In the last few years the NHL has held off on their schedule release for a couple weeks until mid-July to give it more spotlight away from the draft and free agency frenzy. The wait is no more as the now 84-game slate for the 2026-27 Colorado Avalanche season has been unveiled!
First off, it must be noted that to get to 84 games required the addition of two extra divisional regular season games is a big change for the NHL. This has also impacted the early season start with the Avalanche beginning
their schedule in September. In exchange for the extra revenue, preseason is cut down to just four games over a week span, which will begin on Sunday, September 20th against the Utah Mammoth.
Opening night was revealed yesterday and for the third time in four years features the LA Kings. This time the Avalanche host the contest at Ball Arena to kick off their season. The game will be nationally televised on TNT at 8 p.m. MT.
The other major date to circle on the calendar is on December 31st when Colorado faces Utah in the Winter Classic outdoor game at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City.
Despite the two extra games, the schedule doesn’t feel too hectic for the Avalanche. There are only 10 back-to-backs with seven of them before mid-November before fatigue begins to set in. There’s a five-game road trip early December followed by a five-game homestand before the holiday break. Colorado will be working on the weekends again with 17 Saturday games.
The NHL decided to get the hate flowing early in Colorado’s rivalry with the Dallas Stars as they have a home-and-home in the third week of the season. That first date of that duel is on October 13th is part of the annual Frozen Frenzy where every team in the league plays on the same night with staggered start times. There’s another home-and-home with Dallas in January to close out the season series.
The 2026-27 season ends a little earlier than usual on April 10th, which falls in line with an earlier season start and the first September regular game in Avalanche history. Another impact of this may be an earlier trade deadline, though the exact date will be announced in the future.
Which game are you most excited for? Let us know in the comments!
