in games played, having skated in 808 contests over 12 seasons. 

Boone Jenner Columbus Blue JacketsColumbus Blue Jackets center Boone Jenner celebrates his goal against the New York Rangers (Russell LaBounty-Imagn Images)

Jenner ranks 3rd all-time in goals (212), assists (209), points (421), and game-winning goals (31). Bizarrely enough, he also owns the third-fastest goal to start a game in team history at 13 seconds, the 208th goal of his career as part of a 3-2 overtime win over the Arizona Coyotes in Dec. 2016. 

The 33-year-old forward has spent the last five seasons as the captain and 11 total seasons as a member of the team’s leadership group in Columbus. Jenner played over 700 contests with a letter stitched on his Blue Jackets jersey, so it certainly represents a new era with the long-time leader playing in a new city. 

March 18 – Tuch Visits Buffalo

As the NHL regular season winds down, the final homecoming of the 2026-27 campaign brings Tuch back to Buffalo after five seasons wearing blue and yellow. He was a major piece of the Sabres’ return for sending Jack Eichel to Vegas in November 2021 before skating in over 350+ contests across the last handful of seasons. 

Tuch scored 139 goals and recorded 170 assists for a total of 309 points in 360 contests. He leaves Buffalo tied with Eichel in goals scored, while placing 29th in points in front of Sam Reinhart (295) and Jeff Skinner (291).  The Syracuse, New York-born player scored 30+ goals three times with Buffalo, including the 2024-25 season, where he led all league forwards with 113 blocked shots, the most by any forward on record since the NHL started tracking the stat in 2005-06. 

While Tuch might not have spent as many seasons in his old stomping grounds as his new Capitals counterparts, there is no denying he made a sizeable impact over half a decade in Upstate New York. 

New 84-Game Schedule This Season

There are bound to be plenty of memorable games in the NHL’s new 84-game schedule format this season. Washington opens the new season with a road matchup against the defending Stanley Cup Champions from Raleigh, North Carolina on Oct. 2. Fortunately, there will be no extended banner-raising as the Hurricanes kickstart the regular season by hosting the Florida Panthers on Sept. 29. 

Naturally, any battle against the Pittsburgh Penguins and Sidney Crosby has added significance while Alex Ovechkin plays in Washington. The battles are spread out this season with the road clashes on Jan. 18 and Mar. 13. The Capitals close out the regular season schedule at Capital One Arena with a collision against Sidney Crosby’s squad on Apr. 4. 

The homecomings for Kyrou, Jenner, and Tuch should provide a few special moments for the group in the slightly expanded 42-game road slate. Washington added the trio of forwards this offseason in the hopes of returning to prominence in the Metropolitan Division. The Capitals were the only team in the division with a losing road record (18-19-4) last season. If Washington can reverse those road woes, it will go a long way toward securing another playoff opportunity during the Ovechkin era. 

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