NHL season begins with tripleheader on Oct. 7

Longtime Pittsburgh Penguins coach Mike Sullivan will make his debut behind the New York Rangers’ bench against his former team, part of the NHL’s season-opening tripleheader on Oct. 7.
The action begins with the Chicago Blackhawks visiting the two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers at 5 p.m. ET, followed by the Penguins and Rangers at Madison Square Garden at 8 p.m. ET and capped by the Los Angeles Kings hosting the Colorado Avalanche at 10:30 p.m. ET.
All three games will be broadcast exclusively on ESPN in the U.S., and on Sportsnet and TVA Sports in Canada.
The complete 2025-26 regular-season schedule will be announced on Wednesday afternoon.
The Panthers will raise their second championship banner prior to the game at Amerant Bank Arena. Florida beat the Edmonton Oilers in six games to claim the Stanley Cup last month.
Sullivan, 57, coached the Penguins from 2015-25 and won two Stanley Cups. He and the team agreed to part ways on April 28 after the Penguins missed the playoffs for a third straight season.
On May 2, Sullivan was hired to replace Peter Laviolette as the coach of the Rangers, who missed the 2025 playoffs after reaching the Eastern Conference finals the previous season.