2015-16 NHL schedule: The key games and dates to know
The NHL released its schedule for the 2015-16 NHL season on Thursday morning. It all starts on Oct. 7 and wraps up on April 9 with all 30 teams in action. Here are some of the key dates to know.
By
Adam Gretz
•
2 min read
Just one day after NHL teams announced the dates and matchups for their home openers for the upcoming season, the league announced its full schedule on Thursday morning for the 2015-16 season.
It all starts on Oct. 7 with four games that will feature the Stanley Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks hosting the Presidents' Trophy winning New York Rangers at the United Center for yet another banner raising ceremony (their third in six years). The season opening night will also feature Mike Babcock's debut behind the bench in Toronto when the Maple Leafs host the Montreal Canadiens.
All 30 teams will make at least one visit to every other arena in the NHL this season. Eastern Conference teams will play 30 games within their own division, 24 games against the rest of the conference, and 28 games (one home, one away) against the Western Conference teams.
Western teams will play 29 games within the division, 21 against non-division teams within the conference, and 32 games (one home, one away) vs. Eastern Conference teams.
Full team schedules can be found here.
Some other big games and dates to watch for this season:
•There will be no games between Dec. 23 and Dec. 25 for the annual Christmas break, while the NHL All-Star break runs from Thursday, Jan. 28 through Monday, Feb. 1.
•The NHL will have three outdoor games in 2016, starting with the Winter Classic as it makes its return to Boston where the Bruins will play host to the Montreal Canadiens.
There will also be two Stadium Series games this season with the first one coming on Feb. 21 when the Minnesota Wild will host the Chicago Blackhawks at TCF Stadium on the University of Minnesota campus. The second one will take place on Sunday, Feb. 27 when the Colorado Avalanche host the Detroit Red Wings at Coors Field, regular home of Major League Baseball's Colorado Rockies.
•The New York Islanders make their regular season debut at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn on Oct. 9 against the Stanley Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks. They host their longtime rivals, the New York Rangers, for the first time on Dec. 2, and then again on Jan. 14.
•The two Stanley Cup Final rematches between the Blackhawks and Tampa Bay Lightning will take place on Oct. 24 when Tampa Bay makes a visit to Chicago, and then again on Jan. 21 when the Blackhawks go to Tampa Bay.
•The Eastern Conference champion Lightning open their season at home on Oct. 9 against the Philadelphia Flyers.
•Mike Babcock and the Maple Leafs will make two trips to Detroit, the first coming on Oct. 9 when the Red Wings open their home schedule and again on March 13.
• The Edmonton Oilers open their season on Oct. 8 with a road trip to St. Louis. Why is that important? Because that is the likely NHL debut of Connor McDavid (assuming they take him with the No. 1 overall pick on Friday night -- and they will).
He will make his debut in Edmonton on Oct. 15, also against the St. Louis Blues.
The Buffalo Sabres and Jack Eichel (again, assuming he is picked No. 2 overall, which he will be) make their debut on Oct. 8 at home against the Ottawa Senators.
Eichel and McDavid should have their first head-to-head matchup on Sunday, Dec. 6 in Edmonton. The two teams meet again on Tuesday Mar. 1 in Buffalo.
•For the second successive year, all 30 teams will be in action on the final day of the regular season on April 9.
