The three most important events of the NHL offseason are the draft, the opening of free agency, and the release of the upcoming season’s schedule. For the New York Rangers, the latter finally signifies that the page has turned on a disastrous 2024–25 campaign.

The NHL has released its 2025-26 regular-season schedule, with the Blueshirts opening at home on Oct. 7 vs. the Penguins. See all 82 games here.

NEW YORK — The NHL released the full 2025-26 schedule on Wednesday, the final 82-game season before the new collective bargaining agreement kicks in and increases it to 84.

The New York Rangers made a major commitment to Vladislav Gavrikov this summer when they signed him to a seven-year, $48.95 million contract that carries an average annual value of $6,992,857.

The Panthers have beaten the Oilers in back-to-back Stanley Cup Finals, and the regular-season rematches of the past two Cup Finals between the Panthers and Oilers are set for Nov. 22 in Florida and March 19 in Edmonton.

Former NHL goaltender Wayne Thomas, who went on to have a lengthy career in hockey as a coach and an executive, has died from cancer. He was 77.

The season opener for the Penguins and Rangers will get underway at 8 p.m. on October 7 and will be airing on ESPN. The NHL's full schedule will be released on Wednesday afternoon.

The last four seasons have cast the Kings in the role of Sisyphus, rolling their heavy stone up an 82-game hill, only to see it sent tumbling back down by the Edmonton Oilers in a quartet of consecutive first-round defeats.

On Wednesday morning, the NHL announced the Buffalo Sabres home opener. The New York Rangers will come to town on Oct. 9. Last season the Sabres won in New York 6-1, but they split here in Buffalo against them winning 8-2 and losing 3-2.

The New York Rangers had a precipitous fall in 2024-25. The Blue Shirts went from the Presidents’ Trophy in 2023-24 to a playoff miss in less than 12 months. The team was picked to win the Stanley Cup last season.