The Rangers open it on a Friday night in early October, and the 2026-27 Detroit Red Wings schedule doesn’t waste much time before it gets demanding. By late October, the Red Wings are already deep into Western Canada — and that’s before the calendar even flips to the trip that comes right back for more in February.
2026-27 Detroit Red Wings Schedule
| Date | Opponent | Time (ET) |
|---|---|---|
| Fri, Oct 2 | N.Y. Rangers | 6:30 PM |
| Sun, Oct 4 | Winnipeg | 1:00 PM |
| Tue, Oct 6 | Ottawa | 7:00 PM |
| Fri, Oct 9 | Seattle | 7:00 PM |
| Sat, Oct 10 | AT Montreal | 7:00 PM |
| Tue, Oct 13 | New Jersey | 6:00 PM |
| Thu, Oct 15 | Philadelphia | 7:00 PM |
| Sat, Oct 17 | San Jose | 7:00 PM |
| Tue, Oct 20 | AT Seattle | 6:40 PM |
| Thu, Oct 22 | AT Vancouver | 7:00 PM |
| Sat, Oct 24 | AT Calgary | 8:00 PM |
| Mon, Oct 26 | AT Edmonton | 7:30 PM |
| Thu, Oct 29 | Chicago | 7:00 PM |
| Sat, Oct 31 | St. Louis | 1:00 PM |
| Mon, Nov 2 | AT Florida | 7:00 PM |
| Tue, Nov 3 | AT Tampa Bay | 7:00 PM |
| Thu, Nov 5 | Vegas | 7:00 PM |
| Sat, Nov 7 | AT Colorado | 7:00 PM |
| Tue, Nov 10 | AT St. Louis | 7:00 PM |
| Thu, Nov 12 | AT Florida | 7:00 PM |
| Sat, Nov 14 | AT Tampa Bay | 7:00 PM |
| Wed, Nov 18 | Boston | 7:30 PM |
| Sat, Nov 21 | N.Y. Islanders | 7:00 PM |
| Wed, Nov 25 | Vancouver | 7:30 PM |
| Fri, Nov 27 | AT Columbus | 3:00 PM |
| Sat, Nov 28 | Nashville | 7:00 PM |
| Tue, Dec 1 | Calgary | 7:00 PM |
| Thu, Dec 3 | Colorado | 7:00 PM |
| Sat, Dec 5 | AT Boston | 1:00 PM |
| Wed, Dec 9 | AT New Jersey | 7:30 PM |
| Fri, Dec 11 | N.Y. Rangers | 7:00 PM |
| Sat, Dec 12 | Florida | 7:00 PM |
| Tue, Dec 15 | Los Angeles | 7:00 PM |
| Thu, Dec 17 | AT Washington | 7:00 PM |
| Fri, Dec 18 | AT Philadelphia | 7:00 PM |
| Sun, Dec 20 | Tampa Bay | 5:00 PM |
| Tue, Dec 22 | Toronto | 7:30 PM |
| Sat, Dec 26 | AT Nashville | 6:00 PM |
| Mon, Dec 28 | AT Buffalo | 7:00 PM |
| Tue, Dec 29 | AT N.Y. Rangers | 7:00 PM |
| Thu, Dec 31 | Carolina | 2:00 PM |
| Sat, Jan 2 | Edmonton | 1:00 PM |
| Mon, Jan 4 | AT Dallas | 7:00 PM |
| Thu, Jan 7 | Utah | 7:00 PM |
| Sat, Jan 9 | Boston | 7:00 PM |
| Wed, Jan 13 | AT Utah | 7:00 PM |
| Sat, Jan 16 | AT Chicago | 6:00 PM |
| Sun, Jan 17 | Minnesota | 5:00 PM |
| Tue, Jan 19 | Anaheim | 7:00 PM |
| Thu, Jan 21 | AT Minnesota | 8:00 PM |
| Sat, Jan 23 | Tampa Bay | 1:00 PM |
| Mon, Jan 25 | Pittsburgh | 7:00 PM |
| Wed, Jan 27 | Toronto | 7:30 PM |
| Fri, Jan 29 | Florida | 7:00 PM |
| Sat, Jan 30 | AT Columbus | 7:00 PM |
| Tue, Feb 9 | AT Anaheim | 7:00 PM |
| Thu, Feb 11 | AT Los Angeles | 7:00 PM |
| Sat, Feb 13 | AT San Jose | 1:00 PM |
| Mon, Feb 15 | AT Vegas | 7:00 PM |
| Thu, Feb 18 | Montreal | 7:00 PM |
| Fri, Feb 19 | AT Carolina | 7:00 PM |
| Sun, Feb 21 | Buffalo | 3:30 PM |
| Tue, Feb 23 | AT Toronto | 7:00 PM |
| Thu, Feb 25 | AT Ottawa | 7:00 PM |
| Sat, Feb 27 | AT Boston | 12:00 PM |
| Mon, Mar 1 | AT Toronto | 7:00 PM |
| Thu, Mar 4 | New Jersey | 7:00 PM |
| Sat, Mar 6 | Dallas | 7:00 PM |
| Tue, Mar 9 | AT Winnipeg | 7:00 PM |
| Fri, Mar 12 | Buffalo | 7:00 PM |
| Sun, Mar 14 | AT Pittsburgh | 2:00 PM |
| Tue, Mar 16 | AT Philadelphia | 7:00 PM |
| Thu, Mar 18 | Columbus | 7:00 PM |
| Sat, Mar 20 | Montreal | 1:00 PM |
