NHL watch guide for October 3: all 13 games, start times and TV options

The NHL has 13 regular-season games scheduled for Saturday, October 3, 2026, beginning at 5 p.m. MDT in Edmonton, 7 p.m. Eastern. Seven games start in that first window. New Jersey–Islanders follows half an hour later, Dallas–Nashville and Boston–Minnesota start at 6 p.m. MDT, and the final two games begin at 8 p.m. MDT.

Canadian viewers have Ottawa–Toronto, Montreal–Pittsburgh and Seattle–Edmonton in the early national Sportsnet window, followed by Calgary–Vancouver. For U.S. viewers, Seattle–Edmonton is the NHL Network exception: the other games have out-of-market ESPN NHL Power Play routes, subject to local blackouts. Each game’s exact listed feeds and viewing conditions appear below.

Reporting cutoff: October 3, 2026, 3:01 p.m. MDT. Times are scheduled starts. Goalie and lineup information follows the NHL’s October 3 lineup report; projected and possible starters are labeled. Final warmup decisions can change these assignments.

Tonight’s complete NHL schedule

Edmonton is on Mountain Daylight Time. Eastern listings are EDT tonight. Click a matchup for its complete viewing entry.

How to watch in Canada

The national Saturday assignments are Sportsnet Ontario/Pacific for Ottawa–Toronto, Sportsnet East for Montreal–Pittsburgh, Sportsnet West for Seattle–Edmonton and Sportsnet for Calgary–Vancouver. TVA Sports carries Montreal–Pittsburgh in French, and TVA Sports 2 carries Calgary–Vancouver. Sportsnet’s Saturday schedule identifies the four national matchups; the NHL’s game listings provide the regional channel names.

Sportsnet+ carries the national Sportsnet games on both Standard and Premium. For the nine other matchups in this guide, Canadian viewers generally need Sportsnet+ Premium or NHL Centre Ice for out-of-market access. Standard does not supply the complete out-of-market slate. A Premium subscription also does not remove a blackout where another broadcaster holds the local team’s regional rights. Check your location and package against Sportsnet’s blackout rules before choosing a feed.

The Prime Video listings for Dallas and Seattle below are U.S. regional arrangements. They do not mean those games are included on Prime Video in Canada tonight. Likewise, access to a Sportsnet television channel through a cable login depends on the channels in that subscription; it is not automatically the same entitlement as Sportsnet+ Premium.

How to watch in the United States

For viewers outside the participating teams’ local territories, NHL Power Play on ESPN carries the non-national games through ESPN Select or ESPN Unlimited. This is the out-of-market service many viewers know as ESPN+. NHL Center Ice is the traditional television-package alternative for eligible out-of-market games. Local viewers must use their team’s regional outlet when a blackout applies.

Seattle–Edmonton has a national NHL Network assignment tonight. U.S. out-of-market viewers need NHL Network carriage rather than the ESPN route used for the rest of this slate. Seattle-area KONG and Prime Video access is separately listed by the league. Use the NHL’s ZIP-code lookup and ESPN’s blackout explanation to check local eligibility. Network names alone do not guarantee that a cable or streaming package carries the game.

Every game, in start-time order

Chicago Blackhawks at Buffalo Sabres

Start: 5:00 p.m. MDT / 7:00 p.m. EDT. Arena: KeyBank Center. Local arena time: 7:00 p.m. EDT.

Canada: Out-of-market coverage on Sportsnet+ Premium or NHL Centre Ice.

United States: Chicago Sports Network (CHSN) in the Blackhawks market; MSG Buffalo (MSG-B) in the Sabres market. U.S. viewers outside those territories can use NHL Power Play on ESPN.

Chicago is 0–2–0 after losing 5–2 at Vegas and 6–0 at Utah. Buffalo is 0–1–0 following a 6–3 loss in Columbus. Both clubs are looking for their first points, with the Sabres returning home and Chicago completing another road stop.

Connor Bedard remains out with a shoulder injury. Buffalo defenseman Olen Zellweger is set for his season debut after clearing the concussion-related absence noted in the NHL report.

Goalie watch: Spencer Knight for Chicago and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen for Buffalo are projected.

Official game center, live lineup and game status.

Ottawa Senators at Toronto Maple Leafs

Start: 5:00 p.m. MDT / 7:00 p.m. EDT. Arena: Scotiabank Arena. Local arena time: 7:00 p.m. EDT.

Canada: Sportsnet Ontario and Sportsnet Pacific, with national streaming on Sportsnet+.

United States: NHL Power Play on ESPN for U.S. out-of-market viewing. The NHL schedule lists no U.S. regional television feed for this matchup.

This is Ottawa’s season opener. Toronto is 1–1–0 after a 3–2 loss to Montreal and a 2–1 win over the Islanders. The first Battle of Ontario arrives with the Senators yet to play a regular-season game and the Leafs already two games into their schedule.

