NHL News: NHL on TNT Unveils Expanded Schedule with 72 Games for 2025-26 NHL Regular Season, Starting Wednesday, Oct. 8

By Basil Stroh

 

TNT

 

TNT Sports

August 27, 2025

Opening Week Face Off to Feature NHL Leading Goal Scorer Alexander Ovechkin & Washington Capitals Hosting David Pastrňák & Boston Bruins at 7:30 p.m. ET; Mitch Marner & Vegas Golden Knights Battle Anže Kopitar & Los Angeles Kings at 10 p.m.

NHL on TNT to Be Exclusive Home of 2026 Discover NHL Winter Classic on January 2 – New York Rangers vs. Florida Panthers at LoanDepot Park in Miami

TNT’s Regular Season Coverage Highlighted by Tuesday & Wednesday Night Telecasts, Thanksgiving Showdown & Five Weeks of Sunday Games Starting March 2026

TNT Sports will enter its fifth season of live NHL on TNT coverage with its most expanded schedule yet, including 72 regular season games, starting with a matchup of veteran superstars as the League’s all-time goal scorer Alexander Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals host four-time NHL All-Star David Pastrňák and the Boston Bruins at 7:30 p.m. ET on Wednesday, Oct. 8. The blockbuster schedule also includes the 2026 Discover NHL Winter Classic, the Thanksgiving Showdown and regular live game coverage on Tuesday and Wednesday nights, as well as additional Sunday afternoon games in Spring 2026.

The 2025-26 season will culminate with NHL on TNT’s presentation of the Stanley Cup Playoffs – First Round, Second Round and Conference Final.

NHL on TNT’s opening week coverage will spotlight prominent NHL storylines, including the new all-time goal scorer Ovechkin leading the Capitals in their season opener as they host the Original Six heavyweight Bruins. Later at 10 p.m., the 2023 Stanley Cup Champions will face off as Jack Eichel, Mitch Marner and the Vegas Golden Knights host Anže Kopitar, Quinton Byfield and the Los Angeles Kings.

The NHL on TNT regular season schedule will feature the biggest stars and rivalries in hockey, with coverage on 14 Tuesday and 21 Wednesday nights throughout the season as well as the annual Thanksgiving Showdown on Black Friday, Nov. 28 – New York Rangers at Boston Bruins at 1 p.m.

TNT will again be the exclusive home of the 2026 Discover NHL Winter Classic on January 2, as Brad Marchand, Sam Bennett and Sergei Bobrovsky and the 2025 Stanley Cup Champion Florida Panthers host Artemi Panarin, Mika Zibanejad and the New York Rangers.

Additional NHL on TNT regular season schedule highlights include:

  • Along with TNT’s opener, Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals will make a total of eight appearances on TNT this season:
    • Capitals host Jordan Kyrou and the St. Louis Blues on Wednesday, Nov. 5 at 7:30 p.m.
    • Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl and the 2025 Western Conference Champion Edmonton Oilers visit Washington on Wednesday, Nov. 19 at 7 p.m.
    • In January, Washington will face the Dallas Stars on the 7th and the Colorado Avalanche on the 19th.
    • On Wednesday, March 11 at 7:30 p.m. the Capitals will take on the Philadelphia Flyers.
    • In the run up to the Stanley Cup Playoffs, Washington will battle the Toronto Maple Leafs on Wednesday, April 8 at 7:30 p.m. and the Pittsburgh Penguins on Sunday, April 12 at 3 p.m.

  • The reigning Stanley Cup Champion Florida Panthers will make their first of six TNT appearances on Wednesday, Oct. 15 at 7 p.m. in Hockeytown, taking on the Detroit Red Wings.

  • The Bruins will host two Original Six showdowns in the month of November, including a visit from Auston Matthews and the Toronto Maple Leafs on Tuesday, Nov. 11 at 7 p.m.; Zibanejad and the Rangers visit TD Garden on Black Friday, Nov. 28 at 1 p.m. for the annual Thanksgiving Showdown.

  • The 2025-26 season will mark the centennial for both the Blackhawks and Rangers, and the two will go head-to-head on Dec. 10 for an epic matchup of two storied Original Six franchises.

