All-Star Weekend, Stadium Series, Trade Deadline highlight 2nd half of season

The second half of the 2023-24 NHL season officially began Saturday with the opening face-off between the Pittsburgh Penguins and Carolina Hurricanes.

That was game No. 657 of the 1,312-game regular season. For housekeeping purposes, the first half ended when the New Jersey Devils defeated the Florida Panthers 4-1 at Amerant Bank Arena on Saturday.

It was a memorable first half, but instead of taking stock of what happened, it's time to look ahead to what will and potentially could happen in the second half, which runs through April 18, the last day of the regular season. The first day of the Stanley Cup Playoffs is April 22.

Here's your look into the future:

BIG EVENTS

Scotiabank Hockey Day in Canada, Jan. 20

All seven Canada-based NHL teams will be in action, including three all-Canadian matchups and one Original Six game involving legendary rivals. The city of Victoria, British Columbia, will be the host with daylong celebrations and live broadcasts.

The first game featuring the Canada-based teams is the Winnipeg Jets against the Ottawa Senators at Canadian Tire Centre at 3 p.m. ET. The two 7 p.m. ET games feature the Montreal Canadiens against the Boston Bruins at TD Garden and the Toronto Maple Leafs playing the Vancouver Canucks at Rogers Arena.

Hockey Day in Canada concludes with the Edmonton Oilers against the Calgary Flames at Scotiabank Saddledome in the Battle of Alberta at 10 p.m. ET.

The day is also when New York Rangers goalie Jonathan Quick makes his first trip back to Los Angeles to face his former team, the Los Angeles Kings.

All-Star Weekend in Toronto

The midseason celebration will take place in Toronto for the first time since 2000 with events at Scotiabank Arena. It's a three-night event starting with the Tim Hortons NHL All-Star Player Draft on Feb. 1.

Celebrities will be paired with All-Star captains to pick the four teams that will play the NHL All-Star Game on Feb. 3. NHL All-Star Thursday will feature the NHL Alumni Association announcing its Man of the Year in a tribute to the 1967 Maple Leafs and representatives from the Professional Women's Hockey League will play in a 3-on-3 game.

The NHL All-Star Skills presented by DraftKings Sportsbook is Feb. 2 and features a new look with 12 players being selected to compete for a $1 million prize.

The Honda NHL All-Star Game, a 3-on-3 competition, is Feb. 3.

NHL Stadium Series in the shadows of New York City

The final two outdoor games of the regular season are at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, the home of the New York Giants and New York Jets, for the 2024 Navy Federal Credit Union NHL Stadium Series. The New Jersey Devils and Philadelphia Flyers play at 8 p.m. ET on Feb. 17. The Rangers face the New York Islanders at 3 p.m. ET on Feb. 18,

The Stadium Series will be the third and fourth outdoor game of this season following the 2023 Tim Hortons Heritage Classic in Edmonton on Oct. 29 and the 2024 Discover NHL Winter Classic in Seattle on Jan. 1. The Devils and Flyers, and Islanders and Rangers, will play the 40th and 41st regular season outdoor games in NHL history.

Hockey Week Across America

USA Hockey will use the Stadium Series games as a kickstart to its annual Hockey Week Across America from Feb. 19-25 with special events planned throughout the week, culminating in USA Hockey National Try Hockey for Free Day on Feb. 24.

Hockey Week Across America was created by USA Hockey in 2008.

IN THE NEWS ...

The 2024 NHL Trade Deadline is March 8 and, as usual, the run-up to it has already started with speculation and even one significant trade involving a top prospect and a top young defenseman.

That trade happened Jan. 8, when the Flyers sent 19-year-old forward Cutter Gauthier, who is playing at Boston College, to the Anaheim Ducks for 21-year-old defenseman Jamie Drysdale and a second-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft.

The Flames, Ottawa Senators and San Jose Sharks could be intriguing sellers.

Calgary has defenseman Noah Hanifin and Chris Tanev, and forward Elias Lindholm, as potential unrestricted free agents. The Sharks have forwards Anthony Duclair, Kevin Labanc and Mike Hoffman each playing the last season of his contract. The Senators are expected to change things up and forwards Vladimir Tarasenko and Dominik Kubalik are pending UFAs.

