The St. Louis Blues have released their 2025-26 NHL schedule, promising a season brimming with divisional battles, challenging stretches, prime home opportunities, and the integration of exciting new acquisitions. With a blend of roster enhancements and critical game narratives, here’s a comprehensive look at the key takeaways that could define the Blues’ campaign.
Season Kickoff with Six Tough Matchups
The Blues launch the season with a formidable six-game stretch, beginning with divisional rival Minnesota on October 9 at 7:00 PM. This early test, part of seven of 11 October games at Enterprise Center, sets a high bar, with players like Jordan Kyrou and Robert Thomas needing to shine to establish momentum against strong Pacific and Central foes.
Central Division Slate
The Blues will play 26 games against Central Division teams, featuring four matchups each with Chicago, Dallas, Nashville, Utah, and Winnipeg. The first rematch of the 2025 playoff series against Winnipeg on December 17 adds intrigue, with new acquisition Logan Mailloux and veteran Pius Suter expected to play key roles in these divisional showdowns.
Olympic Break Opportunity
A 2026 Winter Olympics break from February 5-25 offers a mid-season breather, allowing the team to regroup. The Blues may not have many Olympic participants but certainly a great time to reset and refocus ahead of the March 7, 2026 trade deadline.
Prime Home Schedule
With 16 home games on Friday and Saturday nights—six on Friday and 10 on Saturday—the Blues can maximize fan energy and rock and roll to head coach Jim Montgomery’s classic rock tunes. Five Saturday games feature a popular, family friendlier 6:00 PM puck drop, while four different four-game homestands, including hosting the Stanley Cup champion Florida on January 29. The final regular-season home game on April 14 against Pittsburgh caps this home slate.
Holiday Season Slate
November and December present a grueling holiday schedule for the Blues, blending road challenges with key home games.
November’s dense away schedule includes tough trips to Washington on November 5, Buffalo on November 6, and an Eastern Conference road trip from Toronto to New Jersey between November 18-26. December shifts to a nearly 50/50 split, featuring critical divisional battles like Chicago on December 12 and the playoff rematch with Winnipeg on December 17, alongside road matchups against strong opponents like Boston on December 4, Ottawa on December 6 and Colorado on December 31 to round out the calendar year.
Back-to-Back Challenges
Back-to-back sets like October 27-28 (at Pittsburgh, vs. Detroit) and January 2-3 (vs. Vegas, vs. Montreal) test roster depth. The mid-January gauntlet (January 16 vs. Tampa Bay to January 29 vs. Florida) will demand endurance, with Colton Parayko’s defense and youth players like Jimmy Snuggerud and Dylan Holloway’s two-way abilities crucial to navigate these stretches. The Blues will take on eight back-to-back matchups during the season.
Final Stretch Opportunities
The closing weeks of the season (April 1-16) include games in Anaheim, Colorado, and the season-ending Utah game on the road. This stretch will be challenging for the club, as they will face the Avalanche twice and games against the Jets, Blackhawks, and Utah, all of which could impact the division standings in the final games of the season.
Players to Watch in Specific Games
- Logan Mailloux (D): Acquired from Montreal, the 22-year-old defenseman (33 points in 63 AHL games last season) strengthens the blue line. Watch him in back-to-backs and his January 7 return to Montreal.
- Pius Suter (C): Signed from Vancouver on a two-year, $8.25 million deal, the 29-year-old (46 points last season) deepens the center position. His October 30 and March 21 games against Vancouver will be highlights.
- Robert Thomas (C): An Olympic hopeful, Thomas’s playmaking abilities this season could help influence Team Canada’s brass not only in their decision’s for the Olympics, but for a potential 100-point campaign
- Colton Parayko (D): Another Olympic contender, Parayko’s steady defense will be key this season to see if he can repeat his career-high 36 points in 64 games, but also in the midst of mid-January gauntlet matchups against the Lightning, Jets, Stars, and back-to-backs throughout the regular season.