After an offseason of twists, turns and upheaval, the Ducks will settle in for a newly expanded, 84-game schedule, putting Joel Quenneville’s high-octane offense on display once more.
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Here are eight can’t-miss dates on the Ducks’ calendar:
Oct. 2: at Vegas Golden Knights
This season-opening joust pits the Ducks against the foe that eliminated them from the playoffs in the spring. The Ducks swept the regular-season series from Vegas last season with a pair of overtime wins and a third one-goal victory. But they were wiped out in six games with all the chips on the table, with Vegas playing a ruthless series en route to the Stanley Cup Final.
Oct. 24: at Philadelphia Flyers
This interconference rivalry has layer after layer of intrigue. First, Cutter Gauthier spurned the Flyers and, after contentious contract negotiations and recovering from an injury, Jamie Drysdale was packaged up with a draft pick to get him to Orange County. Then, it was Trevor Zegras heading East before last year – Drysdale and Zegras signed contract extensions in Philly this offseason – for a package that included Ryan Poehling. Most recently, it was the Flyers injecting chaos into the Ducks’ organization with a massive offer sheet for Leo Carlsson that had a far-reaching ripple effect. In Gauthier’s career as a Duck, he’s 0-3-1 against the Flyers.
Dec. 29: vs. Toronto Maple Leafs
This will be the Buds’ only visit to Honda Center and Ducks fans’ chance to see No. 1 pick Gavin McKenna in action. The Leafs also still boast established stars Auston Matthews and William Nylander, having added Tampa Bay’s breakout defenseman Darren Raddysh as well. Locking horns with McKenna in the Calder Trophy race could be a handful of Ducks rookies like Tristan Luneau and Nikita Klepov.
Jan. 14: vs. St. Louis Blues
The recent history of the Ducks and Blues is less controversial but equally interwoven as that of the Ducks and Flyers. Cam Fowler was dealt to the Blues in 2024, and this past offseason he was joined by Mason McTavish via trade and Ross Johnston in free agency. Former Ducks bench boss Greg Cronin also came aboard as an assistant coach for St. Louis, which has beaten the Ducks in 12 of the past 13 meetings.
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Feb. 27: vs. Montreal Canadiens
The Habs will bring a familiar face, Chris Kreider, who plied his trade on Katella Avenue last season after spending his entire career with the New York Rangers. In addition to Kreider’s return, the Habs and Ducks played two of the most entertaining games of their respective campaigns against each other last season, both won by the Ducks, including a 6-5 overtime thriller at home.
March 5: vs. Tampa Bay Lightning
The Lightning and their magician on the flank, Nikita Kucherov, will come into town just once, but could be shown around capably by former Ducks Jeffrey Viel and John Carlson. There won’t be any pomp and circumstance for those two, as both spent only part of last season with the Ducks before bolting for Tampa in free agency.
March 22: vs San Jose Sharks
March 24: at San Jose Sharks
Another Ranger-turned-Duck who departed over the summer was Jacob Trouba as part of an effort by San Jose to beef up and acquire veterans. While other non-playoff qualifiers in the Pacific Division – Seattle, Vancouver and Calgary – seemed to be looking to the future, the Sharks are a team with upward momentum and designs on pushing teams like the Ducks and Kings out of the postseason picture. These two late-season meetings could shape the playoff field.
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