The NHL season ignited with a flurry of dramatic moments, from Brad Marchand’s game-winning goal for the two-time defending champion Florida Panthers, spoiling Rick Tocchet’s coaching debut with the Philadelphia Flyers, to a wave of impressive rookie performances and significant coaching milestones across the league. Fans were treated to high-stakes contests and thrilling finishes, setting an exhilarating tone for the season ahead.
The 2025-26 NHL season burst onto the scene with a series of compelling matchups and memorable performances. Headlining the night was Brad Marchand’s decisive goal for the reigning Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers, who edged out the Philadelphia Flyers 2-1. This victory not only marked the Panthers’ second straight home win to open their season but also dampened Rick Tocchet’s highly anticipated coaching debut for Philadelphia.
Panthers vs. Flyers: A Tale of Two Debuts and Injury Woes
In Sunrise, Florida, the atmosphere was electric as the two-time defending champions faced a revitalized Flyers squad under new head coach Rick Tocchet. Marchand broke a 1-1 tie at 2:19 of the third period with a powerful wrist shot that sailed past goalie Dan Vladar and into the top right corner. Marchand nearly extended the lead later in the period but sent a breakaway wrister over the crossbar.
For the Panthers, Anton Lundell contributed the opening goal on a power play in the second period, beating Vladar with a wrist shot. However, the team is facing significant challenges with key players sidelined. Captain Aleksander Barkov is expected to miss the entire regular season due to two torn knee ligaments, and Matthew Tkachuk is likely out until December while recovering from a groin injury. Goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky stood tall for Florida, stopping 19 shots.
On the Flyers’ side, Noah Cates scored the equalizer in the second period, chipping a loose puck over Bobrovsky. Dan Vladar was busy in net, making 32 saves. Coach Rick Tocchet, a former Philadelphia player, returned to the team during the offseason with a decorated past, including Stanley Cups as an assistant in Pittsburgh and head coaching stints in Tampa Bay, Arizona, and Vancouver.
Eastern Conference Highlights: New Coaches, Milestones, and Shutouts
Canadiens Spoil Red Wings’ Opener in Detroit
In Detroit, Mike Matheson led the Montreal Canadiens with a goal and an assist as they defeated the Red Wings 5-1, spoiling Detroit’s season opener. Montreal, bouncing back from a 5-2 loss at Toronto, saw goals from Zachary Bolduc, Oliver Kapanen, Alexandre Carrier, and Juraj Slafkovsky. Jakub Dobes made 30 saves for the Canadiens.
Detroit’s offseason acquisition, goaltender John Gibson, had a difficult debut, allowing eight saves on 13 shots before being replaced by Cam Talbot in the second period. Dylan Larkin scored the lone goal for the Red Wings.
Rangers Dominate Sabres with Shesterkin Shutout
The New York Rangers began their season with a dominant 4-0 victory over the Buffalo Sabres. Igor Shesterkin was stellar, stopping 37 shots to earn his 22nd career shutout. Alex Lafreniere’s first-period goal proved to be the winner, supported by goals from newly named captain J.T. Miller and defensemen Carson Soucy and Adam Fox.
This marked the first win for new Rangers coach Mike Sullivan, a two-time Stanley Cup winner who took over after Peter Laviolette’s departure. Buffalo’s Alex Lyon made 29 saves in the absence of injured starter Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen.
Penguins Edge Islanders in Coach Muse’s Second Win
The Pittsburgh Penguins secured their second straight win under first-year coach Dan Muse, beating the New York Islanders 4-3. Justin Brazeau scored the game-winner on a breakaway with 5:39 left. Captain Sidney Crosby added a goal and an assist, reaching 626 career goals and moving into 16th place on the NHL’s all-time list, surpassing Jarome Iginla and Joe Sakic.
Rookie Harrison Brunicke made history as the first South African to score in the NHL. For the Islanders, goals came from Jonathan Drouin, Kyle Palmieri, and rookie Max Shabanov. Islanders rookie defenseman Matthew Schaefer, the top overall pick in this year’s draft, also picked up his first career point.
Pinto’s Late Goal Secures Senators Win Over Lightning
The Ottawa Senators opened their season with a 5-4 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning. Shane Pinto scored his second goal of the night late in the third period to seal the win. Dylan Cozens, Artus Zub, and an empty-netter from Claude Giroux also contributed for Ottawa, with Brady Tkachuk tallying three assists.
For Tampa Bay, Brayden Point had a goal and two assists, while Nikita Kucherov scored twice. The Lightning now hold a 21-10-2 record in season openers.