| Tue, Mar 23 | AT Washington | 7:00 PM |
| Wed, Mar 24 | Washington | 7:30 PM |
| Sat, Mar 27 | AT N.Y. Islanders | 7:30 PM |
| Sun, Mar 28 | AT Montreal | 7:00 PM |
| Tue, Mar 30 | Ottawa | 7:00 PM |
| Thu, Apr 2 | Carolina | 7:00 PM |
| Sun, Apr 4 | AT Ottawa | 5:00 PM |
| Tue, Apr 6 | AT N.Y. Islanders | 7:30 PM |
| Fri, Apr 9 | Pittsburgh | 7:00 PM |
| Sat, Apr 10 | AT Buffalo | 6:00 PM |
Two Four-Game Western Trips, Three Months Apart
This is the defining feature of the 2026-27 Detroit Red Wings schedule. From October 20 to October 26, Detroit plays four straight true road games out West — Seattle, Vancouver, Calgary, and Edmonton. Then, almost like the schedule-makers wanted to test the same muscle twice, the Red Wings do it again from February 9 to February 15: Anaheim, Los Angeles, San Jose, and Vegas, four more true road games in six days. Two separate cross-country grinds against Pacific opponents is a heavy ask for any Eastern Conference team, let alone one still building its identity.
Toronto and Boston Show Up Four Times Each
The Detroit vs. Toronto 2026-27 series gets four meetings — home Dec 22, home Jan 27, then a flip to two straight road games at Toronto on Feb 23 and Mar 1. Boston follows a similar path: home Nov 18, road Dec 5, home Jan 9, road Feb 27. Atlantic Division familiarity means these matchups pile up fast, and by March, Detroit will have seen both rivals enough times to know exactly what they’re dealing with.
A December Homestand Broken Up by One Road Blip
Between December 11 and December 20, Detroit plays four of five at Little Caesars Arena — Rangers, Florida, Los Angeles, and Tampa Bay — with only a road trip to Washington and Philadelphia interrupting the stretch. It’s the kind of extended home run that can build real momentum heading into the new year, assuming the two Western road trips haven’t already taken a toll by then.
The Bottom Line
Two four-game Western swings bookend the heart of this schedule, and how Detroit handles both — October 20-26 and again February 9-15 — will likely decide whether this is a playoff push or a lottery-bound season. Forty-two Detroit Red Wings home games in 2026-27 give the team a fair number of nights at Little Caesars Arena, but the Detroit Red Wings road trip 2026-27 stretches out West are where this season gets decided.
FAQ
Q: When does the Detroit Red Wings 2026-27 season open?
A: Detroit opens the 2026-27 season at home against the N.Y. Rangers on Friday, October 2, at 6:30 PM ET.
Q: What is Detroit’s toughest road trip in 2026-27?
A: The Detroit Red Wings road trip 2026-27 has two standout stretches — a four-game swing through Seattle, Vancouver, Calgary, and Edmonton from October 20-26, and a nearly identical four-game trip through Anaheim, Los Angeles, San Jose, and Vegas from February 9-15.
Q: How many times do the Red Wings play the Maple Leafs in 2026-27?
A: Detroit vs. Toronto 2026-27 features four meetings — two home games in December and January, followed by two straight road games at Toronto in late February and early March.
Q: How many home games does Detroit play in 2026-27?
A: Detroit Red Wings home games 2026-27 total 42 dates at Little Caesars Arena against 42 road games, for 84 games listed overall.