Rangers schedule analysis: Biggest matchups, reunions, travel tips for the 2025-26 season

New York Times

4 days ago

The summer doldrums have hit. The Stanley Cup Final and NHL Draft both ended more than a month ago. Most free agents have signed. Trade chatter has died down.
At least there are future dates to plan around now. The league announced each team's 82-game schedule for the 2025-26 season earlier this month, giving us a chance to dive into the Rangers' slate, both from practical and fun standpoints. From the biggest matchups to offbeat road trip suggestions, we've got you covered.
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Oct. 7, Penguins vs. Rangers: Opening night is always a big deal, even if the opponent is expected to finish toward the bottom of the Eastern Conference. Mike Sullivan's first game as Rangers head coach will come against his former team, which adds another fun wrinkle.
Oct. 18, Rangers at Canadiens: Montreal snagged the second wild card spot in 2024-25 and is one of the teams the Rangers will likely have to hop to make the postseason. October is early on the NHL calendar, but the points from this game could loom large come April.
Nov. 15, Rangers at Blue Jackets and Nov. 16, Red Wings vs. Rangers: The Rangers have 13 back-to-backs this season, right around league average. This one could have an early-season impact on the standings. The Rangers finished below both Columbus and Detroit this past season.
Nov. 20, Rangers at Avalanche: Six consecutive matchups between New York and Colorado have been decided by one goal. Five of those games went to overtime. The two teams frequently find themselves in nail-biters, so that could continue here. The Rangers then host the Avalanche on Dec. 6.
Dec. 23 and 31: Rangers at Capitals: New York could be in the mix with Washington for a playoff spot if the Capitals regress from their Eastern Conference-best 2024-25 season. Two road games in a condensed period of time could matter greatly for the Rangers' chances.
Jan. 28, Rangers at Islanders and Jan. 29, Islanders vs. Rangers: One or both of these teams might be on the outside of the playoff picture by this point in the season, but rivalry games are always fun. If both are still in the mix, even better.
March 7, Rangers at Devils; March 18 and March 31, Devils vs. Rangers: For whatever reason, the NHL does not have New York playing its Hudson River rivals until March. The teams meet three times that month, and zero times for the rest of the season. The condensed period here could lead to rising tensions and chippiness.
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All of April: Is it cheating to list a full month? Probably, but if the upcoming Rangers season is anything like the last one, they could be fighting for a playoff spot all the way until the final game of the season. Six of New York's seven games in April are against Eastern Conference teams, some of which — April 2 vs. Montreal, April 4 vs. Detroit, April 5 vs. Washington — could come directly against clubs they're battling. It all matters. New York ends the year with road games against Florida and Tampa Bay on April 13 and 15, respectively. The Rangers could have an edge in those final two games if the Panthers and Lightning have already locked up playoff spots and rest some regulars.
Oct. 11, Rangers at Penguins: Sullivan heads back to Pittsburgh for his first game there, four days after meeting the Penguins in the season opener.
Dec. 15, Ducks vs. Rangers: It will be a fascinating and likely emotional night at the Garden, with Chris Kreider, Jacob Trouba and Anaheim in town.
Trouba played 364 games with the Rangers, with whom he made two conference finals appearances. New York named him captain ahead of the 2022-23 season. The end of his Rangers' tenure was ugly, though. Team president and general manager Chris Drury tried to trade him after 2023-24, then eventually succeeded in making a move in December. Trouba said Drury threatened to put him on waivers if he did not accept the trade to Anaheim, which was on his no-trade list.
Though never captain, Kreider had a hold over Rangers fans' hearts for more than a decade. The 34-year-old will presumably get a monster ovation when he returns in mid-December. Kreider played 883 games with the club before a trade this summer, finishing his time in New York third all-time in goals. Though his final season with the Rangers was rocky, he and Drury made sure to publicly compliment each other after Kreider's exit, likely a nod that neither wanted the goodbye to tarnish the long-term relationship between club and player.
