Florida Panthers' Mackie Samoskevich hoists the Stanley Cup during the NHL hockey team's Stanley Cup championship celebration, Sunday, June 22, 2025, in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (AP Photo/Michael Laughlin)
Florida Panthers' Mackie Samoskevich hoists the Stanley Cup during the NHL hockey team's Stanley Cup championship celebration, Sunday, June 22, 2025, in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (AP Photo/Michael Laughlin)
NEW YORK (AP) — The Florida Panthers are set to raise their second consecutive Stanley Cup banner before beginning the NHL season against the Chicago Blackhawks.
The play at 5 p.m. EDT on Oct. 7 to lead off an opening night tripleheader, the league announced Monday. in the teams' and is aiming for the 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 against the team he guided to the Stanley Cup in 2016 and '17 and from whom 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 for the first time since 2014.
This is the final 82-game regular season before as part of a collective bargaining agreement extension agreed to 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.
