The NHL released each team’s 82-game regular season schedule on Wednesday and one date hockey fans will want to circle on their calendars is October 28.
All 32 clubs are set to face off on the same night at staggered start times. In years past, ESPN has claimed the exclusive rights to that day’s games – aside from regional sports networks – to market what it called the “Frozen Frenzy.” The event is an NFL Redzone-style broadcast where it provided viewers whip-around coverage from each game on one of the network’s main channels on top of a triple-header lineup. Fans with ESPN+ subscriptions have also had access to stream each game individually. Puck drops were staggered every 15 minutes starting at 7 pm EST.
This year, the Washington Capitals will play the Dallas Stars at American Airlines Arena with puck drop slated for 8:30 pm.
Neither ESPN nor the league has not formally announced the return of the “Frozen Frenzy” yet but insider Frank Seravalli indicated this is the plan.
The network will be hoping for a rebound from last year as it was reported the 2024 edition saw a ratings decline of 56 percent compared to its debut in 2023.
Frozen Frenzy schedule of games on Oct. 28
| Matchup | Time (ET) |
|---|---|
| Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Philadelphia Flyers | 6:00 PM |
| Calgary Flames vs. Toronto Maple Leafs | 6:30 PM |
| Columbus Blue Jackets vs. Buffalo Sabres | 6:45 PM |
| Anaheim Ducks vs. Florida Panthers | 7:00 PM |
| New York Islanders vs. Boston Bruins | 7:15 PM |
| Vegas Golden Knights vs. Carolina Hurricanes | 7:30 PM |
| Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Nashville Predators | 7:45 PM |
| Winnipeg Jets vs. Minnesota Wild | 8:00 PM |
| Detroit Red Wings vs. St. Louis Blues | 8:15 PM |
| Washington Capitals vs. Dallas Stars | 8:30 PM |
| Ottawa Senators vs. Chicago Blackhawks | 8:45 PM |
| New Jersey Devils vs. Colorado Avalanche | 9:00 PM |
| Utah Mammoth vs. Edmonton Oilers | 9:30 PM |
| New York Rangers vs. Vancouver Canucks | 10:00 PM |
| Montreal Canadiens vs. Seattle Kraken | 10:30 PM |
| LA Kings vs. San Jose Sharks | 11:00 PM |
Last year, the Capitals scored the opening goal of ESPN’s coverage. Nic Dowd put the Caps up 1-0 in the first period against the Philadelphia Flyers, a contest the Caps went on to win 6-3.
All 32 teams will also compete on Oct. 11 but no “Frozen Frenzy” programming has been announced for then.
There will be an additional special programming debut this season when Amazon Prime Video broadcasts its first ever NHL game. The league announced in a press release it has a “Prime Monday Night Hockey” double-header billed for Canadian Thanksgiving (Oct. 13) when the Detroit Red Wings and Toronto Maple Leafs will battle in the early window (4pm ET) followed by the St. Louis Blues at the Vancouver Canucks in primetime (7:30pm ET).
Update, August 27: ESPN has formally announced the Frozen Frenzy’s return in a press release. The Washington Capitals’ game against the Dallas Stars will be part of ESPN’s exclusive tripleheader that night, beginning at 8:30 pm.
NHL Frozen Frenzy Returns on Oct. 28
This season’s NHL Frozen Frenzy, a special night of hockey featuring all 32 teams in action, returns on Oct. 28. Led by ESPN’s exclusive tripleheader – beginning at 6 p.m. ET – featuring the Pittsburgh Penguins at Philadelphia Flyers, Washington Capitals at Dallas Stars and Los Angeles Kings at San Jose Sharks (ESPN).
The additional 13 games will be available on NHL Power Play on the ESPN App – with 15-minute staggered start times – resulting in continuous action throughout the night. With every team in action, ESPN2 and ESPN+ will again provide a whip-around show with live look-ins on every game, showcasing the best plays, hits and goals of the night.
