723 – Players on official opening-day rosters.
433 – Players who are Gen Z (59.9% of 723). Last season, 61% of NHL players were Gen Z.
306 – Canadian players, the most of any country (42.3% of 723).
283 – Players born in the 2000s (up from 232 last year), amounting to 39% of the League (each team carries at least three).
192 – American players (26.6% of 723); the most American nationals to dress in season openers in one campaign is 185, achieved in 2023-24 (178 of them played, also the most).
90 – Players born on or since Oct. 8, 2003, when the oldest active player, Brent Burns (COL), made his NHL debut (Burns can set the NHL “Ironman” record this season).
89 – Undrafted players (12.3% of 723).
41 – Age of Brent Burns (COL), the oldest player named to an opening-day roster; Corey Perry (LAK) and Alex Ovechkin (WSH) are also 41. Evgeni Malkin (PIT) is the only other 40-year-old expected to play this season.
34 – Percentage of players age 25 or younger (243 of 723). This season, the *2027 NHL All-Star Skills* will spotlight 10 young stars ages 25 or younger competing across eight events.
31 – Percentage of players born outside North America (227 of 723), with Sweden topping the list with 75 players. In 2025-26, 30.4% of players were born outside of North America (316 of 1,038) – the fourth-highest rate in League history.
29 – U.S. birth states represented. Last season, players born in 33 states played in the NHL (regular season or playoffs); the most states represented in one season is 37 (2023-24).
28 – Players born on or since Oct. 5, 2005, when Sidney Crosby (PIT) and Alex Ovechkin (WSH) both made their NHL debut. That list includes Michael Brandsegg-Nygard (DET) who was born that day in Oslo, Norway.
26.4 – Average age of Chicago’s opening-day roster, the youngest in the NHL.
24 – Players with a birth city listed as Toronto, the most common on opening-day rosters and home to the first game of Sportsnet’s doubleheader tonight (7 ET).
22 – Reigning Stanley Cup champions still with Carolina (including Seth Jarvis who is part of their Injured and/or Non-Roster list). The only departure is goaltender Frederik Andersen; defenseman Alexander Nikishin remains a restricted free agent.
20 – Players who are looking to make their NHL debut (regular season or playoffs). Forward Judd Caulfield (ANA; 25 years, 194 days) and goaltender Remi Poirier (DAL; 24 years, 358 days) are the two oldest players on that list. Last year, goaltender Brandon Bussi (CAR) was the oldest player looking to make his NHL debut and went on to secure the Stanley Cup-clinching victory for Carolina.
17 – Sets of brothers, including one trio – Quinn (MIN), Jack (NJD) and Luke (NJD) Hughes – and five pairs who are teammates (including one where one brother is on the Injured and/or Non-Roster list).
16 – Birth countries represented, including seven from Germany, where the League will host NHL regular-season games for the first time in 2026-27 (and beyond). Players born in at least 20 countries have played in the NHL in each of the past 25 seasons (20 in 2025-26).
12 – Teenagers, including five 18-year-olds (all first-round picks in the 2026 NHL Draft). Last season, 11 teenagers played in a season opener, which was the most since 2018-19 (17). The last time at least five 18-year-olds played in season openers was 2016-17 (5).
5 – Members of the 2026 NHL Draft class: Gavin McKenna (TOR; No. 1), Ivar Stenberg (SJS; No. 2), Alberts Smits (NYR; No. 5), Viggo Bjorck (WPG; No. 8) and Nikita Klepov (ANA; No. 15). The top two picks last played in their team’s ensuing season opener in 2019-20 (Jack Hughes: No. 1 & Kaapo Kakko: No. 2). The last time at least five members of a draft class skated in an ensuing 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).
0 – Players with experience in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, but none in the regular season.
