On Thursday morning, the NHL released the schedule for the 2026–27 season. We had mentioned on Wednesday that the Colorado Avalanche will open the season against the Los Angeles Kings on September 30th. It will be the third time in four years they start against the Kings. The Avs begin their season in September, marking the first instance for them. This upcoming season marks the first time the NHL will move back to 84 games since the 1993–94 season.

Because of the new 84-game schedule, Colorado will now meet all seven Central Division opponents. They play 28 games in total against the division (two home and two away). Last season the Avs put up a 16–5–5 record against the Central Division, so this could make or break the season for them. The Avs will also play 24 contests against the Pacific Division (three times each) and 32 games against the Eastern Conference.

Highlights

Highlights of the schedule will include Colorado’s first appearance in the Winter Classic on New Year’s Eve against Utah. The Avs’ previous outdoor games have always been part of the Stadium Series (Coors Field and the AFA). With this season not including the Olympics, Colorado will have only 10 back-to-back games. Last season they had 13 because of a condensed schedule. The team will play 13 games each month, except for January (15) and March (15).

Colorado will get their first chance at revenge on January 2nd against the Vegas Golden Knights, whom they lost to in the Western Conference Final. The defending Stanley Cup Champion Carolina Hurricanes will visit Ball Arena on December 18th.

With the retooled roster, the new 84-game schedule will be a little tougher for the Avalanche to work through. There will be more physical and faster games they will have to stay in. But the leadership of Gabriel Landeskog, Nathan MacKinnon, and Cale Makar will help lead the way.

Full schedule

 

SEPTEMBER
Wed Sept. 30 LOS ANGELES 8:00 p.m.

OCTOBER
Sat Oct. 3 ST. LOUIS 7:00 p.m.
Wed Oct. 7 at Winnipeg 5:30 p.m.
Thu Oct. 8 at Calgary 7:00 p.m.
Sat Oct. 10 TORONTO 5:00 p.m.
Tue Oct. 13 at Dallas 6:30 p.m.
Wed Oct. 14 DALLAS 7:30 p.m.
Fri Oct. 16 PITTSBURGH 7:00 p.m.
Mon Oct. 19 at Philadelphia 5:00 p.m.
Tue Oct. 20 at New Jersey 5:00 p.m.
Fri Oct. 23 TAMPA BAY 7:00 p.m.
Sun Oct. 25 at Nashville 6:00 p.m.
Wed Oct. 28 NEW JERSEY 7:00 p.m.
Sat Oct. 31 CALGARY 8:00 p.m.

NOVEMBER
Mon Nov. 2 at Chicago 6:00 p.m.
Tue Nov. 3 at Columbus 5:00 p.m.
Thu Nov. 5 NASHVILLE 7:00 p.m.
Sat Nov. 7 DETROIT 7:00 p.m.
Tue Nov. 10 at Toronto 5:00 p.m.
Thu Nov. 12 at Ottawa 5:00 p.m.
Sat Nov. 14 at Montreal 5:00 p.m.
Wed Nov. 18 at Utah 7:00 p.m.
Thu Nov. 19 ANAHEIM 7:00 p.m.
Wed Nov. 25 MONTREAL 7:30 p.m.
Fri Nov. 27 at Minnesota 2:00 p.m.
Sat Nov. 28 SAN JOSE 7:00 p.m.

DECEMBER
Tue Dec. 1 at Boston 5:30 p.m.
Thu Dec. 3 at Detroit 5:00 p.m.
Sat Dec. 5 at NY Rangers 5:00 p.m.
Mon Dec. 7 at NY Islanders 11:00 a.m.
Tue Dec. 8 at St. Louis 6:00 p.m.
Sat Dec. 12 WASHINGTON 7:00 p.m.
Mon Dec. 14 UTAH 7:00 p.m.
Wed Dec. 16 NY ISLANDERS 7:00 p.m.
Fri Dec. 18 CAROLINA 7:00 p.m.
Sun Dec. 20 SEATTLE 6:00 p.m.

**NHL HOLIDAY BREAK**
Sun Dec. 27 at Anaheim 6:00 p.m.
Tue Dec. 29 ST. LOUIS 7:00 p.m.
Thu Dec. 31 at Utah^ 4:00 p.m.

^2027 DISCOVER NHL WINTER CLASSIC

JANUARY
Sat Jan. 2 at Vegas 8:00 p.m.
Mon Jan. 4 VEGAS 7:00 p.m.
Wed Jan. 6 OTTAWA 7:30 p.m.
Fri Jan. 8 SEATTLE 7:00 p.m.
Sun Jan. 10 NASHVILLE 6:00 p.m.
Tue Jan. 12 at Pittsburgh 5:00 p.m.
Thu Jan. 14 at Buffalo 5:00 p.m.
Sat Jan. 16 at Washington 5:00 p.m.
Mon Jan. 18 VANCOUVER 1:00 p.m.
Wed Jan. 20 BOSTON 7:00 p.m.
Fri Jan. 22 at Dallas 6:00 p.m.
Sun Jan. 24 DALLAS 3:00 p.m.
Tue Jan. 26 EDMONTON 7:00 p.m.
Thu Jan. 28 at St. Louis 6:00 p.m.
Sat Jan. 30 BUFFALO 3:00 p.m.

**NHL All-Star Break**

FEBRUARY
Tue Feb. 9 at Carolina 5:00 p.m.
Fri Feb. 12 at Florida 5:00 p.m.
Sat Feb. 13 at Tampa Bay 5:00 p.m.
Mon Feb. 15 COLUMBUS 1:00 p.m.
Wed Feb. 17 at Edmonton 8:00 p.m.
Sat Feb. 20 at Vancouver 9:00 p.m.
Mon Feb. 22 VEGAS 7:00 p.m.
Thu Feb. 25 WINNIPEG 8:30 p.m.
Sat Feb. 27 FLORIDA 5:00 p.m.
Sun Feb. 28 at Chicago 4:30 p.m.

MARCH
Tue Mar. 2 at Nashville 6:00 p.m.
Fri Mar. 5 at San Jose 8:00 p.m.
Sun Mar. 7 at Los Angeles 1:30 p.m.
Tue Mar. 9 PHILADELPHIA 7:00 p.m.
Thu Mar. 11 NY RANGERS 7:30 p.m.
Sat Mar. 13 CHICAGO 4:00 p.m.
Mon Mar. 15 EDMONTON 7:30 p.m.
Wed Mar. 17 MINNESOTA 7:00 p.m.
Fri Mar. 19 at Seattle 8:00 p.m.
Sun Mar. 21 CHICAGO 3:00 p.m.
Tue Mar. 23 UTAH 7:00 p.m.
Thu Mar. 25 at Winnipeg 6:00 p.m.
Sat Mar. 27 WINNIPEG 5:00 p.m.
Mon Mar. 29 at San Jose 8:00 p.m.
Tue Mar. 30 at Anaheim 8:00 p.m.

APRIL
Fri Apr. 2 LOS ANGELES 7:00 p.m.
Sun Apr. 4 at Minnesota 12:00 p.m.
Tue Apr. 6 at Vancouver 8:00 p.m.
Thu Apr. 8 at Calgary 7:00 p.m.
Sat Apr. 10 MINNESOTA 1:00 p.m.