​After a long offseason, the Tampa Bay Lightning will be back on the ice in just a few weeks, beginning with four preseason games before opening the regular season in New York against the Rangers.The Lightning will kick off their preseason on Sept. 20 against the Nashville Predators before facing Nashville again on Sept. 22. Tampa Bay will then turn its attention to the in-state rival Florida Panthers for a pair of preseason matchups, with the final game scheduled for Sept. 26.From there, the countdown to opening night will officially be on.Tampa Bay is set to open the regular season on Oct. 1 against the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden before returning to Tampa for the home opener against the Washington Capitals on Oct. 3.For the first time, each NHL team will play 84 games as the league expands the regular-season schedule from 82 games. That means two additional games on an already demanding schedule.A Busy Schedule AwaitsThe Lightning will have plenty of opportunities to play in front of a home crowd, including two six-game homestands. The first will run from Nov. 14 through Nov. 27, while the second is scheduled for Feb. 12 through Feb. 23.Tampa Bay will also have four-game road trips on four different occasions throughout the season. They will play 13 sets of back-to-backs, with eight of those coming entirely on the road.December Will Be the Busiest MonthIf the Lightning are looking for a breather in December, they won’t find one. Tampa Bay will play a season-high 15 games during the month, including eight on the road and seven at home.March won’t be far behindThe Lightning will play 14 games during the month, including a stretch that will send them to Los Angeles, Anaheim, San Jose and Chicago over the course of six days.After returning to Tampa for two games, the Lightning will then head back out for another four-game road trip.After a month of offseason moves, roster changes and anticipation, the wait is almost over. The 2026-27 season is right around the corner.