The NHL on Thursday released the 2026-27 schedule, moving to an 84-game regular season for the first time. It will be jam-packed with events — the Heritage Classic between the Montreal Canadiens and Winnipeg Jets and the Winter Classic between the Utah Mammoth and Colorado Avalanche, among other highlights.
The Chicago Blackhawks will have one special event next season: the 2026 NHL Global Series on Dec. 18 and 20 versus the Ottawa Senators at the PSD Bank Dome in Düsseldorf, Germany. The Hawks pushed up the start times for their home games to 7 p.m. from 7:30, with weekend games beginning at 6 p.m. or earlier.
They’ll also have two seven-game homestands — from Oct. 10-27 and Feb. 17-March 1.
How will the Hawks perform in the month without star Connor Bedard? What former Hawks will visit the United Center? Where will the Hawks be at season’s end?
Here are eight games to watch in 2026-27.
Sept. 29: at Vegas Golden Knights, 9:30 p.m.
The Hawks will open their season on the road for the ninth straight year when they visit T-Mobile Arena.
Bedard won’t play in the game — or for the first month minimum — as he heals from left shoulder surgery. The contest will be the Hawks’ first test without the center.
More Top Picks Best Clip On Blue Light Glasses
Frank Nazar, 22, and Anton Frondell, 19, likely will be the first- and second-line centers at the season’s start, giving them a chance to ease into their elevated roles early. It’ll be a big day for wing Roman Kantserov, 21, who is expected to make his NHL debut against the Golden Knights.
The Golden Knights haven’t been friendly to the Hawks since their debut in 2017-18, holding a 17-3-4 edge in the all-time series, along with a 4-1 first-round series win in the 2020 playoffs.
Oct. 3: at Buffalo Sabres, 6 p.m.
Defenseman Bowen Byram won’t have to wait long for a return to his former stadium. He’ll do so in his third game with the Hawks in the Sabres’ home opener.
Bryam, 25, signed a six year, $75 million extension on July 1, making him the highest-paid defenseman in the NHL. He’s thankful for his time in Buffalo but is excited for his newest chapter.
“They’ve shown a lot of faith in me, they’ve given up a lot and committed to me in many, many ways,” Byram said about the trade. “Now the ball is in my court to perform, so I’m excited for that opportunity.”
Byram will step into a top-defenseman role, a position that wasn’t available to him in Buffalo, hence the trade to the Hawks.
The Sabres made light work of the Hawks in their pair of meetings in 2025-26. The first was a 9-3 drubbing at the KeyBank Center and the other a 5-1 rout at the United Center.
Nov. 17: vs. Toronto Maple Leafs, 6:30 p.m.
Leafs left wing Gavin McKenna, the 2026 No. 1 pick, will make his first trip to Chicago to face his cousin Bedard — if the Hawks star is back from injury. The 18-year-old McKenna will use what he learned from No. 98 in one of his first big-time NHL games.
“We’ve gone through similar things with media and the pressure,” McKenna told the Hockey News at the NHL combine on June 6. “He’s always a brain I like to go to.
“He’s always been open to advice, and he’s always given it to me. He just tells me to trust the process and stay confident — sometimes it’s hard, but hockey is a big confidence game.”
Dec. 6: vs. Edmonton Oilers, 6 p.m.
General managers Stan Bowman and Kyle Davidson were in cahoots at last season’s trade deadline. The Hawks traded Jason Dickinson, Connor Murphy and Colton Dach in exchange for left wing Andrew Mangiapane and the Oilers’ 2027 first and 2028 second-round picks.
The three former Hawks signed extensions to remain with Connor McDavid’s team. On Dec. 6, they’ll all return to the United Center.
The Oilers gave the trio a chance at a Stanley Cup before a premature first-round exit to the Anaheim Ducks. The Hawks are hoping to find themselves in the same position sooner rather than later.
Murphy, 33, spent nine seasons with the Hawks. Dickinson, 31, played with the Hawks for four seasons. Dach, 23, was drafted by the Hawks at No. 62 in 2021.
Dec. 18 and Dec. 20: vs. Ottawa Senators, noon at 7 a.m.
The Global Series games will be the first overseas games for the Hawks in seven years. The last one — a 4-3 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers in Prague — was in 2019.
The Hawks will have played in just three overseas trips in franchise history. The first was in Helsinki, where the Hawks — led by a 20-year-old Patrick Kane — split a series with the Florida Panthers in 2009.
Jan. 30: at San Jose Sharks, 3 p.m.
A battle of the No. 1 picks Bedard and Macklin Celebrini is always a sight to see, but the young Canadians will meet in the Hawks’ final game before the All-Star break. The Hawks aim to be in better shape than they were before last season’s Olympic hiatus.
Bedard’s team lost six of seven games before the Winter Games, closing the stretch with a 4-0 road shellacking against the Columbus Blue Jackets. They were 22-26-9 at the time and would win just seven of the remaining 25 games.
It also likely will be the Hawks’ first look at No. 2 pick Ivar Stenberg, an 18-year-old Swedish forward whom they desired heavily in the draft. The teams will play each other again at the SAP Center on Feb. 10, the Hawks’ first game out of the All-Star break.
March 28: vs. Seattle Kraken, 2 p.m.
After hosting the Kraken in a Sunday matinee, the Hawks will have six games left on their schedule. It was at that point in 2025-26 that they were eliminated from playoff contention in Edmonton, Alberta.
The loss to the Oilers was the Hawks’ fifth straight, and pouring salt on the wound was the fact Dickinson and Murphy assisted on the last goal against their former team.
The Hawks want to be competing for a playoff spot here instead of slugging through a lost season.
More Top Picks Best Printers For Homeschool