The National Hockey League (NHL) starts the new season today, in which some highlights will await the fans. The reigning Stanley Cup champion from Florida starts tonight. The Austro cracks have to be patient a little longer.
The best league in the world is entering its 109th season next night. This opens with the duel between the Chicago Blackhawks and the Cup Champ from Sunrise, Florida. The first day of the game is rounded off by the encounters between the Pittsburgh Penguins and New York Rangers, as well as the Colorado Avalanche and the Los Angeles Kings.
Austro cracks are ready
Marco Rossi and his Minnesota Wild start playing on the night of Thursday to Friday. Then there is an away game at the St. Louis Blues. The “home opener” comes two days later against the Columbus Blue Jackets. The 24-year-old from Feldkirchen is entering his third “full” season with the team from St. Paul after successfully extending his contract. So far, the Austro striker has 185 games under his belt this season and has collected 101 scorer points. 60 of them in the past season – a career high to date. Austria’s figurehead will appear in the top 6, probably even in attack formation 1 – “inspired” by Kirill Kaprizov and last year’s top scorer for the Wild, Matt Boldy.
Marco Kasper made a name for himself in Detroit last season and fought for a place in the squad of the traditional team through sparkling performances. With 37 points and strong defensive behavior, Kasper was able to show a lot of his qualities and his place in the top 9 is assured. Whether it will be the second row with Alex DeBrincat and Patrick Kane, or row 3 with Andrew Copp and the young Norwegian Michael Brandsegg-Nygard remains to be seen. The Red Wings are longing for a return to the playoffs – their last participation was many years ago, and since 2016 the “postseason” has run without the participation of the Americans. The Wings also don’t start until the night from Thursday to Friday, where they host the Montreal Canadiens, unfortunately without the injured David Reinbacher.
Florida and Edmonton still top favorites?
Exactly one day before the start of the new season, the league’s superstar, Connor McDavid, extended his contract with the Edmonton Oilers. The Canadians, who have made some changes to their squad, are definitely a force to be reckoned with again. The Florida Panthers have to accept two serious losses with captain Aleksander Barkov and Matthew Tkachuk. Barkov in particular is likely to miss the entire season, while Tkachuk is expected to return at the beginning of 2026. Nevertheless, the Panthers have a lot of quality, but it won’t be any easier in an extremely competitive Atlantic Division. Mainly because of the big unknown: the Montreal Canadiens. Many call the traditional franchise from Quebec a secret favorite. The squad has a lot of quality, the first few weeks will show whether they can put it on ice. Also in the extended circle of favorites: the Dallas Stars, Carolina Hurricanes, Colorado Avalanche and Vegas Golden Knights.
There are some highlights waiting for the fans
This year, fans can once again expect a schedule full of highlights, which will be interrupted by the Olympic Games in Milan in February. Traditionally, the NHL Winter Classic takes place at the turn of the year. In the upcoming edition, the Florida Panthers and New York Rangers face off at Miami’s LoanDepot Park, home of the Miami Marlins baseball team. The stadium has a retractable roof, so there shouldn’t be any temperature problems.
The Stadium Series is also part of the schedule again. On February 1st, the Tampa Bay Lightning will host the Boston Bruins at the home of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Raymond James Stadium. In Europe, the Nashville Predators and Pittsburgh Penguins will face each other in two games. The two “regular season games” will take place on November 14th and 16th in the Avicii Arena in Stockholm.
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