The return of a frozen sheet of ice to Bridgestone Arena may seem far off with all the heat and humidity of July, but soon enough, the puck will drop on another Nashville Predators season - and it’s finally time to mark those calendars.
The NHL released the 2025-26 regular season schedule on Wednesday afternoon, and the Preds are set to open their 28th campaign in franchise history on Oct. 9 when they host the Columbus Blue Jackets.
From there, the new season will include plenty of highlights for the Predators - including a trip to Sweden in November and NHL participation in the Winter Olympics come February - with more than a few Saturday Nights in Smashville along the way.
Plus, for the final time in the next while, the schedule will feature 82 regular-season games before jumping to 84 contests starting in 2026-27. But, for now, let’s take a look at some outings on the calendar you won’t want to miss in the months to come.
Oct. 9: Opening Night, Preds vs. Blue Jackets
Yes, the Predators will host four preseason games at Bridgestone Arena leading up to the official start of the season, but there’s nothing like the energy of Opening Night. On this occasion, former Preds defenseman Dante Fabbro will make his first return to Nashville since joining Columbus last season in the first of 40 games scheduled in Smashville this season.
Oct. 11: Preds vs. Mammoth
Just two days later, the first of 12 Saturday home games on the schedule will arrive as the Preds host the newly named Utah Mammoth in the first of four meetings between the Central Division foes.
Oct. 28: Preds vs. Lightning
Games against Tampa Bay will always hold a bit more importance as long as Steven Stamkos is on the Nashville roster, and new Preds defenseman Nick Perbix will also face his former team for the first time when the Lightning make their only visit to Tennessee of the regular season.
Nov. 1: Preds vs. Flames
The Predators begin the month of November with their first of five home afternoon games this season when they welcome Calgary to town for a 2:30 p.m. CT Saturday start.
Nov. 14-16: Preds vs. Penguins
The 2025 NHL Global Series Sweden awaits as the Predators will travel to Stockholm for a pair of games against Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Preds currently have three Swedes on their roster - Filip Forsberg, Andreas Englund and Adam Wilsby - for what is sure to be quite a homecoming. A six-day trip across the pond will see the Predators then have five days between games upon returning home before they host Colorado on Nov. 22.
Nov. 24 - Preds vs. Panthers
The second home game following Nashville’s return from Sweden will see the Predators take on the two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers, their only visit to Smashville this season.
Nov. 29 - Preds vs. Jets
Following a Wednesday and Friday surrounding Thanksgiving on the road, the Preds return home to host the Jets. Not only is the Saturday night following Thanksgiving bound to have a jovial atmosphere with a divisional rival in town, but former Preds forward Gustav Nyquist, who signed with the Jets during the offseason, will also make his return to Smashville after spending parts of the last two seasons with the Predators.
Dec. 20-21 Preds vs. Maple Leafs, Preds vs. Rangers
The weekend before Christmas brings a pair of storied franchises to Smashville. First, Auston Matthews and the Toronto Maple Leafs come to town for a Saturday night tilt before the New York Rangers visit Bridgestone Arena just 24 hours later in Nashville’s final two home games of the 2025 calendar year.
Dec. 31-Jan. 1 - Preds at Golden Knights, Preds at Kraken
The Predators will ring in the New Year out west as they first finish up 2025 with an afternoon contest on the Vegas Strip on New Year’s Eve, the first meeting between the Preds and Golden Knights since Nashville dealt Colton Sissons and Jeremy Lauzon to Vegas for Nic Hague. Nashville will then jet off to Seattle to begin 2026 with a meeting against the Kraken on New Year’s Night.
Feb. 4 - Preds vs. Wild
Not only will the Predators host one of their fiercest rivals - the Minnesota Wild - on this occasion, but the Wednesday night contest will also mark Nashville’s final home game ahead of the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics. The Preds will face the Capitals in Washington one night later before a 20-day break that will see at least Roman Josi (Switzerland) and Juuse Saros (Finland) appear in the Olympics.
Feb. 26 - Preds vs. Blackhawks
The unofficial start of the stretch run begins as the Preds return from the Olympic Break by hosting a familiar foe, the Chicago Blackhawks. That contest begins a period that will see the Preds play 26 games over the final 51 days of the regular season, including a 15-game month of March.
March 21 - Preds vs. Golden Knights
After their meeting on New Year’s Eve in Vegas, the Preds will welcome Sissons and Lauzon back to Nashville for the first time since the offseason trade. With a 1 p.m. CT start and a return for both players - especially Sissons who had previously spent his entire career with the Predators - this will be a late-season contest not to be missed.
April 11 - Preds vs. Wild
The final Saturday game of the regular season - a 4 p.m. CT start - comes as rival Minnesota makes one more stop in Smashville for a contest that kicks off the last homestand of the season as well.
April 16 - Preds vs. Ducks
After hosting the Sharks three nights earlier, the Predators will conclude the 2025-26 regular season on Thursday, April 16, when the Anaheim Ducks come to town for the second of two meetings between the foes in just 10 days as the campaign closes out.
Click here for more on Nashville’s 2025-26 schedule.
