NHL Opening Night rosters: By the Numbers

The 2025-26 NHL season began Tuesday, and when it did the Opening Night rosters for all 32 teams featured players from all sorts of age groups and backgrounds. Here is a look at the Opening Night rosters provided by NHLStats.

726 – Players on official opening-day rosters.

304 – Canadian players, the most of any country (41.9 percent of 726).

232 – Players born in the 2000s (up from 169 last year), nearly one-third of the League (each team
carries at least two).

195 – American players (26.9 percent of 726); the most American nationals to play in season openers in one campaign is 178, achieved in 2023-24.

91 – Percentage of players whose nationality is one of the 12 countries that will participate in the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026 (Canada, 304; Czechia, 19; Denmark, 4; Finland, 39; France, 1; Germany, 6; Italy, 0; Latvia, 6; Slovakia, 5; Sweden, 72; Switzerland, 10; United States; 195).

91 – Undrafted players (12.5 percent of 726).

56 – Players born on or since Oct. 8, 2003, when the oldest active player, Brent Burns (COL), made his NHL debut. Of those, 17 have only lived in a world that included Alex Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby as NHLers (born on or since Oct. 5, 2005) - including Michael Brandsegg-Nygard (DET) who was born the day Ovechkin and Crosby debuted.

48 – Jersey number of 2025 No. 1 pick Matthew Schaefer (NYI), the youngest player on an opening day roster. Schaefer will be 18 years, 34 days when the Islanders play their season opener Thursday. If he plays Thursday, Schaefer will: become the youngest defenseman selected No. 1 in the NHL Draft to debut, the second-youngest No. 1 pick at any position to debut (Nathan MacKinnon: 18 years, 31 days on Oct. 2, 2013) and the second-youngest defenseman in the past 70 years to debut (Chris Joseph: 18 years, 28 days on Oct. 8, 1987, with the Penguins).

40 – Age of Brent Burns (COL), the oldest player named to an opening-day roster. The only other 40-year-olds under contract are Corey Perry (LAK; injured) and all-time NHL goals leader Alex Ovechkin (WSH). Jonathan Quick (NYR) is set to celebrate his 40th birthday Jan. 21.

33 – Percentage of players age 25 or younger (239 of 726).

32 – Percentage of players born outside North America (229 of 726).

27 – Players who are looking to make their NHL debut (regular season or playoffs). That is also the age of goaltender Brandon Bussi (CAR), the oldest player looking to make his NHL debut. Bussi is one of five players age 25 or older who is aiming to skate in an NHL regular-season or playoff game for the first time, along with Colten Ellis (BUF), Curtis Douglas (TBL), Max Shabanov (NYI) and Harrison Scott (DAL).

25.8 – Average age of Montreal's opening-day roster, the youngest in the NHL.

21 – Reigning Stanley Cup champions still with Florida (including three who are part of their Injured
and/or Non-Roster list).

20 – Birth countries represented, including the first-ever NHL skater born in South Africa, Harrison Brunicke (PIT).

19 – Sets of brothers, including three sets with at least one member on the Injured and/or Non-Roster list.

17 – Nationalities represented, including 11 of 12 countries set to participate in the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026 (Italy is excluded).

17 – Percentage of players age 23 or younger (126 of 726).

16 – Teenagers, including five 18-year-olds (all first-round picks in the 2025 draft). The last time more than 10 teenagers played in season openers was 2018-19 (17). The last time at least five 18-year-olds played in season openers was 2016-17.

5 – Members of the 2025 NHL Draft class: Matthew Schaefer (NYI; No. 1), Michael Misa (SJS; No. 2), Brady Martin (NSH; No. 5), Ben Kindel (PIT; No. 11) and Braeden Cootes (VAN; No. 15). The top two picks last played in their team’s ensuing season opener in 2019-20 (Jack Hughes: No. 1 and Kaapo Kakko: No. 2). The last time multiple players selected outside the top 10 skated in the ensuing season opener was also 2019-20 (Ville Heinola: No. 20 and Tobias Bjornfot: No. 22). The last time at least five members of a draft class skated in an ensuring season opener was 2016-17 (6 – Auston Matthews: No. 1; Patrik Laine: No. 2; Jesse Puljujarvi: No. 4; Matthew Tkachuk: No. 6; Mikhail Sergachev: No. 9; Jakob Chychrun: No. 16).

2 – Players with experience in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, but none in the regular season: Zeev Buium (MIN) and Alexander Nikishin (CAR).