Tkachuk, Carlson, Lee and Others Return to Face Their Former Teams in the 2026-27 Season

The 2026-27 season will bring a considerable number of homecomings, with players who left their former teams challenging them as visitors. Many players changed destinations via trades or free-agent deals during the offseason, turning the spotlight back on games against their former teams.

As reported by the NHL, some of the most anticipated matchups and the first dates when these players return are: Radko Gudas – Florida Panthers at Anaheim Ducks (Oct. 4); Vincent Trocheck – Utah Mammoth at New York Rangers (Oct. 4); Brady Tkachuk – Florida Panthers at Ottawa Senators (Oct. 21); Quinn Hughes – Minnesota Wild at Vancouver Canucks (Oct. 25); Patrick Kane – Chicago Blackhawks at Detroit Red Wings (Oct. 29); Frederik Andersen – Edmonton Oilers at Carolina Hurricanes (Nov. 21); Jordan Kyrou – Washington Capitals at St. Louis Blues (Nov. 28); Mats Zuccarello – Los Angeles Kings at Minnesota Wild (Dec. 22); Boone Jenner – Washington Capitals at Columbus Blue Jackets (Dec. 31); Darnell Nurse – San Jose Sharks at Edmonton Oilers (Jan. 13); Mason McTavish – St. Louis Blues at Anaheim Ducks (Jan. 14); Anders Lee – Utah Mammoth at New York Islanders (Feb. 15); Sergei Bobrovsky – Toronto Maple Leafs at Florida Panthers (Mar. 6); Brendan Gallagher – Vancouver Canucks at Montreal Canadiens (Mar. 6); Pavel Dorofeyev – New York Rangers at Vegas Golden Knights (Mar. 13); John Carlson – Tampa Bay Lightning at Washington Capitals (Mar. 15); Alex Tuch – Washington Capitals at Buffalo Sabres (Mar. 18); and Jacob Markström – Florida Panthers at New Jersey Devils (Apr. 4).

Some moves came as surprises and have had a noticeable impact on the respective teams. Brady Tkachuk was traded on June 21 and returns to Ottawa as one of the most discussed captains of the past decade for the Senators, with 463 points in 572 regular-season games for the club. John Carlson was involved in a trade on March 5 after 17 seasons with the Capitals and then signed a two-year contract with the Lightning; he holds club records as the highest-scoring defenseman in goals and assists and won the Stanley Cup in 2018. Vincent Trocheck, who served as a key center for the Rangers with 53 points last season, is part of the Mammoth’s leadership group. Sergei Bobrovsky signed a three-year contract with the Maple Leafs on July 1, after seven seasons in Florida where he reached 201 regular-season wins with the Panthers, a figure that ranks him second in club history.

According to the NHL, these are just some of the most prominent homecomings we will see this season; the official calendar shows the dates when each player will face his former team for the first time as a visitor, offering games of special interest to fans and teams.

Source: NHL