Nathan MacKinnon faces Sidney Crosby twice in Avalanche’s 84-game 2026-27 schedule

Nathan MacKinnon will face Sidney Crosby twice when the Colorado Avalanche open their record 84-game 2026-27 NHL season on Sept. 30 against the Los Angeles Kings at Ball Arena.

What’s in the Avalanche’s 84-game slate

The NHL released the full 2026-27 schedule on July 16, giving every team 84 games for the first time since before the franchise moved from Quebec City to Denver. The Avalanche, last year’s Presidents’ Trophy winners, will try to rebound from a second straight shocking postseason exit after being swept by the Vegas Golden Knights in the 2026 Western Conference Final.

Colorado’s opener at home to Los Angeles on Sept. 30 will feature a banner-raising ceremony. The Avs swept the Kings in the opening round of the 2026 playoffs, but the banner won’t be the one fans expected after a dominant 2025-26 season.

Nathan MacKinnon vs. Sidney Crosby twice

Nathan MacKinnon and Sidney Crosby will meet twice this season. The first clash comes on Oct. 16 in Denver, with the rematch scheduled for Jan. 12 in Pittsburgh. Crosby, the NHL’s all-time leading goal scorer Alex Ovechkin, will play what’s almost certainly his final game in Denver on Dec. 12.

The Avalanche also face the Toronto Maple Leafs on Oct. 10, when top 2026 draft pick Gavin McKenna makes his debut in Colorado. Colorado plays four games against each of its seven Central Division rivals, including back-to-back sets with the Dallas Stars on Oct. 13-14 and Jan. 22-24.

Toughest stretches and longest trips

The Avalanche’s longest road trip runs Dec. 1-8, taking them from Boston to Detroit, then to New York for a Long Island-St. Louis back-to-back that ranks among the club’s longest in history. The Dec. 12 game against Washington marks the start of the first of two five-game homestands.

Colorado’s only meeting with the Minnesota Wild before March is a Friday matinee on Nov. 27, the day after Thanksgiving. The Avs eliminated the Wild in five games in the second round of the 2026 playoffs, handling Quinn Hughes and Co.

What comes next for Nathan MacKinnon

Nathan MacKinnon and the Avalanche must move past a second straight early exit after the 2026 Western Conference Final sweep by Vegas. The 84-game slate gives them more chances to chase another Presidents’ Trophy, but the schedule’s density still demands sharp execution. The Sept. 30 opener against Los Angeles sets the tone for a season where every game carries extra weight.