The Washington Capitals‘ preseason schedule is out. And this year’s slate of games comes in a pack of four, instead of the normal six, due to the NHL’s regular-season schedule swelling to 84 games. The Capitals’ opponents will be the Philadelphia Flyers and Boston Bruins.
The most notable exhibition game is on September 21, featuring a return to Hershey.
Washington Capitals’ 2026 preseason schedule
| Date | Opponent | Location | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sun., Sept. 20 | at Boston | TD Garden | 5 pm |
| Mon., Sept. 21 | vs. Philadelphia | Giant Center (Hershey, PA) | 7 pm |
| Fri., Sept. 25 | vs. Boston | Capital One Arena | 7 pm |
| Sat., Sept. 26 | at Philadelphia | Xfinity Mobile Arena | 5 pm |
All Times Eastern
The preseason game at Giant Center will mark the second-straight year the Capitals have suited up in Hershey — and the fourth time in franchise history. Both of the recent games have come as Capital One Arena has been closed over the summer undergoing renovations.
“We are thrilled to welcome the Washington Capitals back to Giant Center for a second consecutive year,” Bryan Helmer, the Bears vice president of hockey operations, said in a statement. “Last year’s event was a great success that highlighted our incredibly strong partnership with Washington, and we’re excited to have this marquee showcase returning to Chocolatetown. Opening the hockey season with NHL action in Hershey is special, and we know the best fans in the American Hockey League will be ready to provide another phenomenal atmosphere this September.”
The Capitals added in a press release that season ticket members will receive additional details about the Hershey preseason game in the future, along with a presale opportunity from the Bears.
Last year, the Capitals defeated the Flyers 5-1 at Giant Center. The Capitals got goals from Andrew Cristall, Ivan Miroshnichenko, Sonny Milano (2), and Connor McMichael. McMichael notably did the ROAR celebration after scoring.
Alex Ovechkin was supposed to play in the exhibition and skate on a line with the Strome brothers, but was unable to due to an injury he suffered early in training camp.
Marketing for this year’s game features players who have played for both the Capitals and Bears, including Aliaksei Protas, Ilya Protas, Hendrix Lapierre, Ivan Miroshnichenko, and Connor McMichael. Two of the players, Lapierre and McMichael, are restricted free agents and are not signed for next season (yet).
Capitals promotion video of preseason game in Hershey
The Capitals’ roster in 2025-26 featured 14 players who had previously played for the Bears, including Lapierre, Ethen Frank, Dylan McIlrath, Ivan Miroshnichenko, and Bogdan Trineyev, all of whom were members of the Bears’ back-to-back Calder Cup championship teams in 2023 and 2024.
The Capitals were 5-1-0 during the 2025 preseason. Their all-time preseason record is 187-138-33-1
