When Does The NHL Season Start | Ice Hockey

By WherestheMatch Team

When Does The NHL Season Start?

It’s only been a few months since the Vegas Golden Knights lifted their first ever Stanley Cup but we’re already more than ready to see the NHL season start all over again. With a packed schedule stretching from October to April, the NHL never disappoints with marquee matchups and underdog stories – here are some of the key dates for the upcoming season.

10^th & 11^th October 2023 – First Set of Fixtures

Tampa Bay Lightning vs Nashville Predators (10^th October 2023, 22:30 GMT)

Pittsburgh Penguins vs Chicago Blackhawks (11^th October 2023, 01:00 GMT

Vegas Golden Knights vs Seattle Kraken (11^th October 2023, 03:30 GMT)

The NHL season starts in the late evening of the 10^th of October with the first fixture taking place between the Lightning and the Predators. Several hours later in the very, very early morning of the 11^th we’ll get to see the Penguins and Blackhawks face off before the Stanley Cup title holders – the Golden Knights go up against the Kraken.

23^rd December 2023 – Stanley Cup Rematch

Florida Panthers vs Vegas Golden Knights (23^rd December 2023, 20:00 GMT)

The night before Christmas Day will one on which to celebrate the NHL. As a part of the 6-game festive fixture pile-up taking place on the 23^rd of December, we’ll get to see the rematch between last years’ Stanley Cup finalists. While the Panthers vs Golden Knights may not have been the most iconic final of recent times, both teams proved their quality as they made it through the qualifying rounds and will no doubt treat us to a fantastic match.

2^nd & 3^rd February 2024 – NHL All-Star Weekend

All-Star Game Skills Competition (2^nd February 2024, 23:00 GMT)

All-Star Game (3^rd February 2024, 19:00 GMT)

The first weekend of February will play host to the much-anticipated NHL All-Stars weekend. Top players from across the league will come together to demonstrate their talent at the home of the Toronto Maple Leafs – the Scotiabank Arena. Normal fixture scheduling will then resume on Monday the 5^th of February.

19^th April 2024 – End of Regular Season

Seattle Kraken vs Minnesota Wild (19th April 2024, 00:00 GMT)

Vancouver Canucks vs Winnipeg Jets (19^th April 2024, 01:00 GMT)

San Jose Sharks vs Calgary Flames (19^th April 2024, 02:00 GMT)

Edmonton Oilers vs Colorado Avalanche (19^th April 2024, 02:30 GMT)

Anaheim Ducks vs Vegas Golden Knights (19th April 2024, 03:00 GMT)

Chicago Blackhawks vs Los Angeles Kings (19^th April 2024, 03:30 GMT)

The last day of the NHL season will take place starting from midnight on the 19^th of April (Hence why the 18^th is the final day in the US and Canada). With 12 teams in action on the final day, you can expect it to be packed with action as no doubt several teams will still have everything to play for.

An official schedule for the Stanley Cup is yet to be announced but it is anticipated that this will take place shortly after the completion of the regular season.

Keep up to date with all of the live ice hockey on tv at WheresTheMatch, we have schedules for the NHL as well as information on the channels that broadcast fixtures.