- NHL will release the full 2026-27 schedule on Thursday, July 16 at 1 p.m. ET
- The 84-game season is the league’s first since 1993-94, with 1,344 total games
- Read below for the two-day rollout and how the new CBA drives the change
The 2026-27 NHL schedule finally has a release date.
Thursday, July 16 at 1 p.m. ET is when the league drops the full 84-game slate, per a league press release. It will be the NHL’s first 84-game season since 1993-94.
Before that, on Wednesday, July 15, the NHL unveils its opening night matchups. Those air on ESPN in the United States and Sportsnet in Canada, landing ahead of the ESPY Awards at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.
A day later, the complete board arrives. The season carries 1,344 total games, with every team playing 84 thanks to two extra divisional matchups per club.
Two more divisional games means more of the rivalries fans already circle, not filler against the other conference. Clubs will meet their closest opponents an extra pair of times a year.
Last time the league ran an 84-game season, teams hosted two games at neutral sites in 1992-93 and 1993-94. This version keeps every date in home buildings.
That bump ties into the new collective bargaining agreement, which starts September 16, 2026 and runs through September 15, 2030. The same deal trims the preseason to a maximum of four games per team.
Owners and the players’ association signed off on the longer season during the last round of labor talks, so the added dates were baked in well before this reveal.
It is the same day-by-day approach the NHL used when it rolled out the 2026 playoff schedule in the spring. Circle July 16.
