The NHL pre-season has officially arrived this weekend as another season approaches. Not only is pre-season a great time for coaches and management to test out line combinations and review their roster, but it’s a great time for the NHL and the teams to try new things.
Games have started to be held in neutral venues, where neither team participating in the pre-season outing is considered the home team. Other games will be held nearby at the home arena of an AHL affiliate, just outside of the big city.
This season, the NHL has scheduled several contests to be played at neutral sites.
Colorado Avalanche vs Utah Mammoth, Magness Arena
The first neutral-site pre-season game is between the Utah Mammoth and Colorado Avalanche on Sunday. This game will be held at Magness Arena in Denver. While the location is still technically home for Colorado, this isn’t Ball Arena.
Magness Arena was opened in 1999 and is home to the University of Denver in the NCAA. The University of Denver’s hockey program, the Denver Pioneers, have been a force for the last 10 years, earning three NCAA championships in 2024, 2022 and 2017.
The University of Denver is also known for its gymnastics program, as it hosted the NCAA Region Gymnastics Championships five times at Magness Arena.
Anaheim Ducks vs Los Angeles Kings, Toyota Arena
Toyota Arena in Ontario, Calif., will host state rivals the Anaheim Ducks and Los Angeles Kings on Sunday. Toyota Arena is the home of the AHL’s Ontario Reign, the affiliate team of the Kings. This venue is about a 50-minute drive west to the Kings’ Crypto.com Arena.
This is the second straight year that the Ducks take on the Kings in a pre-season affair at Toyota Arena. Los Angeles won that game 3-2 with two goals from Alex Laferriere and one from captain Anze Kopitar.
The Kings are participating in the most pre-season games held at neutral sites, with the game against Anaheim being one of three.
Calgary Flames vs Vancouver Canucks, Abbotsford Centre
Just like the Kings, the Vancouver Canucks will play in the home of the AHL’s Abbotsford Canucks, their affiliate club. Vancouver will take on the Calgary Flames at Abbotsford Centre in a pre-season clash on Wednesday.
The Abbotsford Canucks are coming off a Calder Cup championship. They didn’t get to hoist the Cup in the Abbotsford Centre, but it was the first championship for the franchise since they moved to Abbotsford in 2021.
Philadelphia Flyers vs Washington Capitals, Giant Center
On Thursday, the Philadelphia Flyers and Washington Capitals will face off at Giant Center in Hershey, Pa. This is another AHL home, which belongs to the Hershey Bears of the Washington Capitals organization.
Since the opening of the arena in October 2002, Giant Center has seen plenty of success from the Bears. Hershey has won five Calder Cups in that span, including back-to-back championships in 2023 and 2024, making it the home of one of the most storied franchises in AHL hockey.
Anaheim Ducks vs Los Angeles Kings, Dignity Health Arena
The Ducks and Kings are back at it again on the 27th, this time at Dignity Health Arena in Bakersfield, Calif. This is the home arena of the AHL’s Bakersfield Condors. However, they aren’t the affiliates of the Kings or Ducks.
The Condors are the AHL affiliate of the Edmonton Oilers. The distance between the two cities is nearly 1,300 miles, one of the longest distances between an NHL team and their AHL affiliate.
New Jersey Devils vs Ottawa Senators, Videotron Centre
On the 28th, the New Jersey Devils will take on the Ottawa Senators in a venue that is home to the Quebec Remparts of the QMJHL. The Videotron Centre in Quebec City is a relatively new arena, as it opened in September 2015.
Quebec City hasn’t seen competitive NHL hockey in a long time. While it has hosted a handful of pre-season games in the past, it’s been 30 years since the Quebec Nordiques were the talk of the town as the city’s beloved NHL team.
In The Hockey News’ pre-season fan survey, Quebec City was voted as the most deserving city for NHL expansion.
Florida Panthers vs Tampa Bay Lightning, Kia Center
Kia Center will host the Battle of Florida between the Florida Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning. This arena was opened in 2010 as the Amway Center, before it was renamed to the Kia Center in 2023.
The Kia Center is home to three teams. The NBA’s Orlando Magic, the ECHL’s Orlando Solar Bears – affiliate of the Lightning – and the Orlando Predators of the Arena Football League.
Montreal Canadiens vs Ottawa Senators, Videotron Centre
The Ottawa Senators are back in the Videotron Centre on the 30th, but this time they match up with the Montreal Canadiens. This could be an attractive matchup for fans in the Quebec City area, as both teams participating have the largest French-speaking population.
Another fact about Quebec City and the Videotron Centre is that they’ll be the hosts of the IIHF’s 2027 Women’s World Championship and the 2029 World Junior Championship.
Los Angeles Kings vs Utah Mammoth, Idaho Central Arena
The final neutral venue for the 2025-26 NHL pre-season will be the Idaho Central Arena. This will be the third neutral site for the Kings and the second for the Mammoth of this campaign.
The Idaho Central Arena is in Boise, Idaho and is home to the Idaho Steelheads. The Steelheads, affiliate of the Dallas Stars, are entering their 18th season in the ECHL and have played in this arena since 1997.
For
action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue,
subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by
subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on
THN.com.
