The NHL unveiled its schedule for the 2021-22 campaign Thursday.
The season will run from Oct. 12 to April 29 - contingent on the league participating in the 2022 Olympics. The schedule features a two-week pause between Feb. 7-22 to allow players to compete at the Games. The NHL will revise the schedule and the campaign will likely end earlier if the league decides not to attend the Olympics.
An agreement hasn't been made regarding the league's participation in the Winter Games. NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly said in June that it's "not necessarily an ideal Games to elect to go to."
The NHL's 2021-22 opening night will feature a doubleheader beginning with the Tampa Bay Lightning raising their Stanley Cup banner and hosting the Pittsburgh Penguins, followed by the league's two newest franchises - the Seattle Kraken and Vegas Golden Knights - squaring off in Sin City.
Each team will play 26 games within its division, 24 contests against the other division in its conference, and 32 matchups against the opposing conference.
Here are a handful of contests throughout the season worth circling on your calendar:
| Date | Home | Away | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct. 13 | Rangers | Capitals | 1st game since line brawl |
| Oct. 23 | Kraken | Canucks | Seattle's home opener |
| Nov. 20 | Islanders | Flames | New York's 1st game as UBS Arena |
| Dec. 7 | Canadiens | Lightning | Stanley Cup rematch |
| Jan. 1 | Wild | Blues | Winter Classic at Target Field |
| Feb. 26 | Predators | Lightning | Stadium Series at Nissan Stadium |
The series-style schedules, which were used during the 2020-21 campaign and were popular among players, won't return this season.
The All-Star Weekend in Vegas will take place Feb. 4-5.
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