Lightning visit Rangers in North America opener Oct. 11 after Predators face Sharks in Prague on Oct. 7
© Bruce Bennett/Getty Images
By Tom Gulitti
@TomGulittiNHL NHL.com Staff Writer
The 2022-23 NHL season will begin in North America with back-to-back doubleheaders televised in the United States, starting with the New York Rangers hosting the Tampa Bay Lightning on Oct. 11. The Stanley Cup champion Colorado Avalanche will raise their banner the next night before their game against the Chicago Blackhawks.
The Oct. 11 doubleheader, which will also feature the Vegas Golden Knights facing the Los Angeles Kings, will be on ESPN, and the Oct. 12 doubleheader, which will also include the Boston Bruins taking on the Washington Capitals, will be on TNT.
The NHL released its 1,312-game schedule, 82 for each team, on Wednesday.
The NHL previously announced the Nashville Predators and San Jose Sharks will begin the regular season with two games in the 2022 NHL Global Series at O2 Arena in Prague on Oct. 7 and 8 (each at 2 p.m. ET). Those will be NHL's first games in Europe since 2019, following a two-season break because of the coronavirus pandemic.
The Global Series also includes two games between the Avalanche and the Columbus Blue Jackets at Nokia Arena in Tampere, Finland, on Nov. 4 and 5.
PDF: [2022-23 NHL regular season schedule by Club]
The Lightning will visit the Rangers at Madison Square Garden (7:30 p.m. ET) in a rematch of the 2022 Eastern Conference Final, which Tampa Bay won in six games, before the Golden Knights visit the Kings at Crypto.com Arena (10 p.m. ET). The Bruins will visit the Capitals at Capital One Arena on Oct. 12 (7 p.m. ET) before the Avalanche hoist their third championship banner (Colorado also won the Cup in 1996 and 2001) and host the Blackhawks at Ball Arena (9:30 p.m. ET).
The Oct. 12 slate also features a doubleheader on Sportsnet in Canada with the Toronto Maple Leafs visiting the Montreal Canadiens at Bell Centre (7 p.m. ET), followed by the Vancouver Canucks vs. Edmonton Oilers at Rogers Place in Edmonton (10 p.m. ET).
Other highlights on the 2022-23 schedule include:
\The 2022 NHL Thanksgiving Showdown doubleheader on TNT on Nov. 25 with the Pittsburgh Penguins visiting the Philadelphia Flyers at Wells Fargo Arena (5 p.m. ET) and the Lightning hosting the St. Louis Blues at Amalie Arena (7:30 p.m. ET).
\The 2023 Discover NHL Winter Classic between the Bruins and the Pittsburgh Penguins at Fenway Park in Boston, home of the Boston Red Sox, on Jan. 2 (2 p.m. ET).
\Hockey Day in Canada, with all seven Canada-based teams in action on Jan. 21.
\The Florida Panthers hosting the 2023 Honda NHL All-Star Weekend at FLA Live Arena, featuring the 2023 NHL All-Star Skills on Feb. 3 and the 2023 Honda NHL All-Star Game on Feb. 4.
\A rematch of the 2022 Stanley Cup Final when the Avalanche visit the Lightning at Amalie Arena on Feb. 9 (7 p.m. ET). Tampa Bay faces Colorado at Ball Arena on Feb. 14 (9 p.m. ET).
\The 2023 Navy Federal Credit Union NHL Stadium Series between the Carolina Hurricanes and the Capitals at Carter-Finley Stadium on the campus of North Carolina State University in Raleigh, North Carolina on Feb. 18 (8 p.m. ET).
Each of the 32 teams plays three or four games against the seven other teams in its division, three games against the eight teams in the other division in its conference and two games against the 16 teams from the other conference.
The regular season concludes with 15 games April 13.
