The Edmonton Oilers open their season at home against the rebuilding Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday, beginning their first campaign under head coach Mike Babcock. The game is an early test of Edmonton’s offseason changes as it pursues another run at the Stanley Cup, while Vancouver starts a broad rebuild after finishing at the bottom of the league standings last season.

Edmonton reached the Stanley Cup Final in each of the previous two seasons, losing to the Florida Panthers both times, before the Anaheim Ducks eliminated the Oilers in the first round last season. The team fired coach Kris Knoblauch and hired Babcock, whose appointment drew scrutiny because of the controversial endings to his tenures in Toronto and Columbus. Babcock led the Detroit Red Wings to the 2008 championship.

The Oilers’ key players supported the coaching decision and have said they believe it can help them meet their goal. “Babs is taking everything. He’s OK with it,” forward Zach Hyman said. “The players can just go out and play. ... There’s a lot of excitement, a lot of positivity here. Nothing but good is happening.”

Led by Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, Edmonton is an offensive powerhouse. Its offseason work focused on reshaping the defence and goaltending: the team added Frederik Andersen, who is currently injured, and Devon Levi, with Tristan Jarry set to start Tuesday. Edmonton traded away Darnell Nurse and brought in Ryan Shea and Shakir Mukhamadullin. The club hopes Babcock’s defensive structure will improve its chances of competing for the Cup.

The Oilers went 4-0-0 in the preseason and allowed five goals. Veteran defenceman Mattias Ekholm said the team has depth across its defensive pairs. “We have three pairs, almost eight ‘D’ that all can play,” Ekholm said. “That’s a really good problem for us to have.”

Vancouver’s changes followed a last-place finish and reach across its management and coaching staff. Henrik and Daniel Sedin became co-presidents of hockey operations, Ryan Johnson took over as general manager, and Manny Malhotra received the coaching job after Adam Foote was fired. As the Canucks work more young players into the lineup, they added veterans Brendan Gallagher, Luke Schenn and Jamie Oleksiak to provide guidance.

A playoff berth will be difficult, but the club’s initial aims include creating a more stable atmosphere after upheaval and chaos on and off the ice. “Last year was last year. Now it’s over. It’s a new year,” forward Marco Rossi said. “We are all really excited, we have a good energy in our group. Everyone’s positive, so we’re all excited.”

The Canucks still have established offensive players in Elias Pettersson, Brock Boeser and Jake DeBrusk, while second-year defenceman Zeev Buium is seen as a possible rising star. Goaltender Thatcher Demko will miss the start of the season after hip surgery in January, and has no timetable for returning. Kevin Lankinen is set to start in goal. Vancouver will host Edmonton on Thursday in the second game of the home-and-home series.

Pettersson said the team plans to build a winning attitude. “I think with the good coaching we have now and the standards we’re trying to build, I think we just build on that, and we’ll see what happens,” he said.

The Edmonton-Vancouver opener is part of a busy start to the NHL season on Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2026, according to a Canadian Press report first published that date. The reigning Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes will raise their championship banner before facing the Florida Panthers, who are bolstered by the return of captain Aleksander Barkov. In another Canadian matchup, No. 1 draft pick Gavin McKenna and the Toronto Maple Leafs host the Montreal Canadiens, who reached last season’s Eastern Conference final.

Opening-night games also include an Original Six meeting between the Boston Bruins and New York Rangers in Boston, and the Chicago Blackhawks against the Golden Knights in Las Vegas. The Calgary Flames begin Thursday at home against the Seattle Kraken; the Winnipeg Jets open Friday at home against the Bruins; and the Ottawa Senators play their first game Saturday, visiting the Leafs in Toronto.

Based on reporting by CTV News Edmonton and Global News Edmonton.