Hockey fans have September 29 circled in bright red on their calendars. When the 2026–27 NHL regular season starts, things are going to be a little different. 

There is now an 84-game schedule and a sharp salary cap increase that are both part of the new collective bargaining agreement taking effect. Gavin McKenna’s arrival is creating plenty of buzz in Toronto. Time will tell if the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft will live up to the hype that already includes being among the early Calder Memorial Trophy favorites.  

Here are the five things hockey fans need to know before the NHL season starts.

1. The NHL Is Back to an 84-Game Schedule

The schedule is one of the major highlights of the new CBA that went into effect on September 16. There is a shortened preseason with teams playing a maximum of four games while the regular season increases from 82 to 84 games. For the first time since 2007-08, the NHL regular season will begin in September.

Teams are now playing 28 games within their division compared to the previous 26. It means the Florida Panthers will now play two home and two away contests against the other seven Atlantic Division teams. This is the first time since 1993-94 that teams are playing 84 games. This time around there are 32 squads compared to 26, bringing the total to a record 1,344 regular-season games. 

Here’s a breakdown of what the new regular season schedule looks like for each team:

2. The Salary Cap Has Exploded to $104 Million

Did you happen to notice if your favorite NHL club increased its offseason spending? 

It’s because the salary cap has gone from $95.5 million to $104 million for 2026-27. Thanks to the new CBA, the cap is scheduled to increase to $113.5 million the following season. After years of relatively tight cap growth, NHL teams suddenly have money to spend.

Teams can now re-sign their own players for a maximum of seven years, down from eight, while outside free agents are limited to six-year deals.

Wondering who has benefited the most from the new CBA? After receiving an offer sheet from the Flyers, the Ducks re-signed Leo Carlsson to a five-year, $90M deal. The $18M average annual value became the richest in NHL history. The record didn't last long, however, as the Colorado Avalanche quickly surpassed it by signing superstar defenseman Cale Makar to a titanic $163.5 million deal ($20.4 million per season for eight years).

3. New CBA: Changing More Than Just The Schedule

The increase in regular-season games and salary cap jump are two of the bigger and most noticeable changes. 

The new CBA also includes a new playoff-cap rule that enforces the salary cap during the postseason for the 20 players dressing for a game. Under the previous deal, a player’s salary didn’t count toward the cap while on long-term injured reserve. Once the playoffs began, teams could activate players and exceed the salary cap. 

Minimum salaries are rising to $850,000 this season, up from $750,000. By the 2029-30 season, the number jumps to $1 million. 

Safety-wise, players making their NHL debut this season and beyond will be required to wear cut-resistant neck protection. Call it a preventive measure for skate-related injuries. 

4. Rookie Watch: Gavin McKenna 

In case you haven't heard, there is massive hype surrounding the Toronto Maple Leafs this season. Much of it centers around Gavin McKenna, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft. All the 18-year-old forward did in his lone season at Penn State was record 51 points in 35 games (15 goals and 36 assists).

The highly touted rookie logged 23 minutes of ice time in his first preseason game against Montreal and is expected to play a significant role once the regular season rolls around. Looking at the early sports betting futures, FanDuel Sportsbook has McKenna listed with the second-shortest price (+310) to win the Calder Trophy, which is presented to the NHL’s Rookie of the Year. Peter Martone from the Flyers is the current favorite (+270). 

The Leafs, with +3000 championship odds, could use a great turnaround season, given that 1967 is the last time Toronto won it all. 

5. Will Carolina Repeat In What Looks Like A Wide Open Race? 

The Carolina Hurricanes will open the regular season by raising their Stanley Cup championship banner against the Panthers on September 29. It’s the first of three ESPN opening night games. 

Carolina is pretty much bringing back the same team, other than veteran goalie Frederik Andersen, who signed with the Edmonton Oilers. The Hurricanes still have Brandon Bussi (2.47 goals-against average and .895 save percentage). Forward Seth Jarvis is one of the unknowns as he is still recovering from June shoulder surgery that requires four to six months of recovery time. 

The Panthers are a team hungry to turn things around after missing the postseason last year. All the franchise did in its previous two seasons was win back-to-back titles. 

The Vegas Golden Knights are a Western Conference team to watch after losing in six games to Carolina.  

As long as Connor McDavid is wearing an Edmonton uniform, the Oilers are a dangerous team. We’re talking about a generational talent who has recorded 1,220 career points in just 794 career games. 

It’s also hard to ignore the Colorado Avalanche, as the franchise has some unfinished business after getting swept by the Golden Knights in last season’s Western Conference Final.

Looking at things from an NHL betting perspective, the DraftKings preseason odds board is painting the picture of what could be an extremely competitive Stanley Cup Championship race:

• Panthers +650
• Hurricanes +650
• Avalanche +700
• Oilers +800
• Golden Knights +850