NEW YORK - The NHL's 2019-20 regular season will commence Wednesday, Oct. 2, with a four-game slate, highlighted by the St. Louis Blues raising their first Stanley Cup championship banner before facing the Washington Capitals at Enterprise Center. The 1,271-game regular-season schedule - 82 games per team - will conclude Saturday, April 4, 2020.
NHL releases 2019-20 regular-season schedule
Stanley Cup champion Blues to host Capitals in opener on Oct. 2
The other three games on the first night of the 2019-20 season include the Ottawa Senators visiting the Toronto Maple Leafs at Scotiabank Arena; the Edmonton Oilers hosting the Vancouver Canucks at Rogers Place; and the Vegas Golden Knights playing host to the San Jose Sharks at T-Mobile Arena.
The Buffalo Sabres and Vancouver Canucks are both celebrating their 50th anniversary in 2019-20. The Sabres open their season in Buffalo at KeyBank Center on Oct. 5 versus the New Jersey Devils. The Canucks will play their home opener at Rogers Arena against the Los Angeles Kings on Oct. 9, exactly 49 years after the franchise's first NHL regular-season game, also against the Kings (Los Angeles 3, Vancouver 1 on Oct. 9, 1970).
RELATED: [Full 2019-20 NHL schedule | Regular Season Schedule Poll]
Four teams will participate in the 2019 NHL Global Series and play regular-season games in Europe. The Chicago Blackhawks and Philadelphia Flyers will play their 2019-20 season-opening game against each other in Prague, Czech Republic on Friday, Oct. 4 at O2 Arena. The Buffalo Sabres and Tampa Bay Lightning will face off in a pair of regular-season games at Ericsson Globe in Stockholm, Sweden on Friday, Nov. 8 and Saturday, Nov. 9.
On Oct. 26, the Calgary Flames and Winnipeg Jets will meet outdoors at Mosaic Stadium in Regina, Saskatchewan in the 2019 Tim Hortons NHL Heritage Classic™.
A rematch of the 2019 Stanley Cup Final will take place on Oct. 26 when the Boston Bruins play host to the St. Louis Blues at TD Garden.
The 2019 NHL Thanksgiving Showdown will take place on Friday, Nov. 29, when the Bruins host the New York Rangers at TD Garden.
On New Year's Day, the 2020 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic® will feature the Dallas Stars and Nashville Predators outdoors at Cotton Bowl Stadium in Dallas. The game is a rematch of the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs First Round series between the Stars and Predators, and continues the tradition the League established in 2008 of hosting a regular-season outdoor game at the onset of the new year.
The League's regular-season schedule will pause from Jan. 23-26 when the world's top players gather in St. Louis for the 2020 Honda NHL All-Star Weekend at Enterprise Center, which will include the 2020 NHL All-Star Skills Competition™ and the 2020 Honda NHL All-Star Game.
Saturday, Feb. 8 will mark Hockey Day in Canada, and will feature all seven Canadian teams in action.
On Saturday, Feb. 15, the Colorado Avalanche will play host to the Los Angeles Kings outdoors at the 2020 NHL Stadium Series™ at the U.S. Air Force Academy's Falcon Stadium in Colorado Springs, Colo. The outdoor game will mark the second time the NHL has brought the NHL Stadium Series™ to a U.S. Service Academy.
Hockey Day in America will be celebrated on Sunday, Feb. 16 and will feature nine games, with the first starting at 12:30 p.m. ET and the ninth at 8:30 p.m. ET.
The 2019-20 regular season will conclude Saturday, April 4, when 30 of the League's 31 teams take to the ice.
Reminder: Scheduling Matrix
The scheduling matrix ensures that all 31 teams play in all 31 arenas at least once each season:
The following notes show the opponents by team (totaling 41 home / 41 away per team), based on each team's respective division and conference.
Eastern Conference (Atlantic and Metropolitan Divisions - 8 Teams each)
Each Division has 8 teams
Within Division
7 teams x 2 home / 2 away (Subtotal 14 home / 14 away)
Within Conference (Non-Division)
4 teams x 2 home / 1 away (Subtotal 8 home / 4 away)
4 teams x 1 home / 2 away (Subtotal 4 home / 8 away)
Non-Conference
15 teams x 1 home / 1 away (Subtotal 15 home / 15 away) Grand Total 41 home / 41 away
Western Conference (Central Division - 7 teams)
Within Division
4 teams x 2 home / 2 away (Subtotal 8 home / 8 away)
1 team x 3 home / 2 away (Subtotal 3 home / 2 away)
1 team x 2 home / 3 away (Subtotal 2 away / 3 home)
Within Conference (Non-Division)
4 teams x 2 home / 1 away (Subtotal 8 home / 4 away)
4 teams x 1 home / 2 away (Subtotal 4 home / 8 away)
Non-Conference
16 teams x 1 home / 1 away (Subtotal 16 home / 16 away) Grand Total 41 home / 41 away
Western Conference (Pacific Division - 8 teams)
A. 4 of the 8 teams in Pacific Division
Within Division
6 teams x 2 home / 2 away (Subtotal 12 home / 12 away)
1 team x 3 home / 2 away (Subtotal 3 home / 2 away)
Within Conference (Non-Division)
3 teams x 2 home / 1 away (Subtotal 6 home / 3 away)
4 teams x 1 home / 2 away (Subtotal 4 home / 8 away)
Non-Conference
16 teams x 1 home / 1 away (Subtotal 16 home / 16 away) Grand Total 41 home / 41 away
B. 4 of the 8 teams in Pacific Division Within Division
Within Division
6 teams x 2 home / 2 away (Subtotal 12 home / 12 away)
1 team x 2 home / 3 away (Subtotal 2 home / 3 away)
Within Conference (Non-Division)
4 teams x 2 home / 1 away (Subtotal 8 home / 4 away)
3 teams x 1 home / 2 away (Subtotal 3 home / 6 away)
Non-Conference
16 teams x 1 home / 1 away (Subtotal 16 home / 16 away) Grand Total 41 home / 41 away
Schedule Notes
Regular Season Opens: Wednesday, Oct. 2
Christmas Break: Monday, Dec. 24 - Wednesday, Dec. 26
All-Star Break: Thursday, Jan. 23 - Sunday, Jan. 26
Last Day of Regular Season: Saturday, April 4
