New York Islanders’ 2026-27 Season Schedule Released – Hockey Writers – New York Islanders

The New York Islanders and the NHL announced the schedule for the 2026-27 regular season on Thursday. The 84-game streak is the longest since the 1993-94 season.

Here’s what Islanders fans should know and remember as they watch and attend this season.

Season Opener – Schaefer vs. McKenna

On September 30, the Islanders begin their 2026-27 campaign in Toronto, where the last two overall picks face off for the first time in the NHL. 2025 top pick Matthew Schaefer of the Islanders goes up against this year’s top pick, Gavin McKenna of the Maple Leafs, in an exciting first team test for the Islanders. Another highlight is the return of Matias Maccelli to Toronto as he makes his Islanders debut.

The two teams met three times this season, including the only time Islanders fans came to see McKenna play at UBS Arena on Nov. 23.

Home Opener

The Islanders begin their home schedule on Oct. 3 compared to their division rival, the New Jersey Devils. New York had an excellent record against New Jersey last season, going 4-0, including a 9-0 shutout at UBS Arena on Jan. 6.

Urban Competition

The Battle of New York resumes on Oct. 6 at Madison Square Garden. Islanders fans will see their vault on Dec. 20 and Feb. 18. Last season, the Islanders swept the four-game series by a combined score of 14-3.

All-Star Weekend

On Feb. 5 and 6, the hockey world lights up at UBS Arena with the return of NHL All-Star Weekend, the first NHL All-Star event to be held on Long Island since 1983. This year’s festivities include the first-ever five-team, three-out-of-three international round-robin tournament.

Lee Returns to Long Island

Longtime Islander and former team captain Anders Lee will return to UBS Arena for the Presidents Day game when the Utah Mammoth come to town on Feb. 15. Lee was signed as a free agent by Mammoth on July 1. Puck drop is scheduled for 3:00 PM Eastern.

Edit Quirs

During the home half of the regular season, the Islanders will play 11 of 42 games at 7:30 PM. Their longest homestand comes between March 1 and March 9, with four games on the schedule – the Washington Capitals on March 1, the Vegas Golden Knights on March 4, the Pittsburgh Penguins on March 7, and the Montreal Canadiens on March 9.

The longest season of road games will begin on Jan. 26 to Feb. 12, when the Islanders play six games: Jan. 26 against the Penguins, Jan. 28 against the Carolina Hurricanes, Jan. 30 at Tampa Bay Lightning, Feb. 2 in Florida, and Feb. 10 against the Buffalo Sabres.

Final thoughts

The promo video for the Islanders season schedule was very well done. As for the schedule itself, a few quality opponents in the first month can indicate where the team under Pete DeBoer will be over the course of the season. That being said, it should be another exciting season, with hopes of competing for a playoff spot.