Must-see NHL games for 2023-24 season

The NHL released its 1,312-game 2023-24 regular-season schedule Tuesday.

With the 2023 Upper Deck NHL Draft taking place Wednesday and Thursday and the free agency signing period beginning July 1, there are already plenty of games to look forward to.

Here's a look at several must-see games in 2023-24:

Oct. 10: Seattle Kraken at Vegas Golden Knights (Golden Knights home opener)

The champion Golden Knights will raise their Stanley Cup banner against Calder Trophy winner Matty Beniers and the Seattle Kraken on opening night of the 2023-24 season. Vegas, which hoisted the Cup on home ice after a 9-3 win against the Florida Panthers in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final, is hoping to repeat as champions. Seattle is looking to build off an impressive second season in the NHL, when it reached the Western Conference Second Round.

Oct. 10: Chicago Blackhawks at Pittsburgh Penguins (Potential Connor Bedard debut)

Forward Connor Bedard likely will be chosen by the Blackhawks, who hold the first pick in the 2023 draft. What better way to potentially make his NHL debut than against a generational talent like Sidney Crosby and the Penguins? Bedard, who is expected to make an immediate impact in the NHL, could make his home debut when Chicago faces Vegas at United Center on Oct. 21.

Oct. 29: Calgary Flames at Edmonton Oilers (2023 Tim Hortons NHL Heritage Classic)

Twenty years after hosting the NHL's first regular-season outdoor game, Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton will again be the site for the Heritage Classic. The Oilers, who took part in that game in 2003, a 4-3 loss to the Montreal Canadiens, will play the Flames in a game not lacking star power with Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Nazem Kadri and Jonathan Huberdeau.

Oct. 30: Florida Panthers at Boston Bruins (2023 playoff rematch)

The Bruins made history this season, setting NHL records for wins (65) and points (135) but could not make it past the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs thanks to the Panthers. Florida trailed 3-1 in the best-of-7 series before winning the next three games, including Game 7 in overtime to advance to the second round. Boston will get its first chance for revenge at TD Garden a few weeks into the season.

Nov. 10: Calgary Flames at Toronto Maple Leafs (Hall of Fame game)

The Hockey Hall of Fame Class of 2023 includes goalie Mike Vernon, who played for the Flames from 1982-1994 and won the Stanley Cup with them in 1989. Calgary will play one of its big rivals at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto against Auston Matthews and the Maple Leafs during Hall of Fame induction weekend.

Nov. 16-19: 2023 NHL Global Series (Stockholm)

The Maple Leafs, Detroit Red Wings, Minnesota Wild and Ottawa Senators will take part in a round-robin set of regular-season games at Avicii Arena in Stockholm, Sweden. The Red Wings will play the Senators on Nov. 16 and then the Maple Leafs on Nov. 17. The Wild will play the Senators on Nov. 18 and the series will wrap up with Wild against the Maple Leafs on Nov. 19.

Dec. 9: New York Rangers at Washington Capitals (Laviolette against former team)

The game will feature teams with new coaches -- rookie Spencer Carbery for the Capitals and Peter Laviolette for the Rangers -- when the Metropolitan Division rivals play for the first time. Laviolette coached the Capitals the past three seasons before he left after they failed to make the playoffs. He has 752 wins, eighth in NHL history and most among coaches born in the United States.

Dec. 23: Vegas Golden Knights at Florida Panthers (Stanley Cup Final rematch)

It will be a few months into the season before the Panthers and Golden Knights face off for the first time since the Stanley Cup Final, at FLA Live Arena in Sunrise, Florida. The Panthers, who squeaked into the playoffs, advanced to the Final before losing to the Golden Knights. The teams will also play at T-Mobile Arena on Jan. 4.

Jan. 1: Vegas Golden Knights at Seattle Kraken (2024 Discover NHL Winter Classic)

The two newest NHL franchises will play the Winter Classic when the Stanley Cup champions visit the Kraken at T-Mobile Park in Seattle, home of MLB's Seattle Mariners. The Kraken, who will be playing their first outdoor NHL game, surprised most people when they qualified for the playoffs in their second season before they were eliminated by the Dallas Stars in the second round. Vegas will be playing its second outdoor game; it lost 3-2 to the Colorado Avalanche in the 2021 NHL Outdoors at Lake Tahoe on Feb. 20, 2021.

Feb. 17-18: 2024 Navy Federal Credit Union NHL Stadium Series

The Giants and Jets won't be playing football in mid-February, but there will be four hockey teams taking over the frozen tundra of MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The New Jersey Devils host the Philadelphia Flyers on Feb. 17 and then the Rangers play the New York Islanders on Feb. 18. The Rangers are 4-0-0 in outdoor games, the Flyers are 1-3-1 and the Devils and Islanders are each 0-1-0.