- The NHL is running 10 dedicated Monday matinee games at 1 or 2 p.m. ET to hit European primetime
- Buffalo and Florida kick it off Oct. 12 at KeyBank Center
- Read below for the full Monday matinee slate and the German stars who got left out
The NHL wants Europe watching, and it built the schedule to make that happen.
The league is rolling out 10 dedicated Monday matinee games in 2026-27, each with a 1 or 2 p.m. ET puck drop timed to land in European primetime. The first one goes Oct. 12, when the Panthers visit the Sabres at KeyBank Center, with Finland’s Aleksander Barkov lined up against Sweden’s Rasmus Dahlin.
We counted more than 20 Monday afternoon games once you fold in the holiday dates, and the Sabres and Islanders lead the way with four appearances each. One odd wrinkle stands out: Germany is a big reason these games exist, yet German stars Leon Draisaitl and Moritz Seider don’t show up in any of them.
Here’s our breakdown of the Monday afternoon slate:
The German angle is not a coincidence. The NHL scheduled these afternoon starts partly so they can air live in Germany, where the Bundesliga leaves Monday nights open this year.
Check out the reasoning:
The league spelled out the thinking in its schedule release:
“(A) steady stream of Monday weekday matinee / European primetime games [will provide] passionate hockey fans abroad the ability to watch their favorite teams, and some of the NHL’s biggest stars, in prime time during the week.”
Here is the full 10-game Monday matinee schedule:
- Oct. 12: Panthers at Sabres, 1 p.m.
- Oct. 19: Senators at Predators, 1 p.m.
- Nov. 2: Avalanche at Islanders, 1 p.m.
- Nov. 16: Sabres at Senators, 1 p.m.
- Dec. 21: Capitals at Maple Leafs, 1 p.m.
- Jan. 11: Golden Knights at Wild, 2 p.m.
- Jan. 25: Islanders at Panthers, 2 p.m.
- Feb. 23: Canadiens at Flyers, 2 p.m.
- Mar. 15: Lightning at Capitals, 1 p.m.
- Mar. 29: Flyers at Hurricanes, 2 p.m.
These matinees are one piece of the expanded 84-game schedule the NHL released this week, the first time all 32 teams jump from 82 games to 84.
A 1 p.m. ET start lands at 7 p.m. in Sweden and 9 p.m. in Moscow, which is the entire point. Closer to home, the March 15 matinee in Washington means Capitals season-ticket holders are booking a half-day off work.
