The NHL Trade Deadline on March 8, the start of the Stanley Cup Playoffs on April 22 and outdoor games in October, January and February highlight the League’s calendar of critical dates for the 2023-24 season.
The trade deadline this season will be five days later than last season, when 21 trades were made involving 34 players on March 3.
The deadline will come two weeks after the 2024 Navy Federal Credit Union NHL Stadium Series at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The New Jersey Devils will host the Philadelphia Flyers on Feb. 17 (8 p.m. ET), and the New York Islanders will host the New York Rangers on Feb. 18 (3 p.m. ET).
Those will be the 40th and 41st outdoor games in NHL history.
The 38th will be played on Oct. 29, when the Edmonton Oilers host the Calgary Flames in the 2023 Tim Hortons NHL Heritage Classic at Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton (7 p.m. ET).
The 39th will be the 2024 Discover NHL Winter Classic on Jan 1, when the Vegas Golden Knights play the Seattle Kraken at T-Mobile Park in Seattle (3 p.m.ET).
Other key dates include:
- Training camps open Sept. 20.
- The regular season begins Oct. 10, highlighted by the debut of Chicago Blackhawks forward Connor Bedard, the No. 1 pick of the 2023 NHL Draft, facing Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins, and the Vegas Golden Knights opening defense of the Stanley Cup against the Seattle Kraken.
- The League will return to Europe, with the Detroit Red Wings, Minnesota Wild, Ottawa Senators and Toronto Maple Leafs going to Sweden for the NHL Global Series -- Stockholm. Four games will be played from Nov. 16-19 at Avicii Arena.
- All 32 teams will play on the same day twice this season, Oct. 24 and Jan 13.
- The NHL will celebrate All-Star Weekend Feb. 2-3 at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto.
A number of players will make their returns to their former homes this season, including Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Erik Karlsson to San Jose (Nov. 4), New York Islanders forward Bo Horvat to Vancouver (Nov. 15), Nashville Predators forward Ryan O'Reilly to St. Louis (Nov. 24), New York Rangers goalie Jonathan Quick to Los Angeles (Jan. 20), and New Jersey Devils forward Timo Meier to San Jose (Feb. 27).
