NHL Games on TV Today – Thursday, October 8, 2026 (ET)
Ten games on Thursday, including two more home openers: Ottawa finally plays in its own building, and St. Louis comes home after a three-game road trip. The night ends in Las Vegas, where Gavin McKenna plays his first NHL road game against former Maple Leaf Mitch Marner.
Sharks-Blues streams nationally in the United States on ESPN+, Disney+ and Hulu, and Prime Video has Stars-Sabres in Canada. Out-of-market games stream on ESPN+.
Thursday’s NHL Schedule at a Glance
| Time (ET) | Matchup | Venue | TV |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7:00 PM | Utah Mammoth at Boston Bruins | TD Garden, Boston | NESN / Utah16 |
| 7:00 PM | Dallas Stars at Buffalo Sabres | KeyBank Center, Buffalo | Prime Video / MSG-B |
| 7:00 PM | Nashville Predators at Montreal Canadiens | Bell Centre, Montreal | RDS / TSN2 / Scripps |
| 7:00 PM | Philadelphia Flyers at Ottawa Senators | Canadian Tire Centre, Ottawa | TSN5 / RDS Info / NBCSP |
| 7:00 PM | Minnesota Wild at Tampa Bay Lightning | Benchmark International Arena, Tampa | Wild+ / The Spot |
| 7:00 PM | Vancouver Canucks at Carolina Hurricanes | Lenovo Center, Raleigh | HHN / Sportsnet Pacific |
| 7:30 PM | Chicago Blackhawks at New York Islanders | UBS Arena, Elmont | CHSN / MSGSN |
| 8:00 PM | San Jose Sharks at St. Louis Blues | Enterprise Center, St. Louis | ESPN+ / Disney+ / Hulu / SN+ |
| 9:00 PM | Colorado Avalanche at Calgary Flames | Scotiabank Saddledome, Calgary | SNW / ALT |
| 10:00 PM | Toronto Maple Leafs at Vegas Golden Knights | T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas | TSN4 / Scripps |
🏒 Game of the Day: Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Vegas Golden Knights
10:00 PM ET | TSN4 (Canada) · Scripps (US) · T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas
Gavin McKenna finally has his first NHL goal. The No. 1 overall pick scored in Toronto’s 5-4 overtime win over Nashville on Tuesday – his first point in four games, which he called “a big monkey off the back.” Tonight he plays his first NHL road game, against a Vegas team led in part by Mitch Marner, the longtime Maple Leaf now in his second season with the Golden Knights.
Vegas is 3-1-0 and Jack Eichel is the hottest player in the league. He had four points in Tuesday’s 6-2 win in Seattle to become the first NHL player to reach 10 points this season. Ryan Craig’s team has won two straight since its only loss, to Anaheim on Oct. 2.
Toronto is 2-2-0 and still finding its identity under Jim Hiller, with William Nylander, Easton Cowan and Morgan Rielly carrying much of the early offense. Keeping Eichel quiet is the whole assignment.
Prediction: Eichel stays hot – Vegas wins by two.
San Jose Sharks vs. St. Louis Blues
8:00 PM ET | ESPN+ / Disney+ / Hulu (US) · SN+ (Canada) · Enterprise Center, St. Louis
St. Louis opens its home schedule after three games on the road, and it needs a lift: the Blues have lost two straight, most recently 4-2 in Chicago on Tuesday, and are 1-2-0. San Jose may be without captain Macklin Celebrini for a second straight game because of a lower-body injury. He missed practice Tuesday and Wednesday, and Will Smith has been taking his spot at center. The difference was stark on Monday in Dallas: without Celebrini, the Sharks managed 13 shots and no goals.
Prediction: The Blues feed off the home crowd and snap their skid.
Utah Mammoth vs. Boston Bruins
7:00 PM ET | NESN · Utah16 · TD Garden, Boston
Utah has the best power play in the NHL at 61.5 percent, and Nick Schmaltz can extend his season-opening goal streak to five games – he scored his fifth of the season in Tuesday’s 5-3 win in New Jersey. Schmaltz and Dylan Guenther each have three power-play goals for the 3-1-0 Mammoth. Boston is 2-2-0, has scored twice in two straight losses and is 0-for-10 on the power play.
Prediction: Utah’s power play is the difference.
Minnesota Wild vs. Tampa Bay Lightning
7:00 PM ET | Wild+ · The Spot · Benchmark International Arena, Tampa
Two of the stingiest teams in the early going. Tampa Bay has allowed two goals since a 5-1 loss to the Rangers on opening night and is coming off a 4-1 win over Philadelphia. Minnesota, 2-0-1, has given up five goals in three games but lost 3-2 in overtime in Buffalo on Tuesday. Matt Boldy, who had a career-high 85 points last season, is still looking for his first point.
Prediction: A low-scoring game that Tampa Bay wins late.
Dallas Stars vs. Buffalo Sabres
7:00 PM ET | Prime Video (Canada) · MSG-B · KeyBank Center, Buffalo
Dallas finally found its offense with a 5-0 win over San Jose on Monday after scoring once in its first two games, and Jake Oettinger stopped all 13 shots. Buffalo is 2-1-0 and holding opponents to 19.3 shots per game. Owen Power has five points in three games, including Tuesday’s overtime winner against Minnesota, and has played more than 25 minutes every night.
Prediction: Buffalo’s structure holds – Sabres by one.
Around the Rest of the League
Flyers at Senators (7:00 PM): Ottawa’s home opener after a 2-1-0 road trip that included a win in Toronto. Philadelphia is still looking for its first win.
Predators at Canadiens (7:00 PM): Montreal’s second home game after a 6-4 loss to Carolina in its opener at the Bell Centre. Nashville lost 5-4 in overtime in Toronto on Tuesday.
Canucks at Hurricanes (7:00 PM): Vancouver begins an Eastern swing against a Carolina team that has found its scoring touch after an 0-1-1 start.
Blackhawks at Islanders (7:30 PM): Patrick Kane and Chicago picked up their first win of the season in Tuesday’s home opener against St. Louis.
Avalanche at Flames (9:00 PM): Colorado, which lost for the first time on Wednesday in Winnipeg, plays the second night of a back-to-back against winless Calgary.
Ten games, two home openers and McKenna’s first road test. Check local listings for regional broadcast details.
