July 15, 2026
Kyle Ross/IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Sean Couturier and the Flyers will hope to cause the Penguins even more headaches in the new season.
The Flyers will open the 2026-27 season at home, and they'll do it against the Penguins.
As bits of the new NHL season are starting to get pieced out league-wide ahead of a full schedule release later this week, the Flyers confirmed on Wednesday that they'll have their opener against the rival Pittsburgh at Xfinity Mobile Arena on September 30 at 7:30 p.m.
So out of the gate, the Flyers will get going with a rematch of last year's rollercoaster of the first-round playoff series, very likely with more fireworks to go off.
And it will be the table-setter for a potentially transformative year for the team.
Wasting no time renewing the Keystone State Rivalry.
— Philadelphia Flyers (@NHLFlyers) July 15, 2026
Our 2026-27 season will kick off with the Battle of PA in South Philly. 📍#LetsGoFlyers | @CocaCola
Last season, the Flyers broke out into playoff contention to snap a five-year-plus drought. Young pieces took hold, veterans like captain Sean Couturier reinvented themselves, Trevor Zegras revitalized his career to lend the team the top-six caliber talent they lacked, and Dan Vladar proved to be one of last summer's best free-agent signings after he gave the Flyers, finally, goaltending stability.
It was rough for a while, but coming back from the Olympic break, the team clicked. They reset themselves defensively, Vladar rose to the occasion down the stretch and stood on his head, and then, just in time, heralded prospect Porter Martone joined from Michigan State and immediately looked like the kind of star fans had been hoping for.
They rallied, and with the second-to-last game of the season against Carolina – after a shootout, because of course – they clinched a playoff spot. Moreover, Philadelphia, as a broader fan base, started paying attention to the Flyers again for the first time in years.
Then they got Sidney Crosby and the rival Penguins in the first round, and Philly got to remember everything that playoff hockey can be.
Now a young Flyers team will soon be on its mission to one-up that.
Martone, Denver Barkey, and Alex Bump are expected to have their first full NHL seasons, Matvei Michkov is aiming for a "vengeance tour" after falling into the dreaded sophomore slump, and other core pieces like Zegras, Jamie Drysdale, and Tyson Foerster will be pushing to see if they have another gear, while the front office led by GM Danny Brière just proved that it'll be aggressive in finding any way to upgrade the team (even if it doesn't work out).
There's another leap to take, and the Flyers will try to take the first step toward it against the Pens at the end of September – probably with some bad blood still lingering from the playoffs.
The Flyers' full 2026-27 schedule will be released on Thursday.
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