5 key storylines from Flyers’ 2025-26 schedule

The Philadelphia Flyers have released their 2025-26 regular season schedule and there are multiple key dates and storylines we need to highlight.

The Philadelphia Flyers have officially released their full schedule for the 2025-26 regular season. All 82 games, just out there for us to plan our lives around for several months. It all starts on October 9 and goes until April 14.

But, while we will be watching all 82 games, what are some key storylines woven into this schedule? What are key dates we should circle on our hockey calendars? Let’s take a look.

By the numbers

First, let’s look at the basic breakdown of some key numbers for the Flyers season and little tidbits of information we can gather.

• Flyers have 14 back-to-backs
• Longest stretch of games at home is six, from Dec. 1-13
• For intradivisional matchups, the Flyers face the Devils and Blue Jackets just three times

• In December, January, and March, the Flyers play 15 games. the most of any months

The opening stretch

The Flyers are starting their 2025-26 season on Oct. 9 on the road against the reigning Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers, and then are travelling up to Carolina to face the Hurricanes two days later. The home opener is on Oct. 13, also against the Panthers, and then they continue to host the Jets, Wild, and Kraken before hitting the road again.

Basically, beyond just Seattle, the Flyers are in tough to start the season. Six of their first seven games are against teams that were just in the playoffs, and that of course includes two games against the champs.

While we are confident that this is an improved Flyers team, they could certainly start this season on the wrong foot against these teams in multiple tiers above them. We might need a reminder to not panic if suddenly they are on a losing streak before they even get a win.

Player returns

There were lots of incoming players on and outgoing players from, the Flyers’ roster this summer. So, let’s look at some key games for some reunions.

• He already faced the Flyers since being traded, but that was in Toronto. Scott Laughton will be returning to Philadelphia for the first time as part of the visiting team on Nov. 1 with the Maple Leafs come to town.

• Christian Dvorak will be making his first return to Montreal as a Flyer on Nov. 4
• Dan Vladar (if he’s in between the pipes) will be making his return to Calgary as a member of the Flyers, on Dec. 31
• Ryan Poehling will be coming back to Philadelphia for the first time as a Duck on Jan. 6

• If he’s on the team, Jakub Pelletier will be coming back to Philadelphia as a member of the Lightning in back-to-back games on Jan. 10 and 12
• Trevor Zegras, in exchange, will be returning to Anaheim as a Flyer on March 18
• While he’s not a player, Rick Tocchet will return to Vancouver as the Flyers head coach on Dec. 30

• And finally, they already played in Philadelphia since being traded, but Morgan Frost and Joel Farabee will be coming with the Calgary Flames on Nov. 2.

Other returns could happen, too. Nikita Grebenkin could be a Flyer when the Flyers visit Toronto on March 2, for example. But that isn’t guaranteed, of course.

The Anaheim games

Obviously, the main date that everyone keyed in on is when the Flyers are facing the Ducks this season. The maligned former prospect who decided to not play in Philadelphia for a reason that he refuses to tell us, Cutter Gauthier, will be facing the wrath of Flyers fans for the second time in his career, on Jan. 6 this season. We don’t expect any of you to let up compared to the onslaught of boo’s and general yelling in his direction whenever he had the puck that he faced this past season during his first time in Philadelphia since the trade to Anaheim.

But, as mentioned, there is also an added wrinkle to this matchup this season. Thanks to the Flyers trading for Trevor Zegras and handing over Ryan Poehling as part of the transaction, a couple more reunions will be happening.

On March 18, Zegras will probably be welcomed with open arms by Ducks fans in his return to Anaheim. It wasn’t his fault that the team soured on him and ended up trading him for not a whole lot. It will be a big difference compared to Gauthier coming back to visit the city that expected him to be on the team for over a decade.

No fun on New Year’s Eve, no Black Friday home game

While we first look for the interesting matchups when it comes to teams, it is hard to ignore the dates and times that are some games you just do not look forward to watching.

Most notably, the Flyers are, for some reason, in Calgary facing the Flames on New Year’s Eve and puck drop is at 10:30 p.m. ET. The ball is going to drop in the middle of the second period between two non-playoff teams. We were going to say we have no idea why the NHL’s schedule makers would do this specific thing, but then looking back at last season’s schedule, the Flyers were in San Jose facing the Sharks on New Year’s Eve, and that game started at 11:00 p.m. ET. It ended with a 4-0 Flyers win but we apparently blocked that out from our memory.

A notable omission on Black Friday. The Flyers will not be playing a home game on Black Friday for the first time in a full 82-game NHL schedule for the first time in 2005. The reason? The Eagles are hosting the Bears across the street that afternoon.