The wait is over! After the Stanley Cup playoffs concluded in June, the NHL season is all set to commence again, and fans couldn’t be happier. Among other things, hockey connoisseurs will be the most eager to see if the Florida Panthers can defend the Stanley Cup again and achieve the elusive three-peat, a rare feat last achieved by the Islanders in the 1980s. But the Panthers loyalists aren’t the only ones who will have a lot to look forward to in the 2025-26 season. To make sure the action is kicked off in style, the top analysts and favorite voices will also be there to flag things off on the first day.

NHL Announcers Schedule took to X on October 6 to share who will be covering the three matches on Day 1 of the 2025-26 season. Three high-stakes matches are scheduled for Tuesday: The Chicago Blackhawks, hoping to make amends for their shambolic last season (they finished at the bottom of the division), will begin their journey by taking on the reigning champs at the Amerant Bank Arena. ESPN’s Bob Wischusen will be undertaking the play-by-play commentating duties, while Kevin Weekes will be analyzing the game, along with Emily Kaplan playing the reporter’s role.

The Pittsburgh Penguins and the New York Rangers both missed the playoffs last season. Naturally, the Metropolitan Division heavyweights, both being Stanley Cup champions in the past, would like nothing more than to prove their worth this time around. With that objective in mind, the Penguins and the Rangers will lock horns at Madison Square Garden. The iconic Sean McDonough, still recuperating from his health issues from last year, will be back in his natural NHL habitat to shoulder the play-by-play announcement duties. Ray Ferraro and Leah Hextall will act as the analyst and reporter for the match at the Big Apple, respectively.

The LA Kings made it to the playoffs last season, but lost to the Oilers in Round 1. They will be taking on the Colorado Avalanche on the first day of the 2025-26 season. The Avalanche lost to the Dallas Stars last season to get eliminated from the playoffs, and will come all guns blazing of their own. To make sure this scintillating NHL match-up doesn’t go unattended, John Buccigross will be the play-by-play commentator for the Avalanche vs the Kings game, with Cassie Campbell-Pascall as the reporter.

Goes without saying that all six NHL franchises slated to begin their new season tomorrow have a lot depending on Day 1. And the crew of commentators and analysts that have been revealed for the occasion also looks more than capable for the job. Both McDonough and Wischusen are considered somewhat stalwarts in their domain, thanks to their storied careers. With them in the mix, the fans can rest assured that the energy meter will be right up there on Tuesday.

But all eyes will surely be on the South Florida team.

The 2025-26 NHL season will have a lot to offer

For a lot of reasons, the Panthers’ second straight Stanley Cup triumph last season was an incredible affair. From finishing the regular season behind the Leafs and the Lightning and then turning things around more than impressively to retain the silverware at Sunset, Florida, it was a campaign that hockey fans aren’t forgetting any time soon. However, this time, things are already looking pretty bleak. With both Matthew Tkachuk and team captain Aleksander Barkov injured before the start of the season, fans aren’t very hopeful about the three-peat being a viable possibility.

But Brad Marchand assures the Florida loyalists that such tumultuous times help others to step up and prove their guts to the fans. Moreover, the three preseason games between the Panthers and the Bolts have already set the tone for the defending champs’ upcoming NHL season, and fans can hardly wait to follow them around. On the other hand, the Avalanche is set to debut Taylor Makar, Cale Makar’s brother, this season, and obviously, hockey connoisseurs would love to see how that collab pans out.

The Rangers will also begin the campaign under fresh leadership, as J.T. Miller takes up the captain’s duties, even though the fans aren’t very pleased about the decision. But hey, we’re all for the drama! So, which of tomorrow’s matches do you think will have the most to offer to the fans?