NHL preseason games kick off
The gist
The NHL's 2026 preseason opened Sept. 19 with 65 games over eight days.
The shortened slate comes as the regular season grows to 84 games.
How it unfolded
- Sep 17, 2026NHL training camps opened.
- Sep 19, 2026First preseason games of the 2026-27 season were played, including Dallas at St. Louis and Montreal at Toronto.
- Sep 19, 2026Edmonton opened the preseason with a 5-2 win over Winnipeg; Evan Bouchard had four assists.