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Asked about the schedule release last week ahead of the Shoulder Check game, Kreider didn't bite and talk about the Rangers; instead, he noted that he was looking forward to different Ducks homestands over Thanksgiving and New Year's Day.
Dec. 16, Canucks vs. Rangers: Filip Chytil was hurt when New York and Vancouver played last season after the J.T. Miller trade on Jan. 31. The center, part of the package sent to the Canucks in return, will make his Madison Square Garden return, a little less than a year later.
Jan. 12, Kraken vs. Rangers: Kaapo Kakko and Ryan Lindgren, both traded in the middle of last season, will return with Seattle.
Whether you're going to a full road trip or just to one game, you can find great food in every city. Here are some of my favorite spots on the road: Miku (Vancouver), Spice Room (Denver), Pappy's (St. Louis), Ted Drewes Frozen Custard (St. Louis), 529 Wellington Steakhouse (Winnipeg), Mandrake (Columbus), Lou Mitchell's (Chicago), Pancake Pantry (Nashville), Drogheria Fine (Montreal).
Perhaps you are looking to get some friends together for a hockey road trip. The Rangers have a few appealing swings, especially in a travel-heavy first half of the season.
Oct. 16 at Toronto, Oct. 18 at Montreal: Perhaps it's the romantic in me, but I get chills during introductions every time I'm at the Bell Centre in Montreal. It's the best atmosphere in hockey; every big fan should get there at least once. If you go to the Toronto leg of the trip, you can check out the Hockey Hall of Fame on your way to the game. This two-game set is perfect if you're a hockey lover.
Oct. 26 at Calgary, Oct. 28 at Vancouver, Oct. 30 at Edmonton, Nov. 1 at Seattle: This trip might be a bit scarring to a die-hard fan — it's the same road trip (albeit with the cities in a different order) that sparked the team's downfall in 2024-25. The Rangers were badly outplayed in a loss to the Flames and then trounced by the Oilers, prompting Chris Drury to send out his now-infamous memo saying he was open to trading roster players. Perhaps Western Canada will be friendlier to New York this season.
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Calgary is fun. If you get there a day or two early, you can rent a car and go to Banff National Park. Then, if you arrive early to the game and get seats toward the middle of the ice, you can look up and see freaked-out reporters (me, for example) willing themselves to trek across the catwalk. The Saddledome is one of the stranger rinks in the league, but it has a lot of charm, especially if you're going to one game there a season, not 41. Vancouver and Seattle are both beautiful Pacific Northwest cities, and in Edmonton, you get to watch Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl play, though if you're a fan of the visiting team, that's probably more terrifying than exciting.
Nov. 18 at Vegas, Nov. 20 at Colorado, Nov. 22 at Utah: Vegas doesn't need an introduction from me. If it's your thing, it's your thing. If it's not, maybe skip that leg. Denver and Salt Lake City both have calmer vibes and good mountain scenery. Also, if the public address announcer's voice in Denver sounds familiar, it's because he's been on the mic for countless major sporting events, including Super Bowls, Olympics and a FIFA World Cup.
Dec. 29 at Carolina, Dec. 31 at Washington, Jan. 2 at Florida (in Miami): These are the final three games of a six-game swing that's interrupted by the NHL's holiday break. If you want to see tailgating in December, go to a Hurricanes game. With the possible exception of Washington, D.C., these cities should also offer a respite from some of the cold in the northeast.
To cap off the trip, New York meets the two-time defending Stanley Cup champions in the Winter Classic. The game will take place in loanDepot Park in Miami, where the Marlins play. TNT will air it.
Plenty of Rangers fans spend winters in Florida, so there are often big crowds at games in Sunrise or Tampa. The Winter Classic should be no different, especially if their faithful make the trip down from New York.
The Rangers have to hope the Winter Classic goes differently from their last marquee game in South Florida. New York's magical 2023-24 season ended in Sunrise, about an hour north of Miami, with a Game 6 loss in the 2024 conference final. The Panthers went on to win the Stanley Cup that season — and again in 2024-25.
(Photo of Chris Kreider against Anaheim last season: Sarah Stier / Getty Images)