Are Florida Panthers unlucky when it comes to NHL schedules? Stanley Cup-winning team gets confusing fixture yet again
Two Stanley Cup rings in a row didn't give the Florida Panthers too much affection from the
NHL
's schedule geniuses. The complete 2025–26 NHL schedule was released Wednesday, and again, the Florida Panthers' road to the playoffs appears to have been plotted by someone who has never unfolded a map—or seen a Cup Final.
And that's only the start of the strangeness.
Florida Panthers to face 13 back-to-backs—and not the good kind
The Florida Panthers must make it through 13 consecutive sets this year. That's only one fewer than the previous year's count, which was boosted by the overseas journey to Finland. The Florida Panthers will play three home-based back-to-backs in December alone, a set of games that might exhaust even a championship-stacked roster.
Things start to go haywire in early 2026.
The Florida Panthers' most extensive road swing of the year comes in January: six games of going through Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa, Buffalo, Carolina, and Washington. And then they're home for one game before taking off again to play Winnipeg, Minnesota, and Chicago.
Reacting to the Panthers 2025-26 schedule release
March mayhem and the Olympic sandwich
March won't be more merciful. Florida has 10 of its 15 contests on the road during that month, with three additional back-to-backs thrown in for good measure.
And don't count on a clean slate for the 2026 Winter Games in Italy. The Panthers will be forced to play a back-to-back both before and after the league break. There's no welcome mat quite like a condensed schedule and global jet lag.
A slight silver lining for Florida Panthers?
Only eight of Florida's 13 back-to-backs come after January 1. Last year, that number was 10. Despite winning two straight Cups and cementing their status as the NHL's gold standard, the Panthers are once again stuck with a disjointed, exhausting calendar.
Also read:
Brad Marchand trade to Florida Panthers leads to Stanley Cup win and emotional return to Boston Bruins
Whether it's a thank-you present or a scheduling error, one thing's for certain—Florida's struggle to win a third Cup will be just as much about making it through the schedule as it will about outplaying competition.
Catch Rani Rampal's inspiring story on Game On, Episode 4. Watch Here!
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