Last week, all NHL teams released their schedules for the upcoming 82-game season. As usual, FL Teams focuses on Florida-based clubs and helps fans highlight some intriguing dates.
Here is a guide for the back-to-back Stanley Cup champions, the Florida Panthers.
Preseason
Florida’s rookie camp will be held in early September at IcePlex in Fort Lauderdale. Sometime along the way, prospects will head to Tampa for the showcase with their neighboring “Bolts.” The main training camp will start in mid-September. The preseason games will take place from Sept. 21 to Oct. 4, featuring matchups against the Predators, Hurricanes, and Lightning. The Panthers will face the Lightning on Sept. 30 at the Kia Center in Orlando.
Regular Season
There must be a good reason why the NHL’s schedule builder thinks that Thursday and Saturday are the most popular days for hockey in South Florida. Nine games will take place on Thursdays and nine on Saturday’s.
The race for the “three-peat” starts against the Chicago Blackhawks at home on Oct. 7 at Amerant Bank Arena. Spectators will have the opportunity to witness the Stanley Cup banner raising ceremony for the second consecutive year. There is a catch. Not only does the season-opener fall on Tuesday, but the game kicks off at 5 PM. “Cats” lovers with families will have to figure out how to leave work earlier, beat traffic, pick up the kids after school, find a parking spot, enjoy a pre-game shopping stroll, and make it on time to their seats by 5 PM. More sacrifices will be needed for warmups. It’s a special game, for sure.
The Battle of Florida will take place four times, including two home games on November 15 and December 27, to support the holiday spirit.
Alex Ovechkin will visit the reigning champions on Nov. 13 and Dec. 29. The 39-year-old Washington Capitals captain turns 40 in September and may enter his final NHL season. After breaking Wayne Gretzky’s goal record (894) and setting a new one (897), Ovechkin is three “biscuits” shy of 900 goals. Gretzky, in his turn, has promised to buy Ovechkin a new car if he can reach that mark. Can Ovechkin score in a game against the Florida Panthers with Sergei Bobrovsky between the pipes? Absolutely. He has done it 16 times.
The Stanley Cup Final deja vu between the Panthers and the Edmonton Oilers is scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 22.
Thanksgiving festivities can be extended by attending an early afternoon contest against the Calgary Flames, featuring former Panthers’ Jonathan Huberdeau and MacKenzie Weegar, at 4 PM on Friday, Nov. 28.
Winter Classic in Hockey Paradise
The new hockey era in Florida is set to begin on Jan. 2, 2026, when the Panthers will host the New York Rangers at the Miami Marlins’ home stadium, LoanDepot Park, for the first-ever outdoor game in the Sunshine State. As of today, the lowest-priced ticket is $253.89 plus taxes and fees, and a seat is located in section 139, row 13. At least fans will save on winter coats and shoes.
No hockey for 20 consecutive days in South Florida will save the budget, but it requires mental preparation. The break relates to the 2026 Winter Olympic Games in Italy. For the first time in 12 years since the 2014 Sochi Olympics, the world’s best players will meet at this stage. The NHL and IIHF agreed that NHL players will participate in the 2026 and 2030 Olympic cycles. The Florida Panthers will be represented by Aleksander Barkov (Team Finland), Sam Reinhart (Team Canada), Uvis Balinskis (Team Latvia), and Matthew Tkachuk (Team USA). These names are confirmed; more announcements will come soon.
The reigning hockey champions didn’t win the ESPY award as the best team, yet again. However, they have many bright moments ahead in the new season.