The Carolina Hurricanes will raise their second Stanley Cup championship banner on Sept. 29 before hosting the Florida Panthers to kick off the 2026-27 NHL season. The opener pits the most recent champions against the winners of the previous two titles. Carolina captured its first championship since 2006 by losing only one game through the Eastern Conference and defeating Vegas in the final.

The Panthers entered the season primed to contend for a third straight title until injuries derailed their campaign and caused them to miss the playoffs entirely. The game, scheduled for 5 p.m. ET, headlines an opening night tripleheader on ESPN.

The league announced an expanded 84-game schedule—the first since 1993-94—totaling 1,344 games, the most in NHL history. Each team adds two more divisional contests. Other opening night matchups include the Montreal Canadiens at Toronto Maple Leafs, New York Rangers at Boston Bruins (8 p.m. ET), and Chicago Blackhawks at Vegas Golden Knights (10:30 p.m. ET).

The full schedule will be released Thursday. The Associated Press contributed to this report.