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Bet on the NHL 2026/27 with Bitcoin
Eighty-four games per team, a September start and a Stanley Cup back in Raleigh: the 2026/27 NHL season opens with plenty of change. Puck drop is Tuesday 29 September 2026, and the regular season runs to Saturday 10 April 2027. With each club adding two extra divisional matchups, that's 1,344 regular-season games, the most in NHL history.
Every one of those games is available to bet on at Cloudbet with Bitcoin, USDT and 30+ other cryptocurrencies, pre-game or live in-play.
Carolina open as champions with a target on their backs. The Hurricanes beat the Vegas Golden Knights in six games in June, closing out the series with a 3-0 shutout in Las Vegas. That ended a 20-year wait for the franchise's second title. Their 16-3 playoff run is bettered only by the 1987-88 Edmonton Oilers (16-2), and captain Jordan Staal, then 37, won the Conn Smythe Trophy.
84 games, one Stanley Cup: the 2026/27 NHL format
Founded in 1917 with four teams, the NHL now has 32 clubs in the Eastern and Western Conferences, with two divisions in each.
The 2026/27 schedule is the first 84-game season since 1993-94. Each team plays:
- 28 games inside its division (two home and two away against each of its seven rivals)
- 24 games against the rest of its conference
- 32 games against the other conference
Home and away games are split evenly, 42 and 42.
After the regular season, eight teams from each conference enter the Stanley Cup playoffs: four best-of-seven rounds ending in the Stanley Cup Final. No franchise has more titles than the Montreal Canadiens, with 24.
Stanley Cup futures: Carolina's title defence and the 2026/27 contenders
Five teams sit at the top of the Stanley Cup futures market heading into opening night.
Florida Panthers
The biggest bounce-back story in the league. After Cups in 2024 and 2025, the Panthers missed the playoffs in 2025/26 at 40-38-4. Aleksander Barkov missed the whole season after knee surgery, and Matthew Tkachuk missed the start of the campaign following offseason surgery. Barkov is healthy again, and the summer trade for Ottawa captain Brady Tkachuk puts both Tkachuk brothers on the same roster, which has Florida back among the market leaders.
Carolina Hurricanes
Most of the June roster is back, and Rod Brind'Amour now has a Stanley Cup as both captain and coach of the same franchise. The question is in net: Frederik Andersen has moved to Edmonton, so Carolina lean on Brandon Bussi, who posted the Cup-clinching shutout in Game 6.
Colorado Avalanche
The best regular-season team last year. Colorado won the Presidents' Trophy at 55-16-11 and led the NHL at 3.63 goals per game. With Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar at the core, the Avalanche head the Western Conference market after their playoff run ended against Vegas in the conference final.
Edmonton Oilers
Andersen arrives to settle a crease that has long been Edmonton's weak spot, behind Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl.
Vegas Golden Knights
Vegas starts over under Ryan Craig, in his first NHL head-coaching job. Jack Eichel, Mitch Marner and Mark Stone lead a Final-tested core, but the 37 goals Pavel Dorofeyev took to the New York Rangers still need replacing.
Stanley Cup prices will move with every injury, trade and hot streak across 84 games. Check the live NHL outright odds on Cloudbet before you place a futures bet.
2026/27 NHL schedule: dates that move betting markets
| Date | Event | Matchup and venue |
|---|---|---|
| 29 September 2026 | Opening night | Florida Panthers at Carolina Hurricanes, Raleigh (banner raising) |
| 25 October 2026 | Heritage Classic | Montreal Canadiens at Winnipeg Jets, Winnipeg (outdoor) |
| 12 and 14 November 2026 | Global Series | Carolina Hurricanes vs Seattle Kraken, Helsinki |
| 18 and 20 December 2026 | Global Series | Ottawa Senators vs Chicago Blackhawks, Düsseldorf |
| 31 December 2026 | Winter Classic | Colorado Avalanche at Utah Mammoth, Rice-Eccles Stadium, Salt Lake City (outdoor) |
| 20 February 2027 | Stadium Series | Vegas Golden Knights at Dallas Stars, AT&T Stadium, Arlington (outdoor) |
| 10 April 2027 | Regular season finale | All 32 teams in action |
A new run of Monday matinee games also moves NHL puck drops into European prime time, giving bettors outside North America more games they can follow and bet on live.
NHL betting markets on Cloudbet
Every NHL game on Cloudbet carries a full set of pre-game and live in-play markets:
- Game winner
- Total goals
- Correct score
- Period winner
- First team to score
- Last team to score
For longer-term positions, the Stanley Cup outright market runs all season, from opening night to the Final.
How to bet on the NHL with Bitcoin
- Sign up at Cloudbet and fund your wallet with Bitcoin, Ethereum, USDT or another supported cryptocurrency.
- Go to Ice Hockey, then NHL, and pick a game or the Stanley Cup outright market.
- Make your selection, set your stake and confirm. Winnings land in the same crypto you bet with.
With games almost every night from late September to April, NHL betting rewards bettors who track line-ups, goaltender confirmations and back-to-back fixtures. Live in-play odds let you react period by period. Between NHL slates, browse the full Cloudbet sportsbook.
Cloudbet VIP for NHL bettors
An 84-game season is a long grind, and the Cloudbet VIP program is built for bettors who stay with it. Core NHL markets are available with no-limit betting, and a dedicated VIP host can arrange custom limits for the teams, games and markets you focus on.
Reach Sapphire and your host can speed up withdrawals and open in-person invitations to major sporting events. Cash rewards are paid in your active currency with no playthrough, and rakeback applies to every NHL bet from the first regular-season game to the Stanley Cup Final.
NHL betting FAQ
Who won the 2026 Stanley Cup? Carolina. The Hurricanes beat the Vegas Golden Knights in six games for their second Stanley Cup and first since 2006.
When does the 2026/27 NHL season start? Opening night is Tuesday 29 September 2026. The regular season finishes on Saturday 10 April 2027.
How many games does each NHL team play in 2026/27? 84, up from 82. The NHL last played an 84-game schedule in 1993-94.
Which NHL team has the most Stanley Cups? The Montreal Canadiens, with 24 titles.
Can I bet on the NHL with Bitcoin? Yes. Cloudbet takes Bitcoin, Ethereum, USDT and 30+ other cryptocurrencies on NHL game markets, live in-play betting and Stanley Cup futures.