SPRINGFIELD, Mass. … The American Hockey League today released the complete schedule of games for the 2026-27 regular season, its 91st year in action. The season, with 32 teams playing 72 games each – a total of 1,152 games – begins Friday, October 2 and concludes that Sunday, April 11.
Highlights of the 2026-27 schedule:
- The regular season begins with eight games on Oct. 2 – the first start date since 2009 – and a total of 30 games on the league’s opening weekend.
- I Hamilton HammersThe new New York Islanders, starting their season opener with a visit to Belleville on Oct. 2.
- The Hammers will be the opposition there again Toronto Marlies raised their 2026 Calder Cup championship banner at the Coca-Cola Coliseum in their home opener on Oct. 3. The Marlies returned the favor when they visited TD Coliseum for Hamilton’s first home game on Oct. 9.
- I The Calgary Wranglers start The ‘Dome Farewell season on Oct. 2 when they host Abbotsford. The 2026-27 season marks the last season of Calgary Sports and Entertainment Corporation clubs and operations at the Saddledome before Scotia Place opens next fall.
- I The Providence Bruins begin their 35th season as members of the American Hockey League with a home game against the Utica Comets on Oct. 2. The Hartford Wolf Pack (season 30), Milwaukee Admirals (25), The Cleveland Monsters (20), Rockford IceHogs (20), Belleville Senators (10), The Laval Rocket (10) and The Springfield Thunderbirds (10th) and celebrates historic AHL seasons in 2026-27.
- All 32 teams will be playing Saturday, Nov. 7 – 90 years to the day after the first games in the history of the league played on November 7, 1936. Representing two cities with the longest history of the AHL, The Hershey Bears again The Springfield Thunderbirds we will meet in Springfield, Mass., that evening.
- I The Cleveland Monsters handle the 2027 AHL All-Star Classic to Sunday, February 7 again Monday, February 8 at Rocket Arena in Cleveland.
- The games are organized by day of the week: Monday (14), Tuesday (67), Wednesday (201), Thursday (20), Friday (290), Saturday (363), Sunday (197).
The American Hockey League was officially born in 1936 when the Canadian-American Hockey League and the International Hockey League merged to form the International-American Hockey League (the “International” would be dropped from the league’s name in 1940). The AHL continues to serve as the top development league for all 32 teams in the National Hockey League; nearly 90 percent of today’s NHL players are graduates of the American Hockey League, and more than 100 honorary members of the Hockey Hall of Fame spent time in the AHL during their careers.
