Boston Bruins vs New York Rangers preview
The Boston Bruins host the New York Rangers on September 30, 2026, at 00:00 UTC in the opening night of the USA NHL season. The Bruins enter their second season under coach Marco Sturm following a 45-27-10 record and a first-round playoff exit against Buffalo last year. Boston has bolstered its roster by acquiring winger JJ Peterka from Utah and signing center Fraser Minten to a seven-year, $50.4 million extension. The team also intends to name a new captain for this campaign, with David Pastrnak and Charlie McAvoy identified as the primary candidates to lead the franchise.
The New York Rangers arrive in Boston following a 2025-26 season where they finished with a 34-39-9 record. General manager Chris Drury has overseen a significant retooling of the roster, moving out players including Artemi Panarin and Vincent Trocheck. New additions to the Rangers lineup include Pavel Dorofeyev, Marcus Pettersson, Sean Durzi, Oliver Bjorkstrand, Eeli Tolvanen, Joe Veleno, and Joonas Korpisalo. The team also features 18-year-old rookie Alberts Smits as they look to improve upon their previous campaign.