Jake Sanderson is available for Ottawa. Ridly Greig begins a two-game suspension, while defenseman Artem Zub remains injured. Toronto is expected to retain the 18 skaters used in Wednesday’s victory.

Goalie watch: Linus Ullmark for Ottawa and Sergei Bobrovsky for Toronto are projected.

Official game center, live lineup and game status.

Washington Capitals at Tampa Bay Lightning

Start: 5:00 p.m. MDT / 7:00 p.m. EDT. Arena: Benchmark International Arena. Local arena time: 7:00 p.m. EDT.

Canada: Out-of-market coverage on Sportsnet+ Premium or NHL Centre Ice.

United States: Monumental Sports Network (MNMT) in Washington’s territory and The Spot in Tampa Bay’s territory. Outside the local markets, use NHL Power Play on ESPN.

Washington plays for the second consecutive night after opening with a 5–2 win at Carolina on Friday. Tampa Bay returns home after a 5–1 loss to the Rangers on Thursday. The schedule gives the Lightning a day between games while the Capitals move directly from Raleigh to Tampa.

The Capitals list Rasmus Sandin as injured. Tampa Bay’s Yanni Gourde remains out with a hip injury; his limited participation in morning-skate drills does not mean he is in tonight’s lineup.

Goalie watch: Charlie Lindgren is expected for Washington after Logan Thompson played Friday. Andrei Vasilevskiy is projected for Tampa Bay.

Official game center, live lineup and game status.

Carolina Hurricanes at Philadelphia Flyers

Start: 5:00 p.m. MDT / 7:00 p.m. EDT. Arena: Xfinity Mobile Arena. Local arena time: 7:00 p.m. EDT.

Canada: Out-of-market coverage on Sportsnet+ Premium or NHL Centre Ice.

United States: Hurricanes Hockey Network in Carolina’s territory, shown as HHN and CARNHL in the NHL listings; NBC Sports Philadelphia (NBCSP) in the Flyers market. Outside those territories, use NHL Power Play on ESPN.

Carolina and Philadelphia both enter at 0–1–1. The Hurricanes lost 5–2 to Washington on Friday; Philadelphia followed its 7–0 opening loss to Pittsburgh with a 3–2 overtime defeat in New Jersey. Carolina has the second game of a back-to-back, while the Flyers last played Thursday.

Seth Jarvis remains out for Carolina with a shoulder injury. Philadelphia defenseman David Jiricek is scheduled to make his season debut.

Goalie watch: Pyotr Kochetkov is expected to start for Carolina, which would be his first game since December 20 following lower-body surgery. Joseph Woll is projected for Philadelphia.

HHN is a regional network, not two separate channels because two abbreviations appear in the schedule. Its official viewing guide explains provider access and the separate team-channel subscription on Prime Video.

Official game center, live lineup and game status.

Montreal Canadiens at Pittsburgh Penguins

Start: 5:00 p.m. MDT / 7:00 p.m. EDT. Arena: PPG Paints Arena. Local arena time: 7:00 p.m. EDT.

Canada: Sportsnet East in English and TVA Sports in French. Sportsnet+ carries the national Sportsnet broadcast; French viewing requires access to the listed TVA Sports feed.

United States: SportsNet Pittsburgh (SN-PIT) in Pittsburgh’s local market. U.S. viewers outside that territory can use NHL Power Play on ESPN.

Both teams are 1–0–0. Montreal won 3–2 at Toronto on Tuesday; Pittsburgh beat Philadelphia 7–0 on Wednesday. The Canadiens’ opening lineup is expected to stay intact, while the Penguins have changes to watch before puck drop.

Andrei Kuzmenko is set to make his Pittsburgh debut. Ben Kindel could return after being activated from injured reserve, and Bryan Rust remains week to week. An activation does not establish that Kindel will dress.

Goalie watch: Jakub Dobes for Montreal and Arturs Silovs for Pittsburgh are projected.

Official game center, live lineup and game status.

Utah Mammoth at Columbus Blue Jackets

Start: 5:00 p.m. MDT / 7:00 p.m. EDT. Arena: Nationwide Arena. Local arena time: 7:00 p.m. EDT.

Canada: Out-of-market coverage on Sportsnet+ Premium or NHL Centre Ice.

United States: Utah 16 in the Mammoth’s territory and Blue Jackets Hockey Network in Columbus’s territory, listed as CBJHN and CBJNHL. Outside the local markets, use NHL Power Play on ESPN.

Utah opened with a 6–0 win over Chicago, while Columbus defeated Buffalo 6–3. Both teams are 1–0–0. This is the first of consecutive road games for the Mammoth, who visit the Rangers on Sunday; Columbus stays with the skaters from its opening victory.

