One of the last things Alex DeBrincat told reporters before the Detroit Red Wings broke for another long offseason was about the need to start well.
“Maybe we started the season off better, we’re in,” DeBrincat said, of course referencing the playoff picture.
A new season brings new hope that the now nine-year-old playoff drought may end, and now the Wings have the dates that will map their path. The NHL released the 2025-26 schedule, and the Wings start up Oct. 9 at home against an Original Six rival, the Montreal Canadiens.
The traditional New Year’s Eve game at Little Caesars Anrea will be against the Winnipeg Jets – and then the Wings play Jan. 1 at the Pittsburgh Penguins. (The Winter Classic, traditionally on Jan. 1, will be played on Jan. 2 – a Friday – this season, with the New York Rangers visiting the Florida Panthers at LoanDepot Park, home to MLB’s Miami Marlins,)
There’s only four games in February as the NHL goes on break for the Olympic Games, set to be held in Italy. Wings captain Dylan Larkin could make the U.S. team – he played on the American team in this year’s Four Nations Face-Off – while defenseman Moritz Seider and forward Lucas Raymond locks for the German and Swedish teams, respectively.
The Wings’ finale is April 15 at the Atlantic Division rival Panthers, who repeated last season as Stanley Cup champions.
2025-26 Detroit Red Wings schedule
Here is the full schedule, with home game opponents in capital letters:
October
Oct. 9: Montreal, 7 p.m.
Oct. 11: Toronto, 7 p.m.
Oct. 13: at Toronto, 4 p.m.
Oct. 15: Florida, 7 p.m.
Oct. 17: Tampa Bay, 7 p.m.
Oct. 19: Edmonton, 3 p.m.
Oct. 22: at Buffalo, 7:30 p.m.
Oct. 23: at N.Y. Islanders, 7 p.m.
Oct. 25: St. Louis, 7 p.m.
Oct. 28: at St. Louis, 8:15 p.m.
Oct. 30: at Los Angeles, 10: 30 p.m.
Oct. 31: at Anaheim, 10 p.m.
November
Nov. 2: at San Jose, 8 p.m.
Nov. 4: at Vegas, 10 p.m.
Nov. 7: N.Y. Rangers, 7 p.m.
Nov. 9: Chicago, 1 p.m.
Nov. 13: Anaheim, 7 p.m.
Nov. 15: Buffalo, 7 p.m.
Nov. 16: at N.Y. Rangers, 7 p.m.
Nov. 18: Seattle, 7 p.m.
Nov. 20: N.Y. Islanders, 7 p.m.
Nov. 22: Columbus, 1 p.m.
Nov. 24: at New Jersey, 7 p.m.
Nov. 26: Nashville, 7 p.m.
Nov. 28: Tampa Bay, 1 p.m.
Nov. 29: at Boston, 7 p.m.
December
Dec. 2: Boston, 7 p.m.
Dec. 4: at Columbus, 7 p.m.
Dec. 6: at Seattle, 10 p.m.
Dec. 8: at Vancouver, 10 p.m.
Dec. 10: at Calgary, 8:30 p.m.
Dec. 11: at Edmonton, 9 p.m.
Dec. 13: at Chicago, 8 p.m.
Dec. 16: N.Y. Islanders, 7 p.m.
Dec. 17: Utah, 7:30 p.m.
Dec. 20: at Washington, 12:30 p.m.
Dec. 21: Washington, 1 p.m.
Dec. 23: Dallas, 7 p.m.
Dec. 27: at Carolina, 7 p.m.
Dec. 28: Toronto, 5 p.m.
Dec. 31: Winnipeg, 6:30 p.m.
January
Jan. 1: at Pittsburgh, 7 p.m.
Jan. 3: Pittsburgh, Noon.
Jan. 5: at Ottawa, 7:30 p.m.
Jan. 8: Vancouver, 7 p.m.
Jan. 10: at Montreal, 7 p.m.
Jan. 12: Carolina, 7 p.m.
Jan. 13: at Boston, 7:30 p.m.
Jan. 16: San Jose, 7 p.m.
Jan. 18: Ottawa, 5 p.m.
Jan. 21: at Toronto, 7 p.m.
Jan. 22: at Minnesota, 9:30 p.m.
Jan. 24: at Winnipeg, 7 p.m.
Jan. 27: Los Angeles, 7 p.m.
Jan. 29: Washington, 7 p.m.
Jan. 31: Colorado, 1 p.m.
February
Feb. 2: at Colorado, 9 p.m.
Feb. 4: at Utah, 9 p.m.
Feb. 26: at Ottawa, 7 p.m.
Feb. 28: at Carolina, 7 p.m.
March
March 2: at Nashville, 8 p.m.
March 4: Vegas, 7 p.m.
March 6: Florida, 7 p.m.
March 8: at New Jersey, 7 p.m.
March 10: at Florida, 7 p.m.
March 12: at Tampa Bay, 7 p.m.
March 14: at Dallas, 8 p.m.
March 16: Calgary, 7 p.m.
March 19: Montreal, 7 p.m.
March 21: Boston, 8 p.m.
March 24: Ottawa, 7 p.m.
March 27: at Buffalo, 7 p.m.
March 28: Philadelphia, 8 p.m.
March 31: at Pittsburgh, 7 p.m.
April
April 2: at Philadelphia, 7 p.m.
April 4: at N.Y. Rangers, 12:30 p.m.
April 5: Minnesota, 1 p.m.
April 7: Columbus, 7 p.m.
April 9: Philadelphia, 7 p.m.
April 11: New Jersey, 5 p.m.
April 13: at Tampa Bay, 7 p.m.
April 15: at Florida, 7 p.m.
Contact Helene St. James at hstjames@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter @helenestjames.
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Her books: “The Franchise: Detroit Red Wings, A Curated History of Hockeytown,” and “On the Clock: Behind the Scenes with the Detroit Red Wings at the NHL Draft,” and “The Big 50: The Men and Moments that made the Detroit Red Wings” are available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Triumph Books. Personalized copies available via her e-mail.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Red Wings schedule 2025-26: Where and when they play, plus Original Six matchups
Reporting by Helene St. James, Detroit Free Press / Detroit Free Press
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
