A Closer Look: Florida Panthers 2026-27 Schedule Breakdown

SUNRISE, Fla. – Grab a pen and start marking your calendar.

Looking to bounce back from an injury-plagued season, the 2024 and 2025 Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers released their schedule for the 2026-27 campaign on Thursday.

From emotional reunions to an abundance of battles between bitter rivals, there’s no shortage of must-see action.

While you can find the full schedule here, continue reading below to see what sticks out.

STUDIO 84

Who’s down for some extra hockey? After trimming down the preseason to just four games, the NHL is set to officially launch its new 84-game regular season. With this change, it means the Panthers will face each team within their own Atlantic Division four times, every other team in the Eastern Conference three times, and each club from the Western Conference twice. This updated schedule also means the Panthers will enjoy one extra game at Amerant Bank Arena, giving them a total of 42 games in Sunrise.  

A BANNER NIGHT

Kicking off an opening-night tripleheader broadcast on ESPN, the Panthers will clash with the defending Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes at Lenovo Center on Tuesday, Sept. 29 at 5 p.m. ET. After winning the Stanley Cup in 2024 and 2025, the shoe will now be on the other foot as the Panthers watch the Hurricanes raise their own championship banner prior to puck drop. There’s clearly no love lost between these two Eastern Conference juggernauts, as the Panthers eliminated the Hurricanes from the playoffs in 2023 and 2025. Safe to say, this game will make sure the season starts with a bang.

ROAD WARRIORS

After their battle with the Hurricanes on opening night, the Panthers will continue their season-opening road trip with a long flight out west to face the San Jose Sharks (Oct. 1), Anaheim Ducks (Oct. 4) and Los Angeles Kings (Oct. 6). Always bringing their A-game even when they’re away from home, the Panthers own the league’s second-ranked penalty kill (82.9%) on the road over the past three seasons.

HOME OPENER

The Panthers will open up their 42-game home schedule against the Minnesota Wild on Oct. 10 at Amerant Bank Arena. The latest home opener among all 32 NHL teams, this game is expected to mark the home debut for several new Panthers, including star forward Brady Tkachuk. The Panthers own an all-time record of 21-7-2-2 in their home openers, including wins in each of their last seven.

STANLEY CUP REMATCH

You can almost taste the champagne when these two teams get together. The lone chance for fans to bathe in the nostalgia of back-to-back Stanley Cups in Sunrise, the Panthers will host the Edmonton Oilers at Amerant Bank Arena on Tuesday, Nov. 17 at 7 p.m. ET. After defeating the Oilers in an historic seven-game series to win their first-ever Stanley Cup in 2024, the Panthers needed only six games to come out on top in their historic championship rematch in 2025. Both times, the Panthers hoisted Lord Stanley on home ice.

GANG’S ALL HERE

The Panthers will join the fun of the “Frozen Frenzy” on Tuesday, Oct. 13 and Saturday, April 10 when all 32 teams in the NHL are in action.

LIGHTNING STRIKES

The Battle of Florida is back and better than ever. One of the greatest active rivalries in professional sports, the Panthers will host the Tampa Bay Lightning on Nov. 28 and Dec. 26 at Amerant Bank Arena, and also visit the Lightning at Benchmark International Arena on Feb. 16 and March 23.  In addition to sending the Lightning packing in the first round of the playoffs in 2024 and 2025, the Panthers own a 14-10-3 record in the regular season against their cross-state rival since the start of the 2020-21 campaign. With no love lost on either side, the Panthers and Lightning have combined for 1,412 penalty minutes over the course of those 27 contests. As always, make sure to grab your popcorn for these games.

HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS

The Panthers will host seven home games in December, including four holiday dates and matchups to close out the calendar year: Dec. 21 vs. the St. Louis Blues, Dec. 26 vs. the Tampa Bay Lightning, Dec. 28 vs. the Nashville Predators and Dec. 30 vs. the Buffalo Sabres at Amerant Bank Arena. Given their aforementioned history with the Lightning, the term “Boxing Day” might take on a double meaning for their rivalry matchup on Dec. 26.

WELCOME BACK

Fans will have a chance to welcome back four Stanley Cup champions for the first time this season at Amerant Bank Arena. A.J. Greer (2024 champion) will return will the Anaheim Ducks on Feb. 20, Sergei Bobrovsky (2024 and 2025 champion) will come back with the Toronto Maple Leafs on March 6, and Evan Rodrigues (2024 and 2025 champion) and Jesper Boqvist (2025 champion) will both be back with the New Jersey Devils on Feb. 18. As you’d expect, all four players should receive a very warm reception.

TKACHUK IN OTTAWA

Acquired by the Panthers in a blockbuster deal on June 21, former Senators captain will return to Ottawa for the first time as an opposing player this season when the Panthers roll into Canadian Tire Centre on Oct. 21. After making his NHL debut in 2018, Tkachuk led the Senators in goals (213), assists (463) and points (463). “They’ll always have a piece of my heart,” Tkachuk said of the fans in Ottawa during his introductory press conference with the Panthers.

MAKING A STAND

The Panthers will have two consecutive five-game homestands this season, the first running Dec. 19-30 and the second from March 2-12. March will be the busiest month at Amerant Bank Arena with eight home games, followed by November and December with seven home games each. Putting on a show for their fans, the Panthers have posted a 76-40-7 record at home over the past three seasons while ranking fifth in the NHL in fewest goals allowed per game (2.65).

SATURDAYS ARE FOR THE CATS

The Panthers home schedule features 13 games on Saturdays, eight games on Thursdays, six games on Tuesdays, five games on Mondays, four games on Wednesdays and Fridays and two games on Sundays. Giving fans a reason to cheer for the weekend, the Panthers will play two games at Amerant Bank Arena on Saturday each month from October through March. Closing out the regular season, the Panthers will host the Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday, April 10.