Columbus still lists Dante Fabbro, Ivan Provorov and Damon Severson among its injured defensemen.

Goalie watch: Sebastian Cossa is announced to start his Mammoth debut. The NHL’s published Columbus lineup does not identify a starting goalie; that detail remains unconfirmed in this guide.

CBJHN and CBJNHL refer to the same Blue Jackets Hockey Network. Its Prime Video channel is a separate subscription, rather than an automatic entitlement for every Prime member.

Official game center, live lineup and game status.

Seattle Kraken at Edmonton Oilers

Start: 5:00 p.m. MDT / 7:00 p.m. EDT. Arena: Rogers Place. Local arena time: 5:00 p.m. MDT.

Canada: Sportsnet West and the national Sportsnet stream on Sportsnet+.

United States: NHL Network is the national U.S. outlet tonight. KONG and Prime Video are also listed for eligible viewers in Seattle’s local broadcast territory. U.S. out-of-market viewers should use a service carrying NHL Network; this national pickup is not an ESPN NHL Power Play option tonight.

Seattle comes in 1–0–0 after a 6–1 win at Calgary. Edmonton is 1–0–1 after two high-scoring games against Vancouver, a 6–5 overtime loss and a 9–7 win. The Oilers’ Thursday performance included Connor McDavid’s five-point night, covered separately by TSP.

Mackie Samoskevich is set for his Kraken debut after activation from injured reserve. Zach Hyman and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins remain on Edmonton’s injury list.

Goalie watch: Joey Daccord for Seattle and Tristan Jarry for Edmonton are projected.

Official game center, live lineup and game status.

New Jersey Devils at New York Islanders

Start: 5:30 p.m. MDT / 7:30 p.m. EDT. Arena: UBS Arena. Local arena time: 7:30 p.m. EDT.

Canada: Out-of-market coverage on Sportsnet+ Premium or NHL Centre Ice.

United States: MSG and MSG Sportsnet (MSGSN) carry the regional broadcasts listed by the NHL. In the New York and New Jersey market, select the team feed provided by your package. Outside the local territories, use NHL Power Play on ESPN.

New Jersey is 1–0–0 after its 3–2 overtime victory over Philadelphia. The Islanders are 0–1–0 following a 2–1 loss in Toronto. This is the only 7:30 p.m. Eastern start, giving it a half-hour offset from the seven games in the first wave.

Mathew Barzal remains out for the Islanders with a knee injury. New Jersey is without defenseman Johnathan Kovacevic and forward Connor Brown.

Goalie watch: Nico Daws is announced for New Jersey and Ilya Sorokin is announced for the Islanders.

Official game center, live lineup and game status.

Dallas Stars at Nashville Predators

Start: 6:00 p.m. MDT / 8:00 p.m. EDT. Arena: Bridgestone Arena. Local arena time: 7:00 p.m. CDT.

Canada: Out-of-market coverage on Sportsnet+ Premium or NHL Centre Ice.

United States: Prime Video in the Stars’ regional territory and the Scripps regional broadcast in Nashville’s territory. Outside those markets, use NHL Power Play on ESPN.

Both teams are 0–1–0. Dallas lost 4–0 at home to St. Louis on Friday and now plays on consecutive nights. Nashville lost 3–1 to Minnesota on Thursday and has had a day between games. Matt Duchene remains on Dallas’s injured list.

Dallas’s goalie selection is worth checking close to the start because Jake Oettinger played against St. Louis. Nashville recalled Matt Murray on Saturday and expects him to back up Juuse Saros.

Goalie watch: Casey DeSmith could start for Dallas. Juuse Saros is projected for Nashville.

The Stars’ regional Prime coverage is included with Prime in Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana and Arkansas. That U.S. arrangement does not identify a Canadian broadcast.

Official game center, live lineup and game status.

Boston Bruins at Minnesota Wild

Start: 6:00 p.m. MDT / 8:00 p.m. EDT. Arena: Grand Casino Arena. Local arena time: 7:00 p.m. CDT.

Canada: Out-of-market coverage on Sportsnet+ Premium or NHL Centre Ice.

United States: NESN in Boston’s territory; Wild+ and KSTC in Minnesota’s territory. MINNHL is another listing for the Wild’s team service. U.S. viewers outside the local markets can use NHL Power Play on ESPN.

Boston is 2–0–0 after beating the Rangers 3–0 and Winnipeg 4–3 in overtime. The Bruins travel from Friday’s game to face a Minnesota team that opened with a 3–1 win in Nashville. The Wild enter 1–0–0 and are expected to keep their opening skater lineup.

Charlie McAvoy remains suspended for Boston. Minnesota is without Brock Faber and goalie Filip Gustavsson, making the pregame goalie listing particularly useful for viewers following the Wild.

