Toronto Maple Leafs Subjected to Major Schedule Changes in 2026-27
The Toronto Maple Leafs and 31 other NHL teams will be experiencing some major changes to the schedule, although these will only come into effect in 2026-27.
Going into this season, the Maple Leafs have a fairly standard schedule. They will begin their year in the middle of October, and if they win the Stanley Cup, they will do so at the end of June.
Furthermore, they will be playing 82 games, which has been the standard for decades at this point. Having said that, things are going to change very soon.
With the new Collective Bargaining Agreement, which comes into effect in September 2026, there are going to be numerous schedule changes. Some good, some bad.
NHL finally fixes their schedule
According to Leafs Latest on X, the 2026-27 season is going to start a few weeks earlier, near the end of September. A shortened preseason will precede this.
Meanwhile, there will be a total of 84 regular-season games played. Despite the increase in length of the season, the Stanley Cup will be given out a week earlier than usual.
The 2026-27 NHL season will be 84 games, up from 82, with a shorter preseason. It will begin in late September, and the Stanley Cup will be awarded in mid-June.
These are positive changes that will help the NHL gain more revenue, while also ending the season a whole lot earlier. There is no reason to be playing hockey into July.
The Maple Leafs are impacted only because the rest of the league is impacted as well. Ultimately, this won't be too big of a deal.
That said, 42 home games per season means season tickets are going to cost a bit more than they have in the past.
It will be interesting to see what kind of other changes the NHL makes, in future CBAs.
| POLL | ||
SEPTEMBRE 3 | 127 ANSWERS Toronto Maple Leafs Subjected to Major Schedule Changes in 2026-27 Do you believe the NHL did a good job with these schedule changes? | ||
| YES | 60 | 47.2 % |
| NO | 67 | 52.8 % |
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