Editors:

To help you prepare for the upcoming NHL season, here are some of AP’s plans. An up-to-the minute listing of all stories planned, including games and events, is available in Coverage Plan on AP Newsroom, http://newsroom.ap.org/coverageplan. You can also find a link to Coverage Plan on the left navigation of the Newsroom home page, http://newsroom.ap.org. Please contact Dave Zelio (dzelio@ap.org) with questions. All times Eastern.

For text, AP will provide NHL game recaps and boxes (sums) through the Stanley Cup Final after the regular season begins Oct. 7. Photos will be provided for select games and for all Stanley Cup playoff games.

HKN—SEASON PREVIEW — The Florida Panthers are going for the first Stanley Cup threepeat since the early 1980s. Connor McDavid is still chasing his first championship after two years of heartbreak in the final. And the NHL is returning to the Olympics, sending players to Milan in February coming off the massively successful 4 Nations Face-Off. That combination makes this one of the most anticipated seasons in the sport’s history at a time when hockey is grabbing a bigger share of the spotlight. By Stephen Whyno. 750 words, photos Sept. 30.

— Team preview capsules (450 words, photos) for U.S. based teams. Capsules for Eastern Conference teams will be sent Oct. 1, along with Atlantic and Metropolitan divisional previews. Capsules for Western Conference teams will be sent Oct. 2, along with Central and Pacific divisional previews.

HKN--TRAINING CAMP PRIMER — The Florida Panthers will open their threepeat bid without Matthew Tkachuk as he heals up, Alex Ovechkin reports to the Washington Capitals on his 40th birthday and how new coach Mike Sullivan will shake up the New York Rangers. A look around the NHL as training camps open. By Stephen Whyno. 500 words, photos Sept. 17.

HKO—NCAA-NHL PIPELINE — The NCAA welcoming junior hockey players is the first step of a seismic shift in the sport. Next year's expected No. 1 draft pick left the Western Hockey League to play at Penn State, and other top prospects are also going the college route. The new collective bargaining agreement that goes into effect in 2026 also tweaks a rule about keeping 19-year-olds in the minors. Every amateur and young professional league in North America will be affected, for better or worse, with name, image and likeness money blurring the lines and potentially opening new pathways through hockey for some and shutting them off from others. By John Wawrow and Stephen Whyno. 750 words, photos Sept. 29.

HKN--NHL EXPANSION — Will the NHL add a team in Houston or Austin, Texas? Go back to Atlanta? Expansion may not be imminent, but it feels inevitable that the NHL won’t stay at 32 forever. Owners might be able to get $2 billion in expansion fees to split among them and not share with players, who would benefit from more jobs and have their own thoughts about what cities they’d like to add to the rotation. By Stephen Whyno. 500 words, photos Oct. 1.

HKN—BETTER WITH AGE — Sidney Crosby was a point-a-game producer at 37. Brad Marchand scored six goals in the Stanley Cup Final at the same age, when 40-year-old Corey Perry was also one of the best players in the series. Alex Ovechkin broke Wayne Gretzky’s career goals record at 39. Thanks to changes in sports science, training and technology over the past two decades, the NHL’s window for stars to remain in their prime seems longer. Significant investment by ownership groups has helped, and it could eventually deepen the player pool with expansion coming at some point. By Stephen Whyno. 650 words, photos Oct. 2.

HKN--20 YEARS OF SHOOTOUTS — This is the 20th anniversary of the shootout arriving in the NHL. At one point early on, nearly 15% of games were decided by the 1-on-1 matchups between skaters and goaltenders. That has since been reduced by overtime changes, including a move to 3-on-3 play, but ties that were a regular part of the game for a century are gone for good. Even if there are occasional gripes about it, the shootout is wildly popular among fans. By Stephen Whyno. 700 words, photos, glances Oct. 6.

HKN—PUCK DROP-SEASON GUIDE -- A rundown of things to know for the 2025-26 season, including the Olympic break and AP predictions on which teams will go to the conference finals (and beyond) and which players are the most likely to have award-winning seasons. By Stephen Whyno and John Wawrow. 500 words, photos Oct. 1.

HKN--PUCK DROP-COACHING CAROUSEL — Three-time Stanley Cup champion Joel Quenneville is back in the NHL as coach of the Anaheim Ducks, four years since resigning from his post with Florida in the wake of an investigation into Chicago’s 2010 sexual assault allegations and his role in it. Two-time Cup winner Mike Sullivan is now in charge of the New York Rangers, the Dallas Stars brought back Glen Gulutzan to look to break through in the West and a handful of teams take on challenges with new coaches after another busy summer of changes behind the bench. By Stephen Whyno. 500 words, photos Sept. 24.

HKN—PUCK DROP-ROOKIE WATCH —After No. 1 picks Connor Bedard and Macklin Celebrini went right from junior hockey to the NHL, Matthew Schaefer may not make that leap, at least full time, after getting chosen first by the New York Islanders. He is not alone, as most of the top picks in this year’s draft need more experience. By Stephen Whyno. 500 words, photos Sept. 25.