Goalie watch: Michael DiPietro could start for Boston after Jeremy Swayman played Friday. Jesper Wallstedt is projected for Minnesota.

Consult the Wild’s broadcast guide for Wild+ subscriptions and local KSTC access. A listing for Wild+ does not establish that a general streaming package includes it.

Official game center, live lineup and game status.

St. Louis Blues at Colorado Avalanche

Start: 7:00 p.m. MDT / 9:00 p.m. EDT. Arena: Ball Arena. Local arena time: 7:00 p.m. MDT.

Canada: Out-of-market coverage on Sportsnet+ Premium or NHL Centre Ice.

United States: Blue Note+ in St. Louis’s territory, listed as BN+ and STLNHL; Altitude (ALT) in Colorado’s territory. Outside the local markets, use NHL Power Play on ESPN.

St. Louis carries a 1–0–0 record into the second night of a road back-to-back after Friday’s 4–0 win in Dallas. Colorado is also 1–0–0, having beaten Los Angeles 8–4 on Wednesday. The Avalanche have had two days between games while the Blues travel directly to Denver.

Alexey Toropchenko will miss the game after leaving Friday’s win with an upper-body injury. Colorado is expected to dress 11 forwards and seven defensemen again.

Goalie watch: Jordan Binnington for St. Louis and Mackenzie Blackwood for Colorado are projected.

Blue Note+ is the name behind both Blues abbreviations. The team’s viewing guide lists tonight’s game and regional access options; Prime Video carriage requires the Blue Note+ subscription.

Official game center, live lineup and game status.

Calgary Flames at Vancouver Canucks

Start: 8:00 p.m. MDT / 10:00 p.m. EDT. Arena: Rogers Arena. Local arena time: 7:00 p.m. PDT.

Canada: Sportsnet in English, TVA Sports 2 in French and the national Sportsnet stream on Sportsnet+.

United States: NHL Power Play on ESPN for U.S. out-of-market viewing. The NHL schedule lists no U.S. regional television outlet for this matchup.

Calgary is 0–1–0 after its 6–1 home loss to Seattle. Vancouver is 1–1–0 after a 6–5 overtime win and a 9–7 loss against Edmonton. The late Canadian game gives both clubs a new opponent, with defensemen Zayne Parekh and Zeev Buium part of the matchup highlighted in the NHL’s Saturday guide.

Calgary will scratch Connor Zary, with Brennan Othmann entering the lineup. Vancouver’s Jake DeBrusk will miss the game because of illness. Jonathan Huberdeau remains out for the Flames.

Goalie watch: Devin Cooley is announced for Calgary’s net. Leevi Merilainen is projected for Vancouver; check the final lineup for any change.

Official game center, live lineup and game status.

Los Angeles Kings at San Jose Sharks

Start: 8:00 p.m. MDT / 10:00 p.m. EDT. Arena: SAP Center at San Jose. Local arena time: 7:00 p.m. PDT.

Canada: Out-of-market coverage on Sportsnet+ Premium or NHL Centre Ice.

United States: Angels Broadcast Television (ABTV) in the Kings’ territory and NBC Sports California (NBCSCA) in the Sharks’ territory. Outside the local markets, use NHL Power Play on ESPN.

Los Angeles is 0–1–0 after an 8–4 loss in Colorado on Wednesday. San Jose is 1–0–0 following a 4–3 win over Florida on Thursday. It is the other 10 p.m. Eastern game, running alongside Calgary–Vancouver through the final scheduled start window.

Corey Perry is set for his season debut and Erik Gustafsson for his Kings debut. San Jose defenseman Jacob Trouba is a game-time decision because of illness; Sam Dickinson would replace him if necessary.

Goalie watch: Anton Forsberg is expected for Los Angeles. Yaroslav Askarov is projected for San Jose.

ABTV is the Kings’ current regional television outlet. The club’s broadcast announcement also identifies DAZN as a streaming route for its regional coverage; availability remains tied to the Kings’ local market.

Official game center, live lineup and game status.

Managing the overlapping starts

The opening window is the busiest: seven games begin at 5 p.m. MDT, including all three early Canadian national matchups. A single linear television feed cannot show every game at once. Choose the specific Sportsnet channel for the game you want, or use the individual game stream your subscription provides.

The Islanders–Devils game starts at 5:30 p.m. MDT. Boston–Minnesota and Dallas–Nashville join at 6 p.m., followed by St. Louis–Colorado at 7 p.m. Calgary–Vancouver and Los Angeles–San Jose both start at 8 p.m. MDT, 7 p.m. on the Pacific coast. They are the last scheduled starts, so a complete night of viewing extends beyond the end of the early games.

This is a dated guide for October 3. The linked official game centers supply current game status and final lineups; this article’s projected starters are the information available at the reporting cutoff, rather than a claim that warmup decisions have already been made.