A technique for optical fiber management in a chassis-based network system involves using a blind mating optical interface at the back of a line card and an optical transceiver interface that is accessible from the front of the line card. The blind mating optical interface and the transceiver interface are optically connected by an optical signal path that includes and optical fiber. When the line card is secured within a compatible chassis, the blind mating optical interface of the line card connects to a blind mating optical interface of the chassis and creates an optical connection between an external optical fiber and the transceiver interface.