Ducks begin home schedule against Penguins and all-time great Crosby

DUCKS

The Ducks’ Cutter Gauthier was originally drafted by the Flyers in 2022 but did not sign with them, leading to their fans booing him last season. Keith Birmingham / staff

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By Andrew Knoll

Correspondent

The NHL released its 2025-26 schedule Wednesday, with the Ducks returning to the ice Oct. 9 for their opener in Seattle against the Kraken.

Here’s a quick peek at the six games that aren’t to be missed this season.

Oct. 14: vs. Penguins

After a quick swing through Seattle and San Jose, the Ducks will kick off their campaign on Katella Avenue against the Pittsburgh Penguins and perhaps the greatest player of his generation, Sidney Crosby. Crosby’s Pens have missed the playoffs three years in a row — the Ducks’ drought is seven seasons — but won Stanley Cups in 2009, 2016 and 2017. Those three Cups were equaled in the post-lockout era only by the Chicago Blackhawks, who won championships in 2010, 2013 and 2015 under new Ducks coach Joel Quenneville.

Oct. 19: at Blackhawks

This early season visit to the Madhouse on Madison was already significant thanks to the showdown between 2023’s top two picks, Chicago’s Connor Bedard and the Ducks’ Leo Carlsson. Now, the plot thickened as Quenneville joined the Ducks. He’d returned to Chicago previously with the Florida Panthers, though only once outside the crowdless conditions of the COVID-19 pandemic. Quenneville hoisted the Stanley Cup in Chicago three times, but his tenure was later marred by what the NHL deemed inadequate action to a sexual assault scandal, leaving him barred from the league for nearly three years.

Dec. 15: at Rangers

It’ll be the first game back in the Big Apple for a pair of players who wore letters for the Rangers, former captain Jacob Trouba and former alternate captain Chris Kreider. Trouba was traded to the Ducks last season after they’d already played at Madison Square Garden and Kreider was sent west over the summer. Both were not only critical contributors on the ice for the Blue Shirts, but pillars of the community as well. While Kreider’s departure was handled with care, Trouba was less than thrilled about how the Rangers pushed their Mark Messier Leadership Award winner out the door.

Jan. 6: at Flyers March 18: vs Flyers

What instantaneously became the biggest interconference rivalry in the league today only deepened its intrigue over the summer. Last season, the Philadelphia crowd went insane while welcoming Ducks rookie Cutter Gauthier, who had refused to sign with the Flyers after they drafted him fifth overall, sparking a 6-0 romp by Philly. This year, not only will Gauthier hear the hate on Broad Street, but former Duck Trevor Zegras should feel the love inside the Honda Center. The former team leader in scoring was dealt unceremoniously to the Flyers this offseason and will make his return to Anaheim in March.

Feb. 6-24: Olympics

It’s another campaign with a compressed schedule for 2025-26, this time for the first Winter Olympics since 2014 that will feature NHL pros in the ultimate best-on-best tournament. Carlsson was the only Duck to participate in last year’s 4 Nations Face-Off, but should he go to Milan as well he will likely be joined by goalie Lukáš Dostál (Czechia), captain Radko Gudas (Czechia), newcomer Mikael Granlund (Finland) and other hopefuls, including Kreider (USA).

April 16: at Predators

Will Game 82 carry real significance for the Ducks this season? As they visit one of the freshly acquired Granlund’s former teams, the Ducks could be playing for a postseason berth or playoff position. They haven’t been in such a position since 2018, when they were swept by San Jose in the first round. With the O.C. Vibe complex opening, Quenneville arriving and Ducks ownership opening its checkbook wide, ambition has returned to Orange County.