  • As an early Christmas gift to hockey fans, TNT will present a blockbuster tripleheader on Tuesday, Dec. 23 starting at 4 p.m. with Penguins at Maple Leafs, then Stars at Red Wings and later Flyers at Blackhawks.

  • The Battle of New York returns to TNT on Wednesday, Jan. 28 when the New York Islanders host cross-town rivals the Rangers at 7:30 p.m.; then on Wednesday, March 18 at 7 p.m. the Hudson River Rivalry will take center stage as the Rangers host the New Jersey Devils.

  • NHL on TNT will close out the regular season on Wednesday, April 15 at 7 p.m. with a Red Wings vs. Panthers matchup, as Dylan Larkin and Patrick Kane of Detroit face off against the reigning Champions in South Florida.

NHL on TNT’s 2025-25 Regular Season Schedule

Day  

Date  

Time (ET)  

Game  

Wednesday

Oct. 8

7:30 p.m.

Boston Bruins at Washington Capitals

Wednesday

Oct. 8

10 p.m.

Los Angeles Kings at Vegas Golden Knights

Wednesday

Oct. 15

7 p.m.

Florida Panthers at Detroit Red Wings

Wednesday

Oct. 15

9:30 p.m.

Chicago Blackhawks at St. Louis Blues

Wednesday

Oct. 22

7:30 p.m.

Detroit Red Wings at Buffalo Sabres

Thursday

Oct. 30

7 p.m.

Dallas Stars at Tampa Bay Lightning

Tuesday

Nov. 4

7 p.m.

Carolina Hurricanes at New York Rangers

Tuesday

Nov. 4

9:30 p.m.

Tampa Bay Lightning at Colorado Avalanche

Wednesday

Nov. 5

7:30 p.m.

St. Louis Blues at Washington Capitals

Tuesday

Nov. 11

7 p.m.

Toronto Maple Leafs at Boston Bruins

Tuesday

Nov. 11

9:30 p.m.

Anaheim Ducks at Colorado Avalanche

Wednesday

Nov. 12

7 p.m.

New York Rangers at Tampa Bay Lightning

Wednesday

Nov. 12

9:30 p.m.

New Jersey Devils at Chicago Blackhawks

Wednesday

Nov. 19

7 p.m.

Edmonton Oilers at Washington Capitals

Wednesday

Nov. 19

9:30 p.m.

Carolina Hurricanes at Minnesota Wild

Friday

Nov. 28

1 p.m.

New York Rangers at Boston Bruins

Wednesday

Dec. 3

7:30 p.m.

Buffalo Sabres at Philadelphia Flyers

Wednesday

Dec. 3

10 p.m.

Utah Mammoth at Anaheim Ducks

Tuesday

Dec. 9

7 p.m.

Vegas Golden Knights at New York Islanders

Tuesday

Dec. 9

9:30 p.m.

Colorado Avalanche at Nashville Predators

Wednesday

Dec. 10

7:30 p.m.

New York Rangers at Chicago Blackhawks

Wednesday

Dec. 10

10 p.m.

Los Angeles Kings at Seattle Kraken

Tuesday

Dec. 16

7:30 p.m.

Edmonton Oilers at Pittsburgh Penguins

Tuesday

Dec. 16

10 p.m.

Colorado Avalanche at Seattle Kraken

Wednesday

Dec. 17

7:30 p.m.

Utah Mammoth at Detroit Red Wings

Wednesday

Dec. 17

10 p.m.

New Jersey Devils at Vegas Golden Knights

Tuesday

Dec. 23

4 p.m.

Pittsburgh Penguins at Toronto Maple Leafs

Tuesday

Dec. 23

6:30 p.m.

Dallas Stars at Detroit Red Wings

Tuesday

Dec. 23

9 p.m.

Philadelphia Flyers at Chicago Blackhawks

Friday

Jan. 2

8 p.m.

2026 Discover NHL Winter Classic

New York Rangers at Florida Panthers

Tuesday

Jan. 6

7:30 p.m.

