Coming off one of its wildest seasons in years, the NHL today released its 2023-24 schedule, kicking off with an intriguing opening-night tripleheader on ESPN. Check out some key dates and matchups below.
Ahead of Wednesday’s entry draft, ESPN will begin Season 3 of its seven-year NHL rights deal on October 10 with the Nashville Predators at the Tampa Bay Lightning, followed by must-see TV for hockey fans: the likely pro debut of the massively hyped Connor Bedard, who is a near-lock to be picked No. 1 overall by the Chicago Blackhawks at the draft, which starts at 4 p.m. PT Wednesday and continues Thursday. They will face another generational talent in Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins, who picked Sid the Kid first overall in 2005.
That will be followed by the Stanley Cup Champion Vegas Golden Knights hoisting their first title banner before their game against the league’s newest team, the Seattle Kraken, who made the playoffs in Year 2. The same two teams will face off in the 2024 Winter Classic on New Year’s Day at T-Mobile Park in Seattle.
Bedard’s likely second game will air the next night over on TNT, which also is starting the third of a seven-season TV deal with the league and just aired its first-ever Stanley Cup Final. The Blackhawks will face the Boston Bruins, who are coming off the single greatest regular season in the league’s 107-year history but lost in Round 1 of the playoffs. That game will be followed by the 2022 champion Colorado Avalanche at the Los Angeles Kings, in what should be Pierre-Luc Dubois’ first nationally televised game with the team he joined today after a blockbuster trade with the Winnipeg Jets.
The NHL Stadium Series heads to the Garden Stare next year, featuring the Philadelphia Flyers at the New Jersey Devils at 8 p.m. ET on February 17 and the New York Rangers facing the host New York Islanders at 3 p.m. ET February 18. It’s the first time since 2016 that there will be two Stadium Series games in the same season.
The coming season’s NHL GLobal Series games will feature the Detroit Red Wings, Minnesota Wild, Ottawa Senators and Toronto Maple Leafs playing a four-day, four-game set of regular-season contests from November 16-19 in Stockholm, Sweden. Those follow two preseason international games featuring the Kings and Arizona Coyotes on September 23 and 24 in Melbourne, Australia.
NHL Heritage Classic will be a Battle of Alberta, with newly minted MVP Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers hosting the archrival Calgary Flames on October 29 at Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton.
The 2024 NHL All-Star Game is set for February 4 at Scotiabank Arena in hockey-mad Toronto.
Another highlight of the 2023-24 season will be Tuesday, October 24, when all 32 NHL teams will be in action. In a nod to fans — and the hockey media — the 16 games will feature staggered starts times every 15 minutes from 6-9:15 p.m. ET and three other games after that. Here is the schedule for All-NHL Night:
Here are all the matchups for Opening Night of the 2023-24 NHL season, with games facing off every 15 minutes until 9:15 followed by three more after that (all times Eastern:
Toronto Maple Leafs at Washington Capitals 6 p.m.
Anaheim Ducks at Columbus Blue Jackets 6:30 p.m.
Buffalo Sabres at Ottawa Senators 6:45 p.m.
Carolina Hurricanes at Tampa Bay Lightning 7 p.m.
New Jersey Devils at Montreal Canadiens 7:15 p.m.
Dallas Stars at Pittsburgh Penguins 7:30 p.m.
San Jose Sharks at Florida Panthers 7:45 p.m.
Colorado Avalanche at New York Islanders 8 p.m.
Seattle Kraken at Detroit Red Wings 8:15 p.m.
Boston Bruins at Chicago Blackhawks 8:30 p.m.
St. Louis Blues at Winnipeg Jets 8:45 p.m.
Edmonton Oilers at Minnesota Wild 9 p.m.
Vancouver Canucks at Nashville Predators 9:15 p.m.
New York Rangers at Calgary Flames 9:45 p.m.
Arizona Coyotes at Los Angeles Kings 10:30 p.m.
Philadelphia Flyers at Vegas Golden Knights 11 p.m.