SUNRISE, Fla. – The 2025-26 NHL season will begin at Amerant Bank Arena, where the two-time Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers will host the Chicago Blackhawks on Oct. 7 as part of a season-opening tripleheader, the league announced Monday.
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Prior to puck drop at 5 p.m., the Panthers will raise their second Stanley Cup championship banner to the rafters.
Former Panthers goaltender Spencer Knight, who was dealt to the Blackhawks on Mar. 1 along with a conditional 2026 first-round pick in exchange for defenseman Seth Jones and a 2026 fourth-round pick, will make his return to Sunrise.
Florida, for the second straight year, defeated the Edmonton Oilers and will look to become the first team to win three consecutive Stanley Cups since the New York Islanders did so from 1980-83.
The Panthers have reached the Stanley Cup Final in every season under head coach Paul Maurice.
This will be the final 82-game regular season before expanding to 84 games in 2026-27 as part of a collective bargaining agreement extension agreed to and approved by the league and the Players’ Association.
The full 2025-26 schedule will be announced at 1 p.m. EST on Wednesday.
