New NHL season set for opening day triple header in early October

The National Hockey League season is set to commence on October 7 with a tripleheader, featuring Mike Sullivan's debut as head coach of the New York Rangers against his former team, the Pittsburgh Penguins.

The opening night action begins with the Chicago Blackhawks visiting the two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers at 5 pm ET. This is followed by the Penguins and Rangers clashing at Madison Square Garden at 8 pm ET, and the evening concludes with the Los Angeles Kings hosting the Colorado Avalanche at 10:30 pm ET.

All three fixtures will be broadcast exclusively on ESPN in the United States, and on Sportsnet and TVA Sports in Canada. The full 2025-26 regular-season schedule is expected on Wednesday afternoon.

open image in gallery

Prior to their game, the Florida Panthers will raise their second championship banner at Amerant Bank Arena, having beaten the Edmonton Oilers in six games last month to claim the Stanley Cup.

Sullivan, 57, coached the Penguins from 2015-25, winning two Stanley Cups. He parted ways with the team on April 28 after they missed the playoffs for a third straight season. On May 2, Sullivan was hired to replace Peter Laviolette as the Rangers' coach, who missed the 2025 playoffs after reaching the Eastern Conference finals the previous year.