Capitals release 2026-27 schedule, set home opener against Penguins
WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 07: A Washington Capitals fans cheer during the fan watch party at Capitol One Area on June 7, 2018 in Washington, DC. The Washington Capitals head into Game 5 tonight against the Las Vegas Golden Knights with a 3-1 series lead.
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Washington Capitals have released their 2026-27 regular-season schedule, with the team opening on the road before returning to Capital One Arena for a home opener against the Pittsburgh Penguins.
What we know:
The Capitals will begin the season Friday, Oct. 2, at 7 p.m. against the Carolina Hurricanes at Lenovo Center.
Washington will then visit the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday, Oct. 3, before returning home to host the Pittsburgh Penguins on Wednesday, Oct. 7, at 7:30 p.m.
The Capitals’ schedule includes 42 home games at Capital One Arena, with 19 of them falling on weekends.
Key home games
The home opener against Pittsburgh is the first major date on the schedule, but several other Capital One Arena matchups stand out.
The New York Rangers make their first visit to D.C. on Oct. 9 for a Friday night game.
Washington hosts the New Jersey Devils on Oct. 17, the Buffalo Sabres on Oct. 24 and the Philadelphia Flyers on Nov. 25, the night before Thanksgiving.
The Capitals will also host the Florida Panthers the day after Thanksgiving, the Columbus Blue Jackets the day after Christmas and the Edmonton Oilers on Dec. 28, when Connor McDavid makes his lone visit to Capital One Arena.
Alex Ovechkin celebrates a goal in the third period against the Colorado Avalanche, totaling 1000 career goals combined in regular season and playoffs at Capital One Arena on March 22, 2026 in Washington, D.C. (Photo by John McCreary/NHLI via Getty I
Schedule highlights
Washington has five homestands of at least three games this season.
The longest are two five-game stretches at Capital One Arena: Oct. 14-28 and Feb. 14-23.
The Capitals also have five stretches of at least three straight road games, including a season-long six-game road trip from Dec. 3-15.
Washington will play 14 sets of back-to-back games.
Holiday and weekend games
The Capitals will once again play at home around several major holidays.
Washington hosts Philadelphia on Nov. 25, the day before Thanksgiving, then hosts Florida on Nov. 27, the day after Thanksgiving.
The Capitals will also host Columbus on Dec. 26, the day after Christmas.
On Super Bowl Sunday, Feb. 14, Washington will host the Utah Mammoth at 1 p.m.
All-Star break
The Capitals’ schedule pauses for a nine-day break from Feb. 4-12.
That break overlaps with the 2027 NHL All-Star Weekend, which is scheduled for Feb. 5-6 at UBS Arena on Long Island.
Broadcast and ticket information
Television broadcast plans will be announced at a later date.
All Capitals games can be heard on the Capitals Radio Network, 106.7 The Fan, WashingtonCaps.com and the Washington Caps mobile app.
Full season ticket memberships and partial plans are currently available. Single-game ticket information will be announced later.
The Source: This article was written using information from the Washington Capitals.