ESPN announces national television schedule for 2026-27 season

Opening-night tripleheader Sept. 29 first of 100 games exclusively on network

ByESPN Public Relations
August 26, 2026

• Games across ABC, ESPN, ESPN+, Disney+ and Hulu

• ESPN Opening Night tripleheader on Sept. 29 and NHL Frozen Frenzy returns among earlyseason highlights

• Packed start to 2027 features the return of ABC Hockey Saturday, Honda NHL All-Star Weekend, Navy Federal Credit Union NHL Stadium Series and Stanley Cup Playoffs

• All games streaming live on the ESPN App for ESPN Unlimited plan subscribers

• NHL Power Play on the ESPN App: An additional 1,050+ out-of-market games availablethis season

ESPN today announced its 2026-27 National Hockey League (NHL) regular season schedule, featuring 100 exclusive games, beginning Sept. 29 through the end of the regular season in early April. The regular season features an opening night tripleheader, the fourth edition of NHL Frozen Frenzy, ABC Hockey Saturday, Honda NHL All-Star Weekend returning after a two-year hiatus and the sixth-consecutive Navy Federal Credit Union NHL Stadium Series on ESPN networks. The extensive slate of games will lead into ESPN’s 2027 Stanley Cup Playoffs beginning in April.

Of the 100 exclusive games, 53 matchups will be available on ESPN and ABC, while the remaining 47 matchups can be streamed on ESPN+, Disney+ and Hulu.

In addition to ESPN’s exclusive games, NHL Power Play on the ESPN App returns with 1,050+ out-of-market games –– throughout the season.

All matchups will be available on the ESPN App with an ESPN Unlimited plan subscription or pay TV authentication – available to all ESPN DTC subscribers.

ESPN’s signature NHL studio show, The Point, returns for its sixth season this fall, delivering weekly pregame coverage on ESPN2 and ESPN+. The season premiere airs September 29 at 4 p.m. ET on ESPN and ESPN+ as part of ESPN’s Opening Night tripleheader. The Point will remain a key part of ESPN’s NHL coverage throughout the season, providing pregame and postgame coverage for regular season and Playoff games.

NHL Opening Night on ESPN

As previously announced this summer, the NHL 2026-27 season begins on Tuesday, September 29, with an opening night tripleheader Face-Off on ESPN. This marks the start of the league’s first 84-game season in more than three decades.

Action begins at 5 p.m. with Florida Panthers and Brady Tkachuk joining his brother Matthew Tkachuk versus the Stanley Cup Champion Carolina Hurricanes, who will raise their 2025-26 championship banner prior puck drop. At 8 p.m., the New York Rangers take on the Boston Bruins for an Original Six matchup, and following at 10:30, 3x Stanley Cup champion Patrick Kane makes his return to the Windy City with the Chicago Blackhawks as they visit the Vegas Golden Knights.

NHL Frozen Frenzy Returns on Oct. 13

This season’s NHL Frozen Frenzy, a special night of hockey featuring all 32 teams in action, returns for the fourth time on Oct. 13. Led by ESPN’s exclusive tripleheader – beginning at 6 p.m. – featuring the New Jersey Devils at Detroit Red Wings, Colorado Avalanche at Dallas Stars at 8 p.m., and Boston Bruins at San Jose Sharks at 11 p.m. (ESPN).

The additional 13 games will be available on NHL Power Play on the ESPN App – with 15-minute staggered start times beginning at 7 p.m. – resulting in continuous action throughout the night. With every team in action, ESPN2 will again provide a whip-around show with live look-ins on every game, showcasing the best plays, hits and goals of the night.

ABC Hockey Saturday

ABC Hockey Saturday returns in 2027 on January 16, with an Original Six matchup between the Boston Bruins and New York Rangers at Noon. The matchup launches a schedule of 16 Saturday games on ABC through the remainder of the regular season.

2027 Honda NHL All-Star Weekend

The league’s regular season schedule takes a break when the 2027 Honda NHL All-Star Weekend returns February 5-6 at UBS Arena on Long Island, N.Y., home of the New York Islanders. This season’s event takes on a global twist featuring the world’s best players with five national teams (Canada, Finland, Sweden, United States and a World Team) in a 3-on-3 round-robin tournament. The NHL All-Star Skills competition returns February 5 at 7 p.m. (ESPN) and the 2027 Honda NHL All-Star Game on February 6 at 3 p.m. (ABC).

2027 Navy Federal Credit Union NHL Stadium Series

The 2027 Navy Federal Credit Union NHL Stadium Series returns February 20 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, home of the Dallas Cowboys. The Dallas Stars and Vegas Golden Knights will meet in prime time for the outdoor showcase at 8 p.m. on ABC, marking the sixth consecutive NHL Stadium Series event on ESPN platforms.

Stanley Cup Playoffs

Beginning in early April, ESPN platforms will present the 2027 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Coverage includes the First and Second Rounds before culminating with a Conference Final.

NHL Power Play on the ESPN App (Out-of-Market Games)

NHL Power Play games include the choice of two separate live streams with either home team or away team commentary, providing a local experience for fans no matter where they are in the U.S. Replays of every NHL regular season and playoff game on ABC, ESPN, NHL Network and TNT are also made available to stream on NHL Power Play on the ESPN App. To sign up or authenticate your eligible Pay TV subscription, visit stream.espn.com.

Exclusive Game Highlights:

• Jan. 14: USA Gold Medalists take center stage as Matthew Tkachuk and Brady Tkachuk lead Florida against Quinn Hughes, Matt Boldy and Brock Faber in Minnesota.

• March 7: Former Golden Knight Pavel Dorofeyev faces Vegas for the first time as a member of the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden.

• April 4: Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin renew one of hockey’s greatest rivalries in Washington, potentially marking Ovechkin’s final home game at Capital One Arena.

• ABC Saturday’s: Back-to-back ABC Hockey Saturday Tripleheaders (April 3 and April 10) cap the regular season with games at noon, 3 p.m. and 8 p.m.

• April 6: A special playoff push whip-around show delivers live look-ins and highlights during a pivotal night of Eastern and Central Conference action, bridging Penguins-Rangers and Blues-Golden Knights coverage.

ESPN’s 2026-27 NHL Game Schedule:

All of ESPN. All in One Place.

ESPN offers its full suite of networks and services directly to fans on the ESPN App with an ESPN Unlimited subscription, providing more choice, flexibility and access to all of ESPN, including more than 47,000 live events per year, on-demand replays, industry-leading studio shows and original programming, and more. The ESPN App gives fans a unique viewing experience that includes multiview and synchronized two-screen viewing options, swipe-able shortform vertical video and a personalized SportsCenter For You, as well as integrated game stats, ESPN Fantasy sports, betting odds and information from DraftKings, sports merchandise, and more. These features are available to all fans who watch on the ESPN App on mobile and connected TV devices, whether they subscribe directly or through a pay TV package from certain providers. Bundling options available for fans include a Disney+, Hulu, ESPN offering that provides a one-of-a-kind streaming package combining sports with branded and general entertainment. For more visit stream.espn.com.