Devils fans, we have a schedule. On Thursday, the New Jersey Devils released their schedule for the 2026-27 campaign. A couple of things stand out when you look at it as a whole. The Devils have 13 back-to-backs, playing the New York Rangers all three times before New Year's, and playing all three games vs the defending Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes after the All-Star break.
This is the first sign that Devils' hockey is on the horizon. 26-27 will be an important season for the new-look Sunny Mehta-led squad. There are a ton of games with storylines that will be intriguing to fans of the red and black. With that in mind, let's take a look at five games that fans should have circled on their calendars.
1. Home Opener vs Philadelphia (10/1/26)
The NHL schedule makers decided to have the Devils open the season vs their New Jersey Turnpike rivals. New Jersey went winless (0-3-0) vs the Philadelphia Flyers last season. Having success against the upcoming Flyers is one of the many tasks the Devils need to complete to be much better this year. They'll get their first chance to do that at the Rock to open 26-27.
2. Simon Nemec Returns to Jersey (11/27/26)
TRADE ALERT: We’ve acquired two conditional first-round picks, a 2026 second-round selection, and defenseman Etienne Morin from Calgary in exchange for defenseman Simon Nemec and forward Maxim Tsyplakov.
— New Jersey Devils (@NJDevils) June 23, 2026
📰: https://t.co/tYfH6Yspkb pic.twitter.com/Euv0HFAsX9
The Devils and Calgary Flames have quite the recent history of making trades with each other. The most recent one is Mehta, which shipped off Simon Nemec to Alberta for multiple first-round picks plus more. The young defenseman will make his first trip back to New Jersey in late November. It will be interesting to see the reception he'll get as well as how he'll do vs the team that drafted him.
3. Ovi's Potential Last Game in Jersey (1/24/27)
The 26-27 season may be the last for the greatest goal scorer in NHL history. Alex Ovechkin has been a nightmare for the Devils since 2005-06. If it indeed is Ovechkin's swan song, he'll play his final game in New Jersey in late January. That will be one of the hottest tickets to get for a chance to see the future Hall of Famer one more time.
4. Devils Battle the Tkachuk Brothers (2/18/27)
This year's battle with the Florida Panthers will be extra intriguing. Not just with guys like Alexander Barkov, Brad Marchand, and some others returning from injuries. Now the Devils will face both Matthew and Brady Tkachuk on the same team. It will surely be a major challenge as well as an important measuring stick to see how they stack up against the top of the Eastern Conference.
5. Hughes Bowl In Jersey With Extra Intrigue (3/31/27)
UNREAL photo of all three Hughes brothers sharing the ice tonight 🔥
— Gino Hard (@GinoHard_) January 13, 2026
Straight to the family mantle 🖼️ (via @NHL) pic.twitter.com/oA7VxNuN8J
Until Quinn Hughes extends with the Minnesota Wild, the talk of him eventually coming to New Jersey to join Jack and Luke won't go away. Either way, the battle between the Hughes brothers late in the season will be must-watch TV. It will be intriguing to see where both teams are at that point, as well as what the future holds for all parties involved. If Quinn is still not extended, Devils fans will surely do everything to give him a convincing experience to come to the Garden State in 2027-28.
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