It is Friday, January 16, 2026. If you’re a hockey fan, you know this part of the calendar is basically the "dog days" of the season, but tonight’s slate actually has some serious heat. We’ve got five games total. It’s not a massive 12-game Tuesday chaos, but the quality of the matchups—specifically a certain battle in Raleigh—is enough to keep anyone glued to the TV.
Honestly, the league is in a weird spot right now. We’re about six weeks out from the trade deadline. Teams are starting to figure out if they’re actually contenders or if it’s time to start looking at 2026 draft prospects. When you look at what nhl games are on tonight, you're seeing a mix of desperate bubble teams and heavyweights trying to keep their streaks alive.
The Big One: Florida Panthers at Carolina Hurricanes
This is the game everyone is circling. It’s at the Lenovo Center in Raleigh, and puck drop is at 7:00 p.m. ET. If you’ve been following the Canes lately, you know they’ve had a rough week with back-to-back losses to the Blues and Red Wings. They need a win. Badly.
The Panthers are coming in with a bit of momentum, having won their last two against the Sabres and Senators. But here’s the kicker: these two teams just saw each other recently. This is their third meeting in less than a month. Familiarity breeds contempt, and in the NHL, that usually means a lot of post-whistle scuffles and high-intensity forechecking.
Carolina is dealing with some major personnel issues. Pyotr Kochetkov is out for the season, which puts a massive amount of pressure on Frederik Andersen and the newcomer Brandon Bussi. Also, keep an eye on the injury report for Shayne Gostisbehere and William Carrier—both are questionable for tonight. If Gostisbehere can't go, that's a huge hole on the power play for a team that’s already struggling to score with the man advantage.
Checking the Rest of the Friday Night Slate
While the Hurricanes-Panthers game gets the national spotlight on NHL Network, there are four other games you should probably have on your radar if you’re a fan of the Western Conference or just love a good underdog story.
San Jose Sharks at Detroit Red Wings (7:00 p.m. ET)
Don't sleep on this one just because it’s the Sharks. Macklin Celebrini has been a revelation this season. He’s sitting at 24 goals already. The Red Wings are currently 28-16-4 and are fighting tooth and nail to keep their spot in the Atlantic Division playoff race. Detroit is the heavy favorite at -215 on the moneyline, but the Sharks have this annoying habit of sticking around in games they have no business being in.
Tampa Bay Lightning at St. Louis Blues (8:00 p.m. ET)
The Lightning are just... a machine. They’ve been winning games without Victor Hedman and Ryan McDonagh, which is honestly terrifying. Nikita Kucherov is playing like he wants another Hart Trophy, leading the team with 44 assists. They’re facing a Blues team that is struggling to stay consistent. St. Louis is 18-21-8, sitting near the bottom of the power rankings. If the Blues can pull off an upset here, it’ll be because Joel Hofer stands on his head in goal.
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Nashville Predators at Colorado Avalanche (9:00 p.m. ET)
The Avalanche are currently the best team in hockey. Period. They are 33-4-8. Nathan MacKinnon has 36 goals. I’ll say that again: 36 goals by mid-January. It’s absurd. Nashville is a decent team, but they’re walking into a buzzsaw at Ball Arena. Steven Stamkos is still doing his thing for the Preds with 20 goals, but Colorado is just too deep right now.
Anaheim Ducks at Los Angeles Kings (10:30 p.m. ET)
The late-night "Freeway Face-Off." These games are always a coin flip regardless of the standings. Anaheim is surprisingly decent this year at 22-21-3, while the Kings have been the kings of the overtime loss (11 OTLs!). Look for Kevin Fiala to lead the charge for LA, while the Ducks will be leaning on Troy Terry, assuming his upper-body injury doesn't keep him out.
Where to Watch and What to Look For
If you're trying to figure out how to watch what nhl games are on tonight, it depends on where you live. Most of these are on regional networks like FanDuel Sports Network (formerly Bally) or local outlets like Victory+ for the Ducks.
- Florida vs. Carolina: NHL Network (National) / FanDuel Sports Network South
- San Jose vs. Detroit: ESPN+ / FanDuel Sports Network Detroit
- Tampa Bay vs. St. Louis: ESPN+ / FanDuel Sports Network Midwest
- Nashville vs. Colorado: ESPN+ / Altitude
- Anaheim vs. LA: ESPN+ / KCOP-13
Betting-wise, the over/under for most of these games is sitting around 5.5 or 6.5. The Colorado/Nashville game has a high total because, well, the Avalanche score five goals just by waking up. If you're looking for a "lock," Detroit over San Jose seems like the safest bet, but the value might actually be in taking the Panthers as road underdogs against a Carolina team that is reeling from goalie injuries.
Key Storylines and Late-Season Implications
We are at that point in the season where every point starts to feel like two. For a team like the Red Wings, a loss to a bottom-tier team like the Sharks would be devastating for their playoff math. They’ve worked too hard to climb the standings to give it away in January.
Then you have the injury factor. The NHL injury report for January 16 is long. It's not just the big names like Landeskog or Kochetkov. It's the "day-to-day" guys. When a guy like Jaccob Slavin is out for Carolina, their entire defensive structure changes. They become much more vulnerable to the rush.
Also, keep an eye on the "showcase" players. With the trade deadline approaching on March 6, scouts are everywhere. Players on expiring contracts for teams like the Sharks or Blues are basically playing for their next destination. It adds a weird layer of individual desperation to a team sport.
Moving Forward With Tonight's Action
If you're planning your night around these games, the best way to handle it is to start with the Hurricanes/Panthers game at 7:00 p.m. It has the most "playoff" feel to it. By the time that wraps up, the Colorado game will be in the second period, and you can catch MacKinnon doing something highlight-reel worthy.
Check your local listings or the NHL app about 30 minutes before puck drop to see the official starting goaltenders. In a league where the backup goalies are playing more than ever, knowing who is in the crease is the difference between an easy win and a frustrating loss. Focus on the goalie matchups in Detroit and Raleigh—those will likely decide the outcomes tonight.
Track the live standings after the final whistles tonight. With the Lightning and Avalanche both in action, the top of the league could look very different by tomorrow morning.