The Washington Capitals will be playing the Pittsburgh Penguins in their first home game of the 2026-27 campaign. It will take place Oct. 7 at Capital One Arena at 7:30 p.m., the team announced Wednesday.

Take off the cap and pencil it in#ALLCAPS | @vandapharma pic.twitter.com/Qu2lRG42Ql

— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) July 15, 2026

This will be the second time in four seasons Washington will play Pittsburgh in its home opening game. It will also be the 101st time that the club’s hockey stars and future Hall of Famers — Alex Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby — will face each other. The Capitals won the regular-season series against the Penguins last year 2-1-0. The team’s full schedule will be announced Thursday. The Capitals are looking forward to having their star Ovechkin back for his 22nd season as they attempt to bounce back after missing the playoffs last season. The NHL’s all-time leading goal scorer is coming off a season in which he played in all 82 games and scored 32 goals. The 2026-27 season could be Ovechkin’s final season and he believes that the team is a contender for the Stanley Cup.