Florida Panthers at Toronto Maple Leafs

Wednesday

Jan. 7

7 p.m.

Dallas Stars at Washington Capitals

Wednesday

Jan. 7

9:30 p.m.

St. Louis Blues at Chicago Blackhawks

Tuesday

Jan. 13

7:30 p.m.

Detroit Red Wings at Boston Bruins

Tuesday

Jan. 13

10 p.m.

Dallas Stars at Anaheim Ducks

Wednesday

Jan. 14

7:30 p.m.

Philadelphia Flyers at Buffalo Sabres

Wednesday

Jan. 14

10 p.m.

Vegas Golden Knights at Los Angeles Kings

Monday

Jan. 19

1:30 p.m.

Buffalo Sabres at Carolina Hurricanes

Monday

Jan. 19

4 p.m.

Washington Capitals at Colorado Avalanche

Tuesday

Jan. 20

7:30 p.m.

Boston Bruins at Dallas Stars

Tuesday

Jan. 20

10 p.m.

New Jersey Devils at Edmonton Oilers

Wednesday

Jan. 21

7 p.m.

Detroit Red Wings at Toronto Maple Leafs

Wednesday

Jan. 21

9:30 p.m.

New York Islanders at Seattle Kraken

Wednesday

Jan. 28

7:30 p.m.

New York Rangers at New York Islanders

Tuesday

Feb. 3

7:30 p.m.

Pittsburgh Penguins at New York Islanders

Tuesday

Feb. 3

10 p.m.

Seattle Kraken at Anaheim Ducks

Wednesday

Feb. 4

7 p.m.

Boston Bruins at Florida Panthers

Wednesday

Feb. 4

9:30 p.m.

St. Louis Blues at Dallas Stars

Wednesday

Feb. 25

7:30 p.m.

Toronto Maple Leafs at Tampa Bay Lightning

Wednesday

Feb. 25

10 p.m.

Vegas Golden Knights at Los Angeles Kings

Sunday

March 1

1 p.m.

Vegas Golden Knights at Pittsburgh Penguins

Tuesday

March 3

7 p.m.

Florida Panthers at New Jersey Devils

Tuesday

March 3

9:30 p.m.

Tampa Bay Lightning at Minnesota Wild

Sunday

March 8

2 p.m.

Minnesota Wild at Colorado Avalanche

Sunday

March 8

4:30 p.m.

Boston Bruins at Pittsburgh Penguins

Tuesday

March 10

7:30 p.m.

New York Islanders at St. Louis Blues

Tuesday

March 10

10 p.m.

Edmonton Oilers at Colorado Avalanche

Wednesday

March 11

7:30 p.m.

Washington Capitals at Philadelphia Flyers

Sunday

March 15

7:30 p.m.

Toronto Maple Leafs at Minnesota Wild

Tuesday

March 17

7:30 p.m.

Minnesota Wild at Chicago Blackhawks

Tuesday

March 17

10 p.m.

Tampa Bay Lightning at Seattle Kraken

Wednesday

March 18

7 p.m.

New Jersey Devils at New York Rangers

Wednesday

March 18

9:30 p.m.

Dallas Stars at Colorado Avalanche

Tuesday

March 24

7:30 p.m.

Minnesota Wild at Tampa Bay Lightning

Wednesday

March 25

7:30 p.m.

New York Rangers at Toronto Maple Leafs

Wednesday

April 1

9 p.m.

St. Louis Blues at Los Angeles Kings

Sunday

April 5

1 p.m.

Minnesota Wild at Detroit Red Wings

Sunday

April 5

3:30 p.m.

Boston Bruins at Philadelphia Flyers

Wednesday

April 8

7:30 p.m.

Washington Capitals at Toronto Maple Leafs

Wednesday

April 8

10 p.m.

Edmonton Oilers at San Jose Sharks

Sunday

April 12

3 p.m.

Pittsburgh Penguins at Washington Capitals

Wednesday

April 15

7 p.m.

Detroit Red Wings at Florida Panthers

 

 

COURTESY NHL PUBLIC RELATIONS & TNT

Posted in NHL