Islanders and Flyers Clash in Preseason Opener Tonight

NEW YORK, NY — The New York Islanders will host the Philadelphia Flyers for their preseason opener tonight at 7 p.m. at UBS Arena.

This matchup marks the start of the 2025-26 NHL preseason for both teams as they prepare for the regular season. Fans can stream the game on newyorkislanders.com and the Islanders UBS Arena app.

The Islanders’ lineup features several key players, including Mat Barzal, who is making his return after a knee injury ended his last season early. Barzal expressed excitement, saying, “It’s been a while, so looking to get my legs under me and not too much pressure on myself.” Joining him are forwards Anders Lee and Kyle Palmieri, as they skate together for the season opener.

First overall draft pick Matthew Schaefer is also expected to make his debut tonight alongside veteran Scott Mayfield. Schaefer shared his enthusiasm, stating, “Obviously over the moon right now. It’s awesome to get a morning skate in… playing in front of the fans. It’s going to be awesome.”

Meanwhile, the Flyers are looking forward to their first game action with new faces like Trevor Zegras and Matvei Michkov. Zegras will make his debut as a Flyer after previously playing for the Ducks, and fans are eager to see how he fits into the team.

Both teams are focusing on evaluating their rosters before the regular season begins. Flyers head coach Rick Tocchet noted, “This game presents a great opportunity to kick things off on the right foot, even if the games aren’t real and the points don’t matter.”

The goalies for the Islanders will be David Rittich and Parker Gahagen, while the Flyers will split duties between Aleksei Kolosov and Carson Bjarnason.

As the puck drops tonight, fans will witness exciting gameplay, including the debut of several rookies and a glimpse into the teams’ season prospects.