10 Must-Watch Games on the New Jersey Devils’ 2026-27 Schedule

The excitement for the 2026-27 NHL season is palpable. With the schedule now released, fans have even more reason to get excited for the return of hockey. All 32 teams released their schedules on Thursday, July 16, all with a fun video to excite fans even more.

The New Jersey Devils got in on the fun, as they posted a video inspired by the Devil Wears Prada on their social media. With the schedule out, Devils fans can start preparing what games to watch and potentially even attend in person. Here are the 10 games Devils fans should mark down on their calendar.

Oct. 1 – Home Opener Hosting Philadelphia Flyers

With the NHL’s newly expanded 84-game season, the 2026-27 season is starting earlier than any NHL season in the past. 10 teams get to kick off the season on Sep. 29. It is not until two days later, Oct. 1, that the Devils open their season.

The Devils play their first game of the season against a division rival in the Philadelphia Flyers. It’s always a fun, heated time when these two teams get to play against one another. The fact that it’s the season opener for both of these teams is just extra added pressure that will make this game even more fun to watch.

Oct. 3 – Rematch at New York Islanders

In the Devils’ next game of the season, they are already hitting the road, but they aren’t going very far. They’re heading to take on another division rival, the New York Islanders, at UBS Arena.

The last time these two teams faced off at the Islanders arena, the Islanders shut the Devils out 9-0. The Devils will be returning to Islanders territory with a vengeance, ready to right this wrong. With it being so early in the season, the stakes aren’t as high, but every game counts, especially against a division rival like the Islanders.

Oct. 10 – Cotter Returns to the Rock

The Devils have participated in some offseason moves, including not signing some players, allowing them to hit the free agency market. One of those players, Paul Cotter, was only with the Devils for two seasons, but he made enough of an impact on the fans. Lovingly given the nickname “DJ Pauly C,” he grew to be a fan-favorite to Devils fans with his antics on and off the ice.

Cotter signed with the Vancouver Canucks during the offseason. Early in the season, the Devils get a chance to see Cotter return to the Prudential Center with the Canucks. This will be a bittersweet moment for both Cotter and Devils fans.

Oct. 15 – Hosting the New York Rangers

October is the first month of the NHL season and has many of the games Devils fans should want to mark down on their calendar. Another division rival, the New York Rangers, will be making their way to the other side of the Hudson River to take on the Devils for the first time in the 2026-27 NHL season.

Any time the Rangers, Islanders, or Flyers play the Devils, it’s always an exciting matchup, and to have the Devils play all three teams within the first three weeks of the first calendar month of the NHL season is extra exciting.

Nov. 27 – Nemec Returns

As mentioned above, this offseason has been interesting for the Devils, between not signing players and trades as well. There were rumors during the season that Simon Nemec wanted to be traded out of New Jersey, and although the rumors were nixed, the actions of the team during the offseason stated otherwise.

On June 23, the Devils sent Nemec and Maxim Tsyplakov to the Calgary Flames in exchange for two conditional first-round picks, a second-round selection in the 2026 NHL Draft, and defenseman Etienne Morin.

Nemec had a great season with the Devils in 2025-26, playing in 68 games and recording 26 points, an all-time career high for him. His return to the rock, just like with Cotter, will be a bittersweet moment for Devils fans.

Jan. 24 – Ovechkin’s Last Dance in Jersey?

A large talking point during last season was whether or not Alexander Ovechkin would return to the NHL. After signing a one-year deal with the Capitals during the offseason, we now know he is not yet done playing NHL hockey.

The Devils host the Capitals in November and then again in January, marking the last game in the season series between these two teams. There’s a chance that this could be the last time that Ovechkin laces up against the Devils, something fans will not want to miss.

Feb. 23 – Hurricanes Are in Town

Another division rival that is always an intense battle against the Devils: the Carolina Hurricanes. It won’t be until late February, when these two teams face off against one another for the first time in the 2026-27 season. There is even more added pressure, as the Hurricanes are the reigning Stanley Cup Champions.

Last season, the Devils opened their season against the Hurricanes and lost. Since they aren’t playing against Carolina until late in the season, the Devils have plenty of time to practice before they take on these rivals.

March 31 – Hughes Bowl in New Jersey

The event that all Devils fans look forward to will finally return to New Jersey. Every season when the Devils host the Vancouver Canucks, the fans would dub the game the “Hughes Bowl,” as all three Hughes brothers would be participants in the game. Last season, the Canucks traded Quinn Hughes to the Minnesota Wild in a blockbuster trade that surprised many people, especially Devils fans.

This trade was also unfortunate timing for the Hughes Bowl, as the Wild had already played in New Jersey before the trade and the Canucks had yet to reach the Prudential Center before trading Quinn. With no Hughes Bowl in New Jersey, this makes Quinn’s return this season all the more special.

April 4 – Jacob Markstrom Returns to New Jersey

Devils fans will have to wait a very long time until their former goaltender returns to the Prudential Center. The Devils traded goaltender Jacob Markstrom to the Florida Panthers in exchange for Evan Rodrigues, Jesper Boqvist, and Ben Steeves.

Markstrom began his career with the Panthers, so this is a decent homecoming of sorts for him. It will be interesting to see Markstrom and Jake Allen head-to-head against each other in net, instead of as the goaltending tandem.

April 10 – Last Regular-Season Game

The last regular-season game coincides with a “Frozen Frenzy” type situation, with all 32 teams in action. The Devils will start their season at home and end it at home as well. On April 10, the Devils will host the Pittsburgh Penguins for their last game of the 2026-27 regular season.

This is a momentous game, just like back in January, because there’s a chance this is also the last time that Sidney Crosby not only laces up against the Devils but also plays hockey in a regular-season game period. Crosby’s two-year contract is about to end after 2026-27, when he will be 39 years old.

There is a chance that he will sign a one-year contract, just like Ovechkin did. However, in the event that this is Crosby’s last NHL season, what a momentous way to close out his last year against the Devils at the Prudential Center.

Devils Fans Have a Lot to Be Excited For

The NHL is expanding to an 84-game season this year, and these are just ten of the 84 exciting matchups Devils fans get to witness in 2026-27. Let’s hope the Devils can try and make their season last even longer than 84 games with a playoff push.