NHL schedule 2024: Dates, times, teams, games

The 2024-25 NHL schedule is arguably a hockey fan’s dream. The 108th season in league history includes games in four countries, an aptly named Frozen Frenzy featuring all 32 clubs, and the new-look Utah Hockey Club (previously called the Arizona Coyotes), hoping its new home will result in a return to the playoffs. 

From October 4 through mid-April, teams across the United States and Canada will battle for a spot in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. You’ll see just how far your favorite squad goes this year—and if a Canadian team can finally win the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since 1993.

NHL Schedule 2024: Dates, Times, Teams, Games

It can be easy to get lost tracking the league with how busy the action will be over the next six months—and that’s before the race for Lord Stanley’s Cup kicks off. The NHL schedule can be overwhelming for even the most knowledgeable hockey fans. We’re here to help you plan your viewing with the NHL schedule’s most crucial dates, from opening night through those first playoff games in April.

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Key dates on the 2024-25 NHL schedule

October 4-5, 2024: NHL Global Series (New Jersey Devils vs. Buffalo Sabres in Prague)

The 2024-25 NHL Global Series is back for another year. Prague returns as a host city for the second time in three seasons, with the O2 Arena holding both games between the Devils and Sabres.

October 8, 2024: NHL regular season begins

Get ready for an action-packed NHL triple-header to start the new season. The fun begins at 4:30 p.m. ET / 9:30 p.m. BST when the Seattle Kraken host the St. Louis Blues in an afternoon showdown. Aleksander Barkov and the Florida Panthers open their title defense at home later that night against rivals Boston Bruins. Finally, the Utah Hockey Club debuts against the Chicago Blackhawks. 

October 22, 2024: Frozen Frenzy

Have you ever wanted to watch all 16 NHL games at once? ESPN and the NHL’s Frozen Frenzy returns on Tuesday, October 22. The show features whip-around coverage from every matchup that night, beginning with the Philadelphia Flyers-Washington Capitals duel at 6 p.m. ET / 11 p.m. BST. Three of those games—the aforementioned Flyers-Capitals game, the Kraken-Colorado Avalanche game, and a late-night clash between the Vegas Golden Knights and Los Angeles Kings—will air on ESPN. 

November 1-2, 2024: NHL Global Series (Florida Panthers vs. Dallas Stars in Finland)

Nokia Arena in Tampere, Finland, welcomes the Florida Panthers and Dallas Stars to start November. Finnish fans certainly lucked out, as the league announced the Panthers’ impending arrival last March, three months before Florida won the Stanley Cup.

December 31, 2024: NHL Winter Classic (Chicago Blackhawks vs. St. Louis Blues at Wrigley Field in Chicago)

Hockey fans can thank the Chicago Blackhawks and St. Louis Blues for treating us to another year of outdoor hockey. Wrigley Field, the Chicago Cubs’ iconic 110-year-old (soon to be 111-year-old) stadium, will host the Winter Classic for the second time in event history. Blackhawks fans can only hope things turn out better than their 6-4 loss to the Detroit Red Wings 15 years ago. 

January 18, 2025: Scotiabank Hockey Day in Canada

One could argue every day during the NHL season is Hockey Day—however, the Great White North celebrates a legitimate Hockey Day in Canada, which will be held in Alberta this January. Six of the seven Canadian teams will battle one another throughout the day. The Ottawa Senators will kick off the action with the only game against a non-Canadian team, the Bruins, at 1 p.m. local time / 3 p.m. ET / 8 p.m. GMT.

February 12-20, 2025: NHL 4 Nations Face-Off

Say goodbye to the NHL All-Star Game and hello to the 4 Nations Face Off. Teams representing Canada, Finland, Sweden, and the United States will meet in a round-robin format from February 12-17, with the top two teams battling in a final showdown at TD Garden in Boston on February 20. 

March 1, 2025: NHL Stadium Series (Columbus Blue Jackets vs. Detroit Red Wings at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio)

Ohio finally gets an opportunity to host the NHL Stadium Series. The Columbus Blue Jackets welcome the Detroit Red Wings to Ohio Stadium, home of the Ohio State Buckeyes’ football team. This year marks the Blue Jackets’ first time in the Stadium Series, while the Red Wings won their lone appearance, 5-3, against the Colorado Avalanche in February 2016. 

April 19, 2025: NHL Playoffs begin

Who will win the Stanley Cup Finals? We won’t know the answer until nearly two months after the 2025 NHL Playoffs start in April. That said, we personally expect Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers to win Canada’s first championship in over three decades. 

Why you need a VPN to watch the NHL

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