Feb 1, 2025; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Florida Panthers defenseman Dmitry Kulikov (7) collides with Chicago Blackhawks center Connor Bedard (98) in the third period as center Anton Lundell (15) follows on the play at Amerant Bank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-Imagn Images Jim Rassol-Imagn Images

NHL Announces Opening Night Triple Header

Originally posted on Breakaway on SI | By Nick Horwat | Last updated Jul 14, 2025 10:26 AM ET

The NHL has started looking ahead to the 2025-26 season and will open the campaign with a triple header of must-watch hockey. The reigning Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers will kick off the season with a banner raising and playing host to Connor Bedard and the Chicago Blackhawks.

For the second straight year, the Panthers are opening their season with a banner raising. It will cap off another offseason of celebrations as the Panthers defended their Stanley Cup title and made sure their big three pending free agents stuck around with new contracts.

The puck drops on October 7th with a tripleheader! #NHLFaceOff pic.twitter.com/sHUzUqp14c
— NHL (@NHL) July 14, 2025

The Panthers and Blackhawks open the season with a 5:00 p.m. on national television, giving the NHL time to squeeze in two more national games on the same day. At 7:00 p.m. the New York Rangers and new head coach Mike Sullivan will host the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Sullivan spent the last decade as the Penguins head coach, becoming the winningest head coach in franchise history and helping lead them to back-to-back Stanley Cup championships in 2016 and 2017. This won’t serve as Sullivan’s first game back in Pittsburgh, but his first taste behind a Rangers bench comes against a team he is very familiar with.

To cap off the NHL’s opening night, the Los Angeles Kings will host Nathan MacKinnon and the Colorado Avalanche. Both the Kings and Avalanche fell short of expectations in the Stanley Cup Playoffs by getting knocked out in the first round.

If these teams stay on track in 2025-26, this could very well be a sneak peek into a future Western Conference Final meeting.

This article first appeared on Breakaway on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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