NHL nationally televised video games for week of Oct. 6

Each Monday all through the 2025-26 NHL season, ESPN and NHL Network analyst Kevin Weekes will present followers with a information of video games that will likely be nationally televised. Today, a have a look at video games for the primary week of the common season.

Highlights embody a gap night time tripleheader on ESPN that includes the Chicago Blackhawks on the Florida Panthers, the Pittsburgh Penguins visiting the New York Rangers, and the Colorado Avalanche on the Los Angeles Kings, and all 32 groups taking part in on Saturday, the primary of two occasions that can occur this season.

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 7

Chicago Blackhawks at Florida Panthers (5 p.m. ET; ESPN, SN1, TVAS)

The Panthers will begin the season by elevating their second straight Stanley Cup banner at Amerant Bank Arena once they host the Blackhawks. Florida defenseman Seth Jones will play his former workforce for the primary time since he was traded for goalie Spencer Knight and a conditional first-round choose within the 2026 NHL Draft on March 1. Knight is anticipated to begin for the Blackhawks. It will likely be a superb check for Chicago towards Florida, even with the champs with out forwards Matthew Tkachuk and Aleksander Barkov as a consequence of damage.

Pittsburgh Penguins at New York Rangers (8 p.m. ET; ESPN, SN1, TVAS)

Both groups are hoping to make the Stanley Cup Playoffs after lacking final season, and this will likely be an attention-grabbing one at Madison Square Garden. Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang face their former coach, Mike Sullivan, who was employed by the Rangers this offseason. Penguins new coach Dan Muse was an assistant in New York final season and can attempt to combine younger gamers into the lineup. The Rangers roster will look completely different from a season in the past, with many notable gamers from their 2024 opening night time lineup not with the workforce, together with forwards Chris Kreider, Kaapo Kakko, Reilly Smith and Filip Chytil, and defensemen Jacob Trouba and K’Andre Miller.

Colorado Avalanche at Los Angeles Kings (10:30 p.m. ET; ESPN, SN1, TVAS)

Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog returned within the playoffs final season however will play his first regular-season recreation since 2022. He, together with Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar and the remainder of the workforce are among the many Cup favorites in 2025-26 and begin their season at Crypto.com Arena towards captain Anze Kopitar (who introduced he would retire on the finish of the season) and the Kings, who’re aiming to advance previous the primary spherical of the postseason for the primary time since successful the Cup in 2014.

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 8

Montreal Canadiens at Toronto Maple Leafs (7 p.m. ET; SN, TVAS)

The Canadiens might have been a shock workforce final season, however they will not be shocking anybody in 2025-26. You can guess Auston Matthews and the Maple Leafs will likely be prepared for this one at Scotiabank Arena. Defenseman Lane Hutson received the Calder Trophy final season as the highest rookie and his teammate, ahead Ivan Demidov, is among the many preseason favorites to win it this 12 months. Toronto will likely be coming into the season with out Mitch Marner, who was acquired by the Vegas Golden Knights in a sign-and-trade deal July 1, however nonetheless has excessive expectations this season.

Boston Bruins at Washington Capitals (7:30 p.m. ET; HBO MAX, TNT)

Alex Ovechkin enters the season three objectives from 900 and hopes he and his teammates can have the identical success they’d final season once they completed first (51-22-9) within the Eastern Conference. The Capitals will host the Bruins at Capital One Arena, with Boston searching for a quick begin on this recreation and on the season after tying for the worst document (33-39-10) within the East in 2024-25 and lacking the playoffs for the primary time since 2016.

Los Angeles Kings at Vegas Golden Knights (10 p.m. ET; HBO MAX, TNT)

The Golden Knights are three seasons faraway from successful the Stanley Cup and start their quest to take action once more of their season opener at T-Mobile Arena. Last season, they misplaced within the second spherical, however bolstered the roster over the summer time including Marner and depth signings together with ahead Colton Sissons and defenseman Jeremy Lauzon. It stays to be seen how they fare with out Alex Pietrangelo, who might miss this season due to a lower-body damage. Los Angeles added grit with ahead Corey Perry, however he’ll be sidelined to begin the season after knee surgical procedure.