As we draw closer and closer to the beginning of the 2024-25 NHL season, let’s take a look at some of the key dates on the schedule…
NHL Preseason: Sept. 21-Oct. 5
After a couple of days of training camp workouts, teams officially begin their four-game preseason slate starting as early as Sept. 21.
All three of the local teams will be in action just a day later on Sept. 22 as the Rangers kick things off against the Boston Bruins and the Devils and Islanders face each other.
New Jersey closes out preseason action on the road against the Philadelphia Flyers on Oct 3 before they head out on a long trip, but more on that below!
NHL Global Series: Oct. 4-5
Just a day later, the Devils officially open the regular season and the Sheldon Keefe era with a pair of games against the Sabres at O2 Arena in Prague as part of the NHL Global Series.
The first game is Friday afternoon (1 p.m.) and the second is on Saturday morning (10 a.m.)
NHL Opening Night: Oct. 8
The league’s official opening night takes place a few days after with a three-game slate headlined by the Bruins taking on the Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers, but none of the local teams are in action.
The Rangers open things up on the road against the Penguins on Wednesday, the Devils return home to take on the Maple Leafs on Thursday, and the Islanders are also home against the Utah Hockey Club on Thursday.
Rangers home opener: Oct. 12
Both the Islanders and Devils kick off the season at home, but the Rangers are on the road before returning to Madison Square Garden to take on the Utah Hockey Club for the first time in a Saturday night matchup.
Frozen Frenzy: Oct. 22
The NHL loaded up another full slate of games during the first month of the season where all 32 teams will be in action, starting with a 6 p.m. puck drop in Philadelphia and ending with an 11:00 p.m. start in Vegas.
ESPN will put together whip-around coverage throughout the night.
The Devils are the third game that gets underway that night as they take on the Tampa Bay Lightning, the Rangers face off with the Montreal Canadiens, and the Islanders play host to the Detroit Red Wings.
Holiday roster freeze: Dec. 20-27
During the NHL holiday roster freeze, teams are prohibited from making player trades, waivers, or assigning players to the minor leagues. Teams are also restricted from placing players on long-term IR or signing new contracts.
4 Nations Face-Off: Feb. 10-21
Taking the place of the All-Star break this season, the league will be putting together the first Four Nations face-off, which is a round-robin tournament being played between Canada, Finland, Sweden, and the United States.
Games will take place in the Belle Centre and TD Garden Arena, with the final matchup being played between the two top-ranked teams.
Rangers stars Mika Zibanejad and Adam Fox are the lone local talents who made the cut on the initial rosters released during the offseason, but there will certainly be more added to the mix along the way.
Trade deadline: Mar. 7
The trade deadline is officially set to take place on Friday, March 7 at 3 p.m.
All three of the local teams had a relatively low-key deadline day last season, aside from the Devils who were sellers, so it will be interesting to see how things play out this time around.
Last day of regular season: April 17
The Devils close out their season the day before with a divisional matchup against the Red Wings, but the Rangers play the Lightning and the Islanders play the Blue Jackets on the official final day of the regular season.
First day of the Stanley Cup Playoffs: April 19
Just two days after the regular season comes to a close, the quest for the Stanley Cup officially kicks off.
The Rangers certainly have playoff aspirations after making it to the Conference Finals last year, but it will be interesting to see how the Devils and Islanders fare coming off down seasons.
