The other four matches on the first night of the 2020-21 season include the Pittsburgh Penguins’ visit to the Philadelphia Flyers; Montreal Canadiens at Toronto Maple Leaves; Vancouver Canucks at Edmonton Oilers; And St. Louis Blues in Colorado Avalanche.
The regular season schedule of 868 matches – 56 per team – will end on Saturday, May 8, when 30 of the League’s 31 teams head to the ice.
Below is a complete list of the opening match for the regular season 2020-21 for each team and the full schedule for the regular season 2020-21 is attached. Start times and broadcast details for all games will be announced when available.
As previously announced, in reaching an agreement on coordinating the 2020-21 season, the NHL and NHLPA decided that the ongoing closure of the border between the United States and Canada required reorganization, and the league and players sought to reduce team travel as much as possible. By switching to in-division play exclusively. It is the current plan to play matches in the local arenas for the participating teams, with the understanding that most arenas will not be able, at least in the first part of the season, to host fans. However, depending on conditions prevailing in both the domestic markets and across North America, the league will be ready to play in one or more “neutral location” venues for each division if needed. Each team in the eastern, middle and western divisions will play with every other team in its division eight times, while each team in the northern division will play against every other team in its division nine or 10 times.
The top four teams in each division will qualify for the Stanley Cup qualifiers, with play within the divisions in the first two rounds (# 1 versus # 4; # 2 versus # 3). The four teams that qualify for the semi-finals will be ranked from the regular season’s total points, with the No. 4 seed playing in one series and the No. 2 seeding No. 3 meeting in the other group. The official training camps will start on January 3. There will be no pre-season matches. The seven teams that did not participate in the 2019-20 season will be allowed to return to play and open their training camps early December 31.
Notes by department
Here are notes by the department the NHL team has compiled statistics and information ahead of a season unlike any season in league history. perfect #NHLStats Pack: Department Notes for 2020-2021 Available at media.nhl.com.
The northern section
* The Northern Division marks a return to the roots of rivalry in the NHL. The league included Canadian teams only in its first seven seasons (1917-18-1923-24) until the Boston Bruins became the first franchise team in the United States in 1924-1925.
* This is the first fully Canadian division in NHL history. When the divisions were introduced into the NHL in 1926-1927, the Canadian band included Americans from New York for all 12 seasons (1926-27-1937-38) and St. Louis Eagles in 1934-1935 (the original Ottawa result of transferring senators).
* Montreal and Toronto, the two remaining founding franchises of the NHL, will play in the same division for the all-time 41st season and 22nd campaign in a row dating from 1998-1999 when Maple Leaves joined the Canadiens in the Northeast Division. Ottawa has also been in the same division as the original six clubs in Canada since 199899; The Senators shared a split with the Canadians for each of their 28 seasons (including 2020-21).
* Edmonton and Vancouver will continue as division competitors for the forty-first consecutive season dating from 1979-80 when Oilers entered the NHL (Smythe: 1979-80-1992-93; Pacific: 1993-94-1997-98; Northwest: 1998- 2012-13 99; Pacific: 2013-14-2019-20). They have now been with Calgary for 39 successive campaigns dating back to 1981-82 when Flames – in their second season in Alberta – joined the Smythe division.
* Fans in Winnipeg are ready to revisit many of the old rivalries. The original aircraft were in competition with Toronto for the last three seasons in Winnipeg (1993-94-1995-96) and were long-time enemies of the Smythe Division in Edmonton, Calgary and Vancouver (1982-83-1992-93).
* Vancouver will re-acquaintance with its former first-division rivals, Montreal and Toronto. The three teams competed in the Eastern Division from 1970-1971 to 1973-1974 (each of the Canucks first four NHL seasons) before the league re-order in 1974-1975.
The western section
* He will face Los Angeles and San Jose in the same division for the 29th consecutive season since the Sharks entered the National Hockey League (Smith: 1991-92-1992-93; Pacific: 1993-94-2019-20). With the addition of Anaheim in 199394, the state’s three-team rivalry continues in California in the 27th campaign in a row. Arizona remained in the same division as the California Trio for the 22nd consecutive season since 1998–99.
* Los Angeles and St. Louis shared divisional ties as Kings and Blues were part of the inaugural Western Division for seven seasons beginning in 1967-1968 when the NHL expanded to 12 teams. They are also joined by the Minnesota North Stars in this division, who then fought the Blues in the Smith and Norris divisions for 16 of the remaining 19 seasons before moving to Dallas (Smith: 1974-75-1977-78; Norris: 1981-82-1992-93) .
* Colorado is back in class with the California three teams, their opponents in the top three divisions in Denver (Pacific: 1995-96-1997-98).
* Coyote and Blues will play in the same division for the first time since 1997-1998 – as the original Wolves / Gates and Blues collided in the Central Division for five seasons (1993-94-1997-98).
* The Western Division includes three teams that have reached the Stanley Cup Final in the past five seasons (STL: 2019; VGK: 2018; SJS: 2016).
Central section
* The longest active track as competitors in division between teams in the New Central Division belongs to Tampa Bay and Florida, who will play in the same group for the 27th consecutive season (Atlantic: 1993-94-1997-98; Southeast: 1998-99 -2012-13; Atlantic: 2013-14-2019-20). Chicago and Nashville are next in a 22-campaign streak in a row, playing against each other in the Central Division of The Predators’ Complete History.
* The original six competitors, Chicago and Detroit, will play in the same division for the forty-seventh time and the first since ending 31 consecutive seasons as league competitors in 2012-13 (America: 1926-27-1937-38; East: 1967-68 -1969-70; Norris : 1981-82-1992-93; mid: 1993-94-2012-13).
* Chicago and Detroit, who entered the NHL League together in 1926-27, are accompanied in the new Central Division by six teams that either joined the league or started playing in their current city in the 1990s or later (TBL: 1992-93; DAL: 1993-94; FLA: 1993-94; CAR: 1997-98; NSH: 1998-99; CBJ: 2000-01).
* Dallas shares a history of division connections with Detroit, playing against them in the Norris Division as the Minnesota North Stars for 12 seasons (1981-82-1992-93) before moving to Texas for five more campaigