There was a time when the NHL used to see a slowdown between seasons. That has changed. The NHL this year is coming with a much longer schedule. There are two overseas trips and a Stanley Cup banner going up before the puck even drops.
Between an expanded 84-game slate, three outdoor games, and a reworked All-Star format, there’s a lot to take in this year. None of this was there the last time around. Here’s the full rundown of what’s actually changing and when you should tune in.
Where to bet now that puck drop is set
In betting volume, football is the absolute winner. Hockey has never been able to touch that level, but this doesn’t matter as much as you would think. That’s because hockey has a real following of its own, especially once the postseason rolls around and every game starts carrying playoff weight. Online sports betting markets tend to open well ahead of the season. By the time Carolina hosts Florida on opening night, puck lines, totals, and Cup futures are already up and moving.
This growth mirrors something bigger happening with the sport in the US generally. Hockey has picked up real momentum in recent years. It has been helped along by wider streaming access and a run of young stars pulling in fans who never showed a real interest in the game.
A stacked opening night
The season opens Tuesday, September 29. Carolina raises its second straight Stanley Cup banner before hosting Florida in a rematch of last year’s rivalry. ESPN carries a full tripleheader that night – Rangers at Bruins, then Chicago traveling to face the Western Conference champion Vegas Golden Knights.
Up in Canada, Sportsnet opens with presumptive No. 1 pick Gavin McKenna likely making his NHL debut for Toronto against Montreal. This will be followed by Vancouver at Edmonton.
A bigger schedule than fans are used to
This is the first 84-game season since the early ’90s, up from the standard 82 games the league has run since 1995. The extra games come from a new four-year collective bargaining agreement, and the league used the added length to rebalance the schedule. Teams now get two home and two road games against every division rival.
Hockey goes global again
The league heads overseas twice this season. Carolina and Seattle play two games in Helsinki in November as part of the Global Series Finland. A month later, Chicago and Ottawa head to Düsseldorf for Global Series Germany. On top of that, a wave of Monday afternoon games doubles as European primetime slots, part of a deliberate push to grow the league’s international audience.
Outdoor games return in full force
Three outdoor games dot this year’s calendar. The Heritage Classic kicks off on October 25, with Winnipeg hosting Montreal. New Year’s Eve brings the Winter Classic to Salt Lake City, where Utah faces Colorado at Rice-Eccles Stadium. February closes it out with Dallas and Vegas meeting at AT&T Stadium, the Cowboys’ home field, for the Stadium Series – the second time Texas has hosted an outdoor NHL game.
A season worth watching closely
With games spread across ESPN, TNT, and Sportsnet, depending on the night, and three outdoor games plus a loaded opening night on the calendar, this is a good season to actually watch properly. If you have been putting off a TV upgrade, this might be the year to finally buy a TV, especially with the Stadium Series and Winter Classic both worth seeing on a screen that does them justice.
All-Star weekend and the stretch run
February brings a reworked All-Star format – five teams instead of the usual four. Canada, Finland, Sweden, the US, and a ‘World’ squad compete in a 3-on-3 round robin at UBS Arena. From there, it’s a straight run toward the playoffs, with the Stanley Cup Final airing exclusively on TNT this year.
Between the international games, three outdoor matchups, and a genuinely stacked opening night, this season’s shaping up to be one of the more ambitious schedules the league’s put together in years.
Tracking stats without the lag
A lot of following a season this long happens on a second screen box scores during –intermission, live odds, stats lines pulled up mid-game. That adds up fast on an older laptop that’s been neglected all summer. Taking a few minutes to speed up your laptop before the season gets going means one less thing slowing down the actual experience of following 84 games worth of hockey.