The NHL revised the start times of eight games scheduled for October 2026. The changes are part of an official update to the 2026/27 regular season calendar and affect games in Utah, New York, Buffalo, Colorado, Detroit, Seattle and Long Island. For fans following from Brazil, the most useful step is to convert the revised local start time to Brasilia time instead of relying on the original schedule published in July.
October games with revised start times
The NHL release dated August 26 lists the regular season start time changes. The table below includes only the October games, with the previous local time, the new local time and the conversion to Brasilia.
| Date | Game | Previous local time | New local time | Previous Brasilia time | New Brasilia time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct. 1 | Chicago at Utah | 7:00 PM | 7:30 PM | 10:00 PM | 10:30 PM |
| Oct. 6 | NY Islanders at NY Rangers | 7:00 PM | 8:00 PM | 8:00 PM | 9:00 PM |
| Oct. 6 | Minnesota at Buffalo | 8:00 PM | 7:00 PM | 9:00 PM | 8:00 PM |
| Oct. 14 | Dallas at Colorado | 7:30 PM | 6:30 PM | 10:30 PM | 9:30 PM |
| Oct. 15 | Philadelphia at Detroit | 7:00 PM | 7:30 PM | 8:00 PM | 8:30 PM |
| Oct. 22 | Utah at Seattle | 6:40 PM | 7:00 PM | 10:40 PM | 11:00 PM |
| Oct. 29 | Chicago at Detroit | 7:00 PM | 7:30 PM | 8:00 PM | 8:30 PM |
| Oct. 31 | Edmonton at NY Islanders | 3:30 PM | 2:00 PM | 4:30 PM | 3:00 PM |
The conversions use Brasilia at UTC-3 and the local North American time zones in effect during October. During the month, U.S. Eastern time is one hour behind Brasilia, Mountain time is three hours behind and Pacific time is four hours behind.
Which changes matter most for viewers in Brazil
The biggest move earlier is on October 31: Edmonton at NY Islanders shifts from 3:30 PM to 2:00 PM local time, moving the Brasilia start from 4:30 PM to 3:00 PM. On October 6, Minnesota at Buffalo also moves one hour earlier, from 9:00 PM to 8:00 PM in Brasilia. Dallas at Colorado on October 14 likewise starts one hour earlier for Brazilian viewers, at 9:30 PM.
Other games move later. NY Islanders at NY Rangers on October 6 shifts to 9:00 PM in Brasilia. Chicago at Utah opens the month of revised games at 10:30 PM Brasilia time, while Utah at Seattle on October 22 now starts at 11:00 PM.
Key NHL dates in October 2026
- October 1: the first October game included in the start time update, Chicago at Utah.
- October 13: all 32 teams are in action on the same day. ESPN's U.S. national schedule also highlights the night as NHL Frozen Frenzy.
- October 25: the Winnipeg Jets and Montreal Canadiens play the NHL Heritage Classic in Winnipeg, the first outdoor game of the 2026/27 season.
- October 31: Edmonton at NY Islanders closes the October change list with the largest move earlier among the revised games.
How to use the schedule without getting caught by an old time
The 2026/27 season begins on September 29, features 84 games per team and 1,344 regular season games. Because the NHL can publish further adjustments, the safest day-of-game reference is the official NHL schedule. For the source of the changes in this article, see the official start time update. The season's structural dates are in the official 2026/27 schedule announcement, while the national TV release that includes Frozen Frenzy is available in the national broadcast schedule announcement.
For viewers in Brazil, the practical rule is simple: do not reuse the original start time for these eight games. Use the revised times above and confirm again on the official schedule close to puck drop.
