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NHL schedule release: Bruins to open season Oct. 8 against Capitals, home opener vs. Blackhawks
The schedule includes a three-week break in February for the 2026 Winter Olympics.
Hot enough for ya?
The Bruins and the NHL provided some cooling thoughts during the latest blast of heat Wednesday by revealing the 2025-26 schedule.
For the Bruins, the season will start Oct. 8 with a date against goal-scoring king Alex Ovechkin and the Capitals in Washington at 7:30. Boston will open its home slate the next night against fellow Original Six franchise Chicago at 7 p.m.
It’s the first of 13 sets of back-to-back games on the schedule.
The Bruins will play 13 games in October, followed by 14 each in November, December, and January. They’ll play just four games in February because of the Olympics, followed by 16 in March. Boston finishes with seven April games, including the finale against New Jersey on March 14 at TD Garden.
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The Blackhawks tilt will kick off a three-game homestand (the Sabres Oct. 11, and the Lightning Oct. 13), followed by the first of three trips west in Las Vegas (Oct. 16), Colorado (Oct. 18), and Utah (Oct. 19).
The Bruins will make their annual California swing in late November with games at Anaheim (19th), Los Angeles (21st), and San Jose (23rd).
The Bruins will host the Rangers in their traditional Black Friday game Nov. 28 at 1 p.m. It’s one of 11 matinees on the Black and Gold’s itinerary.
Boston’s longest homestand will take place before the Christmas break with games against Utah (Dec. 16), Edmonton (Dec. 18), Vancouver (Dec. 20), Ottawa (Dec. 23), and archrival Montreal’s only visit (Dec. 23).
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Following the three-day break, the Bruins will travel to Buffalo (Dec. 27) and Calgary (Dec. 29). They’ll ring in the New Year in Edmonton (Dec. 31) and finish the trip in Vancouver (Jan. 3).
Marco Sturm’s club will kick off February with a Stadium Series game against the Lightning at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa.
They will follow that up with a game in Sunrise, Fla., against the two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Panthers Feb. 4, before their three-week Olympic break starts.
It won’t be much of a respite for several Bruins who are expected to represent their countries in Italy. The lists likely will include Charlie McAvoy and Jeremy Swayman (US), David Pastrnak (Czechia), and Elias Lindholm and Hampus Lindholm (Sweden).
Following the Olympics, the Bruins will return to action with a home game against the Blue Jackets (Feb. 26) and at Philadelphia (Feb. 28).
The March schedule is a bear, including four sets of back-to-backs.
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