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

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

Here are the must-knows for Islanders fans to keep in mind as they watch and attend this season.

Season Opener – Schaefer vs. McKenna

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

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

Home Opener

The Islanders kick off their home schedule on Oct. 3 versus their division rival, the New Jersey Devils. New York had a perfect head-to-head record against New Jersey last season, going 4-0, including a record-setting 9-0 beatdown at UBS Arena on Jan. 6.

Intercity Rivalry

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

All-Star Weekend

On Feb. 5 and 6, the hockey world shines on 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 feature the first-ever five-team, three-on-three international round-robin tournament.

Lee Returns to Long Island

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

Schedule Quirks

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

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

Final Thoughts

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