With the focus primarily on the upcoming NHL Draft and free agent frenzy next week, the Philadelphia Flyers announced their 2026-27 exhibition schedule on Monday. And it’s going to be much shorter than previous schedules, which just four games on the docket; of course happening due to the regular season being increased from 82 games to 84 contests.
According to the schedule, the Flyers will play just four preseason games, and they are two home-and-home affairs with the Washington Capitals and the Boston Bruins. The Flyers open the schedule with two road games, the first against the Capitals on September 21 in Hershey (home of the Capitals’ American Hockey League affiliate) before they visit the Bruins the following night in Boston. After that, the Flyers will play two home games, the first on September 24 against the Bruins before closing out the slate of games on September 26 against Washington. The first three games are all 7 p.m. Eastern puck drops while the final game on Sept. 26 will be a 5 p.m. Eastern start. Of course, Philadelphia begins their training camp prior to the exhibition schedule, starting on Sept. 17.
This season’s schedule is almost cut in half compared to 2025-26 where Philadelphia played seven exhibition games, and going 3-4-0 in those games with three shootout wins. The National Hockey League hasn’t made any announcement yet regarding the regular season, but the general consensus is the schedule will begin in late September or early October, earlier than the usual start in the first week to ten days of October. Last season’s exhibition schedule lasted almost two weeks (September 21 to October 4) compared to the four games in six days this upcoming slate entails.
Broadcast information for those games will be announced at a later date. And ticket information for the home games — slated for Xfinity Mobile Arena — will also be revealed in the coming weeks.
Obviously, the fewer games will give the Flyers coaching staff less of a chance to see some players who are on the fence in terms of making the club. However, it will also result in those same players needing to make the most of their opportunities. With just 12 periods of hockey to make a good first impression, it’s imperative those players don’t get off on the wrong foot. As well, the reduced schedule allows most of the established players and veterans to get a bit more rest before the regular season begins. And avoid any needless injuries in unimportant games. Add to that there’s no Olympic break this coming season nor a 4 Nations Face-Off tournament slated means the 84 games should not be nearly as condensed as they were in the last two seasons.
Either way, the four-game schedule will mean essentially a drop in rather meaningless games and the regular season getting underway sooner than the traditional start. Both of those ideas are good things.
