The 2026-27 NHL season begins on Tuesday, September 29, and ESPN will celebrate the festivities with an opening night tripleheader.
ESPN recently announced that the network will televise three NHL games on opening night, beginning with the banner-raising ceremony for the defending champion Carolina Hurricanes.
The Hurricanes will host the Florida Panthers at 5 p.m. ET on ESPN, in a matchup of the last three Stanley Cup champions (Florida went back-to-back in 2023-24 and 2024-25). Carolina and Florida are viewed as the top two favorites to win the Stanley Cup in the 2026-27 season. It will make for Brady Tkachuk’s Panthers debut alongside his brother Matthew Tkachuk after starring with the Ottawa Senators for the first seven years of his NHL career.
Sean McDonough: “And they’re going to clinch it appropriately, with a total team effort! AND A SHUTOUT! THE CAROLINA HURRICANES HAVE WON THE STANLEY CUP FOR THE SECOND TIME!” 🏒🏆🎙️ pic.twitter.com/8Gnei6oSZv
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) June 15, 2026
At 8 p.m. ET on ESPN, the Boston Bruins will host the New York Rangers, continuing an Original Six rivalry.
And the Chicago Blackhawks will travel to “Sin City” to face the Vegas Golden Knights in a game that will be televised on ESPN at 10:30 p.m. ET. Unfortunately, Blackhawks star Connor Bedard will miss that game after undergoing shoulder surgery that will keep him out until at least November for a rebuilding Chicago squad. Vegas is expected to be one of the top teams in the NHL.
More than 100 nationally televised NHL games will be shown across ESPN, ABC, ESPN+, and Hulu in the 2026-27 season. ESPN will reveal those details at a later date.
The NHL and ESPN have a seven-year media rights agreement that began in 2021 and continues through the 2027-28 season.
About Matt Clapp
Matt is an editor/writer at The Comeback and Awful Announcing.
He can be reached by email at mclapp@thecomeback.com.