If the week since the 2015-16 NHL season ended has you already going through withdrawl, you can at least start planning your calendar for the 2016-17 campaign. The NHL announced the schedule for the new season Tuesday.
You can check out the full schedule here, but we pulled out some of the key dates and best games you should know about. Also, here are a few things to know about the NHL schedule:
What to know
- The NHL season will start on Oct. 12, 11 days after the final game of the World Cup of Hockey which runs Sept. 17 to Oct. 1.
- This will be the first season in which each team has an official bye week, during which teams will have a mandatory five days without games in the second half of the season. Those bye weeks come between Jan. 1 and Feb. 28, except for the Anaheim Ducks, who will have a bye week from Feb. 25 to March 3.
Key Dates
Oct. 12 -- Opening Night
The Toronto Maple Leafs and Ottawa Senators have the responsibility of opening the 2016-17 season with the first game of the new year in Ottawa. That is just one of four traditional rivalry matchups on opening night. The Chicago Blackhawks will play host to the St. Louis Blues after the latter bounced the former from the first round of the playoffs this spring. Meanwhile, the defending Western Conference champion San Jose Sharks will host the Los Angeles Kings in another rematch from the first round. Lastly, the Edmonton Oilers will be opening the brand new Rogers Place, their new state-of-the-art home in the heart of downtown Edmonton.
Oct. 13 -- Penguins banner night
The Pittsburgh Penguins will be raising the banner from their successful Stanley Cup run on the second night of the season. And because the NHL is cruel, they'll be doing it against the Washington Capitals, one of the four teams the Pens beat on their way to the Cup.
Oct. 19 -- Matthews vs. Laine Pt. I
The top two draft prospects always get pit against each other. This year, it is expected that Auston Matthews will be picked first by the Toronto Maple Leafs, while Patrik Laine will go No. 2 to the Winnipeg Jets. Those two teams will play within a week after the season's start in Winnipeg. Laine has said he feels he should go first overall, while Matthews has taken a more reserved approach to the draft. They will be compared forever throughout their careers and it all starts on the second Wednesdy of the season.
Oct. 23 -- NHL Heritage Classic in Winnipeg
The NHL's first outdoor game of the season will, for the first time, be played in the month of October. The Winnipeg Jets will be hosting the Edmonton Oilers at Investors Group Field, home of the Canadian Football League's Winnipeg Blue Bombers. While the game should be fine, most hockey fans are probably more excited about the alumni game between these two clubs as Wayne Gretzky is among those signed on already to play.
Dec. 21 -- Flyers, Capitals renew burgeoning, heated rivalry
One of the most physical and punishing series of the entire postseason was between the Flyers and the Capitals. Unfortunately, we'll have to wait all the way until late December to see them get going again. Some of the sting of the playoffs may be worn off by then, but these two clubs developed a pretty healthy distaste for each other before the Capitals won the first round series in six games. This is a rivalry the NHL could afford to promote a bit and this game appears slated for the national airwaves.
Jan. 1 -- NHL Centennial Classic in Toronto
The NHL will be celebrating its 100th year in 2017 and they'll kick that party off in Toronto with an outdoor game between the Maple Leafs and Detroit Red Wings at BMO Field, home of Toronto FC. There should be a lot of extra festivities around this game to celebrate the league's rich history.
Jan. 2 -- NHL Winter Classic in St. Louis
One of the league's great rivalries will get the outdoor treatment as the St. Louis Blues will take on the Chicago Blackhawks at Busch Stadium, home of the St. Louis Cardinals. Chicago will be playing in their third Winter Classic, while the league's signature regular-season is played west of the Mississippi River (just barely) for the first time ever.
Jan. 27-30 -- All-Star Break
The NHL will pause at midseason to honor its stars and entertain fans with the 2017 NHL All-Star Weekend. The All-Star Skills Competition and Game will be played at Staples Center in Los Angeles as the Kings celebrate their 50th anniversary. The format for the game has not been announced, but you'd have to think the league's 3-on-3 format that was so popular in last year's game will be back.
Feb. 25 -- NHL Stadium Series in Pittsburgh
The defending Stanley Cup champs will be playing outdoors once again. And once again, they'll be skating at Heinz Field, home of the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Penguins and their opponent for this game, the Philadelphia Flyers, are among multiple NHL teams celebrating their 50th anniversary next season. This game helps tie into that celebration.
Feb. 28 -- NHL Trade Deadline
While not officially announced yet, the league's NHL trade deadline should be Tuesday, Feb. 28 at 3 p.m. EST based on the league's rules:
The NHL trade deadline will be on February 28th, at 3pm (40th day immediately preceding the final day of the Regular Season)
— CapFriendly (@CapFriendly) June 21, 2016
April 9 -- Last day of the season, last game at "The Joe"
The NHL season will conclude with 10 games on the final day. The one that likely will get a lot of attention, aside from games with big playoff implications, is the Detroit Red Wings' regular season finale against the New Jersey Devils. This will represent the last regular-season game at Joe Louis Arena, the team's home since 1979. The team is moving into a brand new building in Detroit for the 2017-18 campaign, so expect plenty of pomp and circumstance surrounding the finale at the Joe.
