A common question that comes up this time of year is when are the 2026-27 NHL schedules released? The NHL keeps fans guessing every year with the exact timing of the regular season schedule release, but patterns from the past decade show it typically drops in late June or early July. The schedules come out most often on a Tuesday or Thursday, though Wednesdays and other days happen too.
When are the 2026-27 NHL Schedules Released?
For the 2026-27 NHL season, which will be a big one with the league expanding to an 84-game regular season (up from 82) under the new CBA, the schedule is expected sometime in late June or early July 2026. The league hasn’t made an announcement for when are the 2026-27 NHL schedules released yet. Based on historical trends and the upcoming changes (including a potential late-September start and shortened preseason), the release should come after the 2025-26 playoffs wrap up in June 2026.
We’ll update this page as soon as the NHL drops the official date! In the meantime, here’s what we know from past releases.
Historical NHL Schedule Release Dates (Last 10 Years)
| Season | Release Date | Day of Week |
| 2025-26 | July 16, 2025 | Wednesday |
| 2024-25 | July 2, 2024 | Tuesday |
| 2023-24 | June 27, 2023 | Tuesday |
| 2022-23 | July 6, 2022 | Wednesday |
| 2021-22 | July 22, 2021 | Thursday |
| 2020-21 | N/A (COVID-impacted) | N/A |
| 2019-20 | June 25, 2019 | Tuesday |
| 2018-19 | June 21, 2018 | Thursday |
| 2017-18 | June 22, 2017 | Thursday |
| 2016-17 | June 21, 2016 | Tuesday |
The NHL prefers mid-week drops (Tuesdays/Thursdays are common), and releases usually happen 2-3 months before the season starts. For 2026-27, with the expanded schedule and a projected late-September opener, expect a similar timeline – likely June or July 2026.
What to Expect for the 2026-27 NHL Schedule?
- 84-Game Season: The first since the early 1990s, with more games overall.
- Earlier Start: Late September kickoff to fit the extra games and end the Final around mid-June.
- Shortened Preseason: Teams will play fewer exhibition games.
- Full Schedule Access: Once released, the full slate will be on NHL.com/schedule, with TV/streaming details (ESPN, TNT, NHL Network, etc.) added later.
Preseason schedules typically come out team-by-team after the regular season drops. We’ll do like we have in the past and keep a running tally for you.
2025-26 NHL Regular and Postseason Schedules
Stay tuned to NHL.com or follow us for the latest! We’ll post the full 2026-27 schedule printable and TV lineups right here on SportsBrackets.net as soon as it’s official. Until then, you can checkout our 2025-26 NHL Schedules and 2026 NHL Stanley Cup Playoff schedule.
