From the renewal of intense rivalries to superstars returning to their former home bases, the release of a new NHL regular-season schedule always foreshadows some of the upcoming campaign's spiciest storylines. Here are five take-aways from the 2025-26 schedule released Wednesday:
(UN) WELCOME HOME
Toronto fans will have to wait until next year to see Mitch Marner's anticipated return to Scotiabank Arena when the Vegas Golden Knights visit the Toronto Maple Leafs on Jan. 23. The superstar forward spent his first nine NHL seasons with his hometown Maple Leafs before being sent to Vegas in a June 30 sign-and-trade amid a souring relationship between the club and the soon-to-be unrestricted free agent. Marner had 741 points in 657 games with the Leafs but bore a lot of the criticism from the Toronto faithful vexed at their team's lack of playoff success. Expect Marner to get rough treatment from a segment of the Scotiabank Arena crowd upon his return, though he is sure to still have his supporters in the stands. Marner, who is set to start an eight-year, US$96-million contract, will reunite with former teammates a few days earlier when Toronto visits Vegas on Jan. 15.
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FINAL REMATCH
The Edmonton Oilers don't have to wait too long to get another crack at the Florida Panthers, as the Stanley Cup finalists from the past two seasons are set to square off in Sunrise, Fla., on Nov. 22. The Panthers won their second straight Cup at Edmonton's expense this year, capping off the 2024-25 season by winning the final series in six games. It marked the eighth time a Canadian team has failed to break the country's Stanley Cup drought that stretches back to the 1993-94 season. The teams meet again March 19 in Edmonton. Florida won both regular-season games against Edmonton in 2024-25.
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RIVALRIES REKINDLED
The start of the season will see the resumption of hostilities among the NHL's Canadian teams and their rivals. Edmonton opens the season Oct. 8 at home against the provincial rival Calgary Flames, with the Vancouver Canucks coming to town three days later. The Flames visit Vancouver the night after their season opener in Edmonton. The Winnipeg Jets open their season Oct. 9 against Dallas, the team that knocked the Presidents' Trophy winners out of the second round of the playoffs. The Maple Leafs start at home Oct. 8 against the Original Six archrival Montreal Canadiens. The Ottawa Senators, however, have to wait until a Nov. 1 trip to Montreal before facing off with a Canadian division rival.
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BIG BREAK
The NHL's return to Olympic competition means a chance for some players in the league to represent their country on one of sports' biggest stages, and a nice extended break for the others. The league will pause action on Feb. 6 for 19 days to accommodate the men's hockey tournament at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Olympics. It's the first Games to feature NHL players since the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia.
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TURKEY TIME
The NFL may own Thanksgiving in the United States, but the Canadian version of the holiday will serve up an afternoon NHL doubleheader to kick off the season's Prime Monday Night Hockey programming on Amazon's Prime Video streaming platform. Detroit Red Wings at Toronto will air Monday, Oct. 13 at 4 p.m. ET, followed by the St. Louis Blues at Vancouver Canucks at 4:30 p.m. PT.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 16, 2025.
The Canadian Press