Bruins Win in Overtime Thriller Against Blackhawks
In Boston, Fraser Minten scored his first career overtime goal at 2:12 of the extra frame to give the Bruins a 4-3 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks in their home opener. This marked the second straight win for the Bruins under new head coach Marco Sturm.
Casey Mittelstadt, Tanner Jeannot, and Elias Lindholm scored in regulation for Boston. For Chicago, Connor Bedard, Louis Crevier, and Andre Burakovsky found the back of the net.
Hurricanes Power Past Devils in High-Scoring Affair
The Carolina Hurricanes defeated the New Jersey Devils 6-3 in Raleigh. Seth Jarvis scored the go-ahead goal with a redirect with 2:43 left, then added an empty-netter, taking control after a back-and-forth game. Defenseman K’Andre Miller scored twice in his Carolina debut, while Taylor Hall and Eric Robinson also scored.
The Devils saw goals from Dougie Hamilton, Cody Glass, and Jesper Bratt, but couldn’t keep pace with the Hurricanes’ offense in the final minutes.
Western Conference Action: Shutouts, Streaks, and Dramatic Finishes
Wild Blank Blues in Season Opener
The Minnesota Wild started strong with a commanding 5-0 shutout victory over the St. Louis Blues. Ryan Hartman scored twice, while Matt Boldy (who also had two assists), Joel Eriksson Ek (reaching his 300th career point), and Marco Rossi each added goals. Kirill Kaprizov contributed three assists in his first game since signing an eight-year, $136 million contract.
Goaltender Filip Gustavsson was impenetrable, making 27 saves for his 12th NHL shutout, just days after agreeing to a five-year, $34 million contract extension.
Predators Extend Home Dominance Over Blue Jackets
The Nashville Predators opened their season with a 2-1 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets, extending their impressive home winning streak against Columbus to 10 games, dating back to March 30, 2019. Ryan O’Reilly scored the go-ahead power-play goal early in the third period with a backhander assisted by Filip Forsberg and captain Roman Josi.
Michael Bunting also scored for Nashville, and Juuse Saros made 37 saves. Dmitri Voronkov scored the first goal of Columbus’ 25th NHL season.
Stars Hold Off Jets’ Hat Trick Effort
In Winnipeg, Mikko Rantanen scored the first goal and added two assists as the Dallas Stars won 5-4 in coach Glen Gulutzan’s return. The Stars overcame a hat trick from Kyle Connor of the Jets, who made a late rally after falling behind 5-1. Jason Robertson, Nils Lundkvist, Tyler Seguin, and Wyatt Johnston also scored for Dallas, which defeated the Jets in last season’s playoffs.
Avalanche Prevail Over Newcomers, Utah Mammoth
The Colorado Avalanche secured a 2-1 victory over the newly rebranded Utah Mammoth in Denver. Nathan MacKinnon scored the go-ahead power-play goal in the third period, with Ross Colton also finding the net for Colorado. Goaltender Scott Wedgewood made 32 saves for the Avalanche, who are celebrating their 30th season since relocating from Quebec.
Dylan Guenther scored Utah’s first regular-season goal as the Mammoth, converting on a power play in the second period.
Golden Knights Rally Past Sharks in Overtime
The Vegas Golden Knights staged a dramatic comeback to beat the San Jose Sharks 4-3 in overtime. Reilly Smith tapped in the overtime winner after a late blunder by Sharks goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic. Jack Eichel had tied the game with just 1:34 remaining in the third period with an innocent flip that took an odd bounce past Nedeljkovic.
Pavel Dorofeyev and Brett Howden also scored for Vegas. For San Jose, Philipp Kurashev, Alexander Wennberg, and Jeff Skinner tallied goals, but the team ultimately suffered a crushing loss after holding a late lead, a familiar scenario from the previous season.
Kraken Make History with First Season-Opening Win
In Seattle, the Kraken made franchise history, securing their first-ever season-opening victory with a 3-1 win over the Anaheim Ducks. Mason Marchment, acquired from Dallas in an offseason trade, scored in his Seattle debut. Vince Dunn and Jared McCann also contributed goals.
Goaltender Joey Daccord, who recently had his number retired at Arizona State, was outstanding with 35 saves. For Anaheim, rookie Beckett Sennecke scored in his NHL debut.
Chytil’s Double Leads Canucks Over Flames
The Vancouver Canucks opened their season with a strong 5-1 victory against the Calgary Flames. Czech center Filip Chytil scored twice, including a goal that deflected off Calgary defenseman Kevin Bahl’s head. Kiefer Sherwood, Jonathan Lekkerimäki, and Brock Boeser also lit the lamp for Vancouver.
Thatcher Demko stopped 17 shots for the Canucks, while Morgan Frost scored the lone goal for the Flames.
