The ECHL announced on Thursday its preseason schedule of 18 games taking place from Thursday, October 8 through Sunday, October 11.
 
The Premier ‘AA’ Hockey League will open its 39th season on Friday, Oct. 16 with eight games. Opening Weekend continues with 14 games on Saturday, Oct. 17 before concluding with five games on Sunday, Oct. 18.
 
The third-longest tenured professional hockey league behind only the National Hockey League and the American Hockey League, the 2025-26 ECHL season features 30 teams in 23 states and one Canadian province playing 1,080 games from Oct. 16, 2026 to April 11, 2027.
 
2026 ECHL Preseason Schedule
 
Thursday, October 8
Trois-Rivières at Adirondack                         7:00 p.m. ET
Orlando at Florida                                           7:30 p.m. ET
 
Friday, October 9
Reading at Trenton                                         Time/Location TBD
Savannah at Jacksonville                                7:00 p.m. ET (Community First Igloo)
Worcester at Maine                                         7:00 p.m. ET (Harold Alfond Arena in Biddeford, Maine)
Fort Wayne at Wheeling                                 7:00 p.m. ET
Kalamazoo at Toledo                                      7:15 p.m. ET
Orlando at Florida                                           7:30 p.m. ET
Tulsa at Wichita                                              7:00 p.m. CT (Wichita Ice Center)
Tahoe vs. Idaho                                              7:00 p.m. MT (Mountain America Center in Idaho Falls, Idaho)
 
Saturday, October 10
Indy at Bloomington                                       5:00 p.m. CT
Trenton at Reading                                         7:00 p.m. ET
Toledo at Kalamazoo                                      7:00 p.m. ET
Maine at Worcester                                         7:00 p.m. ET (Worcester Ice Center)
Allen at Tulsa                                                 7:00 p.m. CT (WeStreet Ice Center)
 
Sunday, October 11
Adirondack at Trois-Rivières                          1:00 p.m. ET (Centre Premier Tech in Rivière-du-Loup, Quebec)
Wheeling at Fort Wayne                                 5:00 p.m. ET
Tahoe at Idaho                                                            4:10 p.m. MT
 
About the ECHL
 
Formed in 1988-89 with five teams in four states, the ECHL has grown into a coast-to-coast league with 30 teams in 23 states and one Canadian province for its 39th season in 2026-27. There have been 782 players who have gone on to play in the National Hockey League after starting their careers in the ECHL, including 14 who made their NHL debuts in the 2025-26 season. The ECHL has affiliations with 29 of the 32 NHL teams in 2026-27, marking the 29th consecutive season that the league has affiliations with at least 20 teams in the NHL. Further information on the ECHL is available on its website at ECHL.com.