Bruins Dates Highlight 2025-26 National NHL TV Rollout

The Boston Bruins will take center stage on the NHL’s national broadcast schedule with Brad Marchand’s long-awaited return to TD Garden.

Marchand and the Florida Panthers come to Boston on Oct. 21, one of ESPN’s early season spotlight games.

The night is expected to feature a tribute to Marchand’s 15-year run with the Bruins, when he helped raise the Stanley Cup in 2011 and became one of the most recognizable faces in franchise history.

His reception will also carry a competitive edge, with Florida arriving as the two-time defending champion and Marchand now chasing wins against the team he once captained.

The national package is loaded with storylines, with 172 regular-season games spread across ABC, ESPN, ESPN+, Hulu and TNT Sports.

Boston figures prominently throughout, including an outdoor showcase against the Tampa Bay Lightning in the Navy Federal Credit Union Stadium Series on Feb. 1 in Tampa. The Bruins also return to one of their traditional marquee slots, hosting the New York Rangers on Nov. 28 in the Thanksgiving Showdown at TD Garden, a matinee carried nationally by TNT.

Beyond Boston’s dates, the league’s broadcast partners will highlight opening week with banner ceremonies, Original Six clashes and a Winter Classic in Miami.

The calendar also circles back after the Olympic break with a nationally televised doubleheader on Feb. 26. Fans will be able to stream every game through ESPN platforms, with more than 1,000 out-of-market matchups on NHL Power Play.

Marchand’s return, though, remains the night Bruins fans will anticipate most.

After passing on a tribute video last spring, his first shift back on Garden ice promises to be a moment that lingers well past the final horn.