Alex Ovechkin is three goals away from 900 after breaking Wayne Gretzky’s NHL career record in April. Whatever number Ovechkin finishes at — he turns 40 in September and this is the final year of his contract with the Washington Capitals — will become the new 894 that seemed unapproachable until the successful “GR8 Chase.”

The NHL has released the schedule for the 2025-26 season and every fan has combed their favorite team's slate for must-see games. Likewise, we have gone through the slate to find the most highly anticipated matchups.

The NHL released its 1,312-game, 2025-26 regular-season schedule on Wednesday. The season starts on Oct. 7 with a nationally televised tripleheader on ESPN in the United States and Sportsnet and TVA Sports in Canada.