Islanders Release 2025-26 Schedule; Long Road Trips a Big Key

Is it October yet? We’re officially just 85 days away from the return of New York Islanders’ hockey following the release of the 2025-26 schedule. The Islanders return to 7 p.m. home starts after years of 7:30 starts. Of the team’s 41 home games, a gargantuan 13 are afternoon games, including five at 1 p.m.

The odyssey begins on October 9 in Pittsburgh, with Sidney Crosby, the first overall pick from 2005, set to face Matthew Schaefer, the first pick in 2025. Two days later, the doors to UBS Arena open up against Alex Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals in another battle of first overall picks.

In total, the Islanders’ schedule features 15 back-to-backs, something expected with the condensed schedule due to the Olympics in February.

Noah Dobson returns to UBS Arena on Sunday, April 12, the 81st game of the Islanders’ season. Before that, New York locks horns with the Habs on February 26th in Montreal.

Brock Nelson returns to UBS Arena on December 4, a Thursday night.

Road & Home Longest Stretches, Rangers Games:

The longest home stand will be seven games, lasting from November 22 until December 4.

The Islanders have two season-long road trips at seven games a pop. The first lasts November 8 to 20, with games starting in Manhattan and Newark (Rangers and Devils) before heading out west for games with Vegas, Utah, Colorado, and Dallas. The Islanders hit Detroit on the way home.

The other seven-game road trip comes in January, when the Islanders go on a mammoth of a road swing. First, the annual trip to Nashville, Minnesota, and Winnipeg. Instead of going home, the Islanders instead forge westward through Edmonton, Calgary. Vancouver, and Seattle before returning home. The trip spans from January 8 to the 21st, with the gap between home games lasting from Jan 6-24.

The Islanders play the Rangers four times, with games on the following dates and times:

November 8, 7 p.m., MSG

December 27, 6 p.m., UBS Arena

January 28th, 7:30 p.m. (TNT game) UBS Arena

January 29, 7 p.m., MSG