If you’ve been keeping an eye on the standings lately, you know things are getting tight. The la kings game schedule for the 2025-26 season is hitting its most critical phase right now. We are officially in the "January Grind."
Honestly, it’s a weird time of year. The initial excitement of the October opener against Colorado feels like a lifetime ago, and the playoffs still feel like a distant mirage. But for Jim Hiller’s squad, this is where the season is won or lost. If you're planning your next trip to Crypto.com Arena, or just trying to figure out which nights to stay glued to the couch, there's a lot to break down.
The January Gauntlet and the Freeway Face-Off
January has historically been a bit of a nightmare for the Kings. It’s the busiest month of the 82-game marathon. We're talking 16 games in 31 days. That’s a game basically every other night. You've gotta wonder how Anze Kopitar—who is currently chasing Marcel Dionne's all-time franchise scoring record—is holding up under that kind of load at age 38.
The highlight of this month? It’s the home-and-home "Freeway Face-Off" against the Anaheim Ducks.
- Friday, January 16: Ducks come to Crypto.com Arena (7:30 PM).
- Saturday, January 17: Kings head down the I-5 to the Honda Center (7:00 PM).
Back-to-back rivalry games are brutal. There’s no travel time to recover, just raw adrenaline and probably a lot of bad blood by the third period of the second night. If you can only catch one game this week, make it the Saturday night tilt in Anaheim. The atmosphere is always a little more chaotic when the Kings fans take over the Ponda.
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Looking Ahead: The Olympic Break and the Longest Homestands
One of the most unique aspects of the la kings game schedule this year is the massive gap in February. Because of the 2026 Winter Olympics, the NHL is taking a breather. The Kings play the Vegas Golden Knights on February 5th and then... nothing. Silence. For nearly three weeks.
The team doesn’t return to action until February 25th.
This break is a double-edged sword. For guys like Adrian Kempe or Kevin Fiala, who might be heading to Italy to represent their countries, there’s no rest. For the veteran core, it’s a chance to heal the inevitable bumps and bruises that come with a Jim Hiller-coached system.
When they come back, the schedule shifts heavily in their favor. We're looking at a massive six-game homestand starting February 25th, followed by a monster seven-game stretch at home from late March into early April.
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Key Matchups in the Second Half:
- February 26 vs. Edmonton Oilers: This is one of only two times Connor McDavid visits Los Angeles this season. You don’t miss that.
- March 2 vs. Colorado Avalanche: A potential playoff preview against MacKinnon and the boys.
- April 2 vs. Nashville Predators: This is the big one—Kopitar Legacy Night. The team is celebrating his 20-year career. It's going to be emotional.
The Saturday Obsession
Have you noticed the Kings basically live at the arena on Saturdays? It’s not your imagination. The team has 13 home games on Saturdays this year. That is the most of any day of the week. Conversely, if you’re looking for a Sunday home game, you are out of luck. They don’t have a single one.
Basically, the schedule-makers decided Sundays are for the NFL and Mondays through Saturdays are for hockey. Honestly, as a fan, it’s kinda nice to have that consistency. You know where you’re going to be on a Saturday night in DTLA.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Road Schedule
A lot of fans complained about the road-heavy start to the season. It’s true—the Kings played 14 of their first 21 games away from home. This was largely due to the final phase of the Crypto.com Arena renovations.
But here is the silver lining: the Kings have been a better road team this year. As of mid-January, their road record (12-6-5) is significantly better than their home record (7-10-6). They seem to thrive in that "us against the world" mentality. If they can just find a way to win at home during those long March homestands, they’ll be in a prime position for a top-three seed in the Pacific.
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Actionable Insights for Fans
If you are planning to attend a game or follow the stretch run, keep these specific tips in mind:
- Check the Start Times: While 7:30 PM is the standard, those Saturday games often flex. The game against Buffalo on March 21st is a 1:00 PM matinee. Don't show up at 7:00 PM to an empty building.
- The "Kopitar Watch": Keep a close eye on the points tally. He’s closing in on 1,300 career points. If he’s sitting at 1,298 or 1,299 heading into a home game, tickets are going to skyrocket on the secondary market.
- The February Void: Don't forget there are no games from Feb 6 to Feb 24. It’s the perfect time to catch an Ontario Reign game if you’re suffering from hockey withdrawal.
The final regular-season home game is April 11th against Edmonton. After that, it’s a three-game sprint through Western Canada (Seattle, Vancouver, Calgary) to close it out. If the playoff race is as tight as it looks now, those final six points in the Pacific Northwest will be everything.
Make sure you've synced your calendar with the official NHL app, but honestly, just keep your Saturdays clear. That’s when the real work gets done.