Other notable players who could be on the move before the deadline include Montreal Canadiens forward Sean Monahan and goalie Jake Allen, Ducks forward Adam Henrique, and Columbus Blue Jackets forward Jack Roslovic.

The Flyers will be a team to watch. They won't be rental buyers if they stay in the race, but they could be sellers if they fall out. Defensemen Sean Walker and Nick Seeler, each a pending UFA, would be highly sought after if teams know they're available.

Bedard's eventual return, Calder Trophy race

Chicago Blackhawks rookie Connor Bedard is recovering from surgery to repair a broken jaw he sustained at New Jersey on Jan. 5. His timeline of 6-8 weeks puts him on a path to return in late February or early March.

Bedard leads all rookies with 33 points (15 goals, 18 assists) in 39 games. The No. 1 pick in the 2023 NHL Draft is the favorite to win the Calder Trophy given to the NHL rookie of the year. Will he be when he returns, or will he have to catch up to Minnesota Wild defenseman Brock Faber or Devils defenseman Luke Hughes in the race?

Jersey number retirement ceremonies

The Penguins will raise Jaromir Jagr's No. 68 to the rafters before playing the Kings at PPG Paints Arena on Feb. 18.

The Blackhawks will retire Chris Chelios' No. 7 at United Center before a game against the Detroit Red Wings on Feb. 25.

Miikka Kiprusoff's No. 34 will be retired by the Flames before they play the Penguins at Scotiabank Saddledome on March 2.

NHL international calendar

It's possible that at some point in the next few months the NHL will make an announcement on its potential participation in future international tournaments beginning as soon as next season.

NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said at the Board of Governors meetings in Seattle on Dec. 5 that the League is focused on holding a four-team in-season international tournament next season, likely in February of 2025, and using it as a gateway to a regular best-on-best international schedule featuring participation in the Olympics and a World Cup of Hockey every two years beginning in 2026.

Without confirming, Bettman indicated the United States, Canada, Sweden and Finland would be the four participating countries in the 2025 in-season tournament, which would be limited to NHL players and could take place in multiple locations.

The NHL hasn't held or participated in an international tournament since the World Cup of Hockey 2016 was played exclusively at Scotiabank Arena. The last time there was an in-season break for a tournament was the 2014 Sochi Olympics.

General managers to meet

When the GMs met in November, they discussed some concerns and potential adjustments to the rules in 3-on-3 overtime and the need for more clarity from the officials when it comes to face-offs and what gets a player kicked out of the circle, whether it's something he did, or his teammates did to encroach the area.

It's possible those topics are among the many that will be discussed again during the three days they'll be together in West Palm Beach, Florida, from March 18-20.

MILESTONE WATCH

1,400 games played

Washington Capitals forward Alex Ovechkin and Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Brent Burns could become the next players to reach 1,400 regular season games played, joining Dallas Stars defenseman Ryan Suter (1,404) as the only active players to play at least that many.

Ovechkin has played 1,386 games and Burns 1,375.

1,000 games played

As many as 11 players could hit the 1,000-game milestone before the end of the regular season:

Penguins forward Lars Eller (995 games), Golden Knights defenseman Alex Pietrangelo (990), Bruins forward Brad Marchand (989), Capitals forward T.J. Oshie (981), Kraken forward Jordan Eberle (978), Bruins forward James van Riemsdyk (978), Buffalo Sabres forward Jeff Skinner (970), St. Louis Blues defenseman Nick Leddy (970), Capitals defenseman John Carlson (967), Penguins defenseman Erik Karlsson (961) and Canucks defenseman Tyler Myers (961).

500, 600, 1000

Penguins centers Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin are each approaching some significant statistical milestones.

Malkin is 14 goals from 500 for his NHL career. Crosby needs 26 goals to reach 600 and 28 assists to get to 1,000.

Malkin has scored 15 goals this season. Crosby has 24 goals and 20 assists. The Penguins have 41 games remaining.

1,500 games coached

Rangers coach Peter Laviolette will coach his 1,500th NHL game March 21 against the Bruins at TD Garden. The Franklin, Massachusetts, native will become the eighth coach in NHL history to reach the milestone.