The 2022-23 NHL season is a little over three months away. But that doesn’t we can’t start getting excited now.
The NHL unveiled next year’s regular-season schedule on Wednesday afternoon, kicking things off with the return of the Global Series for the first time in three years after travel complications due to COVID-19 put it on pause.
The San Jose Sharks and the Nashville Predators are the two clubs taking part in the league’s annual event, playing two games against each other back-to-back on Oct. 7 and 8 to get the festivities started.
The Tampa Bay Lightning and New York Rangers will then hold a rematch of their heated Eastern Conference Final series in Tampa on Oct. 11 in the first leg of an opening-night doubleheader, with the Vegas Golden Knights and Los Angeles Kings getting a jump on their schedules later that evening.
Of course, the 2023 Discover Card Winter Classic will also take place at Fenway Park on Jan. 2, with the Boston Bruins and Pittsburgh Penguins doing battle in the great outdoors.
Then there’s the NHL all-star break, which will see the schedule pause from Feb. 2-5 for the league’s top players to gather in Sunrise, Florida for all-star weekend.
Other notable dates include a rematch of the Stanley Cup final between the Lightning and Colorado Avalanche at Amalie Arena on Feb. 9, followed by the Avalanche hosting the Lightning on Feb. 14, as well as the 2023 Navy Federal Credit Union NHL Stadium Series hosted by the Carolina Hurricanes at NC State’s Carter-Finlay Stadium where they will take on the Washington Capitals.
It sure is shaping up to be a season to look forward to.
