Washington Capitals Visit Carolina Hurricanes in Early Season Metro Clash

Alex Ovechkin returns for the Washington Capitals as they open their 2026-27 campaign against the defending Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes.

The Washington Capitals make their season debut Friday at 7 p.m. ET against the defending Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes. Alex Ovechkin officially returns for another season with a Washington squad that made multiple roster moves over the summer, while Carolina enters the matchup following an overtime loss to the Florida Panthers on Tuesday. The Hurricanes have retained the majority of their championship roster, and the two Metro Division rivals are scheduled for a rematch in Raleigh on Oct. 13.

In other Friday action, the Winnipeg Jets host the Boston Bruins at 8 p.m. ET without goaltender Connor Hellebuyck. The 2025 Hart and Vezina Trophy winner remains with the team following an unaccommodated trade request, but Stuart Skinner will start in the crease. The Bruins enter the contest 1-0-0 after Jeremy Swayman recorded a shutout in a 3-0 opening night victory over the New York Rangers.

The New York Rangers face the Detroit Red Wings at 6:30 p.m. ET on TNT. Detroit will play without Dylan Larkin, who is sidelined with an upper-body injury after being stripped of his captaincy. The Red Wings also remain without a permanent General Manager and have yet to sign restricted free agent defenseman Simon Edvinsson. For the Rangers, backup goaltender Joonas Korpisalo is week-to-week with a lower-body injury.

Friday’s slate concludes with the St. Louis Blues visiting the Dallas Stars at 9 p.m. ET and the Anaheim Ducks facing the Vegas Golden Knights at 10 p.m. ET. Robert Thomas will debut as the Blues' captain, while Jason Robertson is confirmed back in the Stars' lineup. In Vegas, Ryan Craig takes over as head coach for the Golden Knights, who recently traded top scorer Pavel Dorofeyev to the Rangers.