The NHL announced its schedule for the opening night of the 2026-27 season on Wednesday. The league has expanded its regular season schedule to 84 games, with each team playing a division opponent for the extra two contests. The NHL season gets underway on Tuesday, Sept. 29, with the Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes hosting the Florida Panthers. The Nashville Predators get their season started on Thursday, Oct. 1, when they'll host the Minnesota Wild at Bridgestone Arena.— Nashville Predators (@PredsNHL) July 15, 2026Nashville split the season series with Minnesota last season, but three of the four matchups against the Wild went into overtime. The Wild went on to lose a five-game series against the Colorado Avalanche in the second round of the Western Conference Playoffs, while the Predators were eliminated from playoff contention in the final week of the year.Predators head coach Andrew Brunette is 1-2 in season openers on the Nashville bench, losing to the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Dallas Stars in his first two seasons, but defeating the Columbus Blue Jackets to kick off last season. The season opener will come after a four-game preseason slate in late September, where the Predators will play road games on the 20th and 24th and home games on the 22nd and 26th. The NHL is expected to announce the full 84-game schedule on Thursday at noon CT. Follow us on Twitter/X, Facebook, YouTube, Threads, Bluesky and Instagram for the latest news.