The 2026-27 NHL season is the first played under the four year collective bargaining agreement signed in June 2025, and it changes more than any season in a generation: 84 games instead of 82, a shorter preseason, a salary cap that now applies in the playoffs, no midseason Olympic break, games in Finland and Germany, and the return of an All-Star Game in a new format. Everything that is different this year, and what stays the same, is below.
What’s New in 2026-27
| Change | Detail | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| 84 game schedule | Every team plays 84 games, 42 home and 42 away, for the first time since 1993-94 and only the third time in league history. The league plays 1,344 games in all | Two more divisional games per team, so every club now plays each division rival four times, two home and two away. Records and point totals will run a little higher than the 82 game era |
| Shorter preseason | Maximum four preseason games per team, down from six. Veterans with 100 or more NHL games can play in at most two | Offsets the two extra regular season games; the season opened Sept. 29, three days after most preseason schedules ended |
| Cap compliance in the playoffs | Teams must dress a cap compliant lineup during the Stanley Cup Playoffs | Closes the long term injured reserve loophole that let teams stash salary during the regular season and ice an over the cap roster in April |
| New CBA | Four year agreement covering 2026-27 through 2029-30 | Labor peace through the decade, plus confirmed NHL participation in international events including the Olympics |
| Dress code gone | The league wide dress code is eliminated | Cosmetic, but it changes what you see on every arrivals camera |
| No Olympic break | The next Winter Games are 2030, so the season runs uninterrupted from Sept. 29 to April 10 | Last season paused in February for Milan Cortina; this year the calendar is straight through, with the All-Star break as the only pause |
| All-Star Game returns | Feb. 6, 2027, with a new five team tournament format, on ABC | First All-Star Game since 2024; the 4 Nations Face-Off and the Olympics filled the last two Februaries |
| Global Series | Hurricanes vs. Kraken in Helsinki in November; Blackhawks vs. Senators in Dusseldorf on Dec. 18 and 20 | Four regular season games in Europe counting in the standings |
| Three outdoor games | Heritage Classic Oct. 25 (Canadiens at Jets), Winter Classic Dec. 31 (Avalanche at Mammoth at Rice-Eccles Stadium, Salt Lake City), Stadium Series Feb. 20 | Utah’s first outdoor game and the first Winter Classic in the Mountain time zone |
| Synchronized finish | All 32 teams play on the final day, Saturday, April 10, 2027 | Every playoff race and draft lottery position is decided in one window |
What Stays the Same
| Element | Status |
|---|---|
| Playoff format | Unchanged: 16 teams, the top three in each division plus two wild cards per conference, four best of seven rounds in the divisional bracket |
| Points system | Two for a win, one for an overtime or shootout loss |
| Overtime | Three on three for five minutes, then a shootout in the regular season; sudden death 20 minute periods in the playoffs |
| National TV partners | ESPN and ABC (with ESPN+, Disney+ and Hulu exclusives) and TNT Sports (TNT, truTV, HBO Max), with TNT holding the 2027 Stanley Cup Final |
| Stanley Cup Playoffs start | Mid April, the week after the regular season ends |
| Draft | June 25, 2027 on ESPN and NHL Network |
Key Dates
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| Sept. 29, 2026 | Opening night, five games, ESPN tripleheader |
| Oct. 25 | Heritage Classic, Winnipeg |
| Nov. 27 | Thanksgiving Showdown, Rangers vs. Bruins |
| Dec. 18 and 20 | Global Series Germany |
| Dec. 31 | Winter Classic, Salt Lake City |
| Feb. 6, 2027 | All-Star Game |
| Feb. 20, 2027 | Stadium Series |
| March 2027 | Trade deadline (date announced by the league in season) |
| April 10, 2027 | Regular season ends |
| April 2027 | Stanley Cup Playoffs open |
| June 2027 | Stanley Cup Final on TNT |
| June 25, 2027 | NHL Draft |
Related
How to watch NHL games 2026-27 · NHL schedule 2026-27 · NHL games tonight · NHL standings · NHL points leaders · NHL opening night
Rule and schedule details from the NHL schedule release and Bleacher Report on the new CBA.