Day: July 15, 2026

The New York Rangers announced today that they have signed 2026 fifth overall pick Alberts Smits to a three year Entry Level Contract. The deal is for a base of 1.075M with the ability to earn another $3M in bonuses. The 6-3 209lb Latvian has continued to impress the Rangers front office, and it was widely expected that he would sign his ELC before training camp in September.

The NHL announced today that the 2026-27 season will kick off on Tuesday September 29th, with five games and ten teams scheduled to hit the ice for the first time. The Rangers will be one of those teams, travelling up I-95 to Boston to face off against the Bruins. Elsewhere the Stanley Cup Champion Carolina Hurricanes will host the 2025 Champion Florida Panthers in a game that will feature the Tkachuk brothers playing together for the first time at the NHL.

Up in Canada Toronto will host their neighbors the Montreal Canadiens, while Vancouver will travel to Alberta to face the Edmonton Oilers. In the final game of opening night, the 2026 Western Conference champion Vegas Golden Knights will welcome Connor Bedard – presumably – and the Chicago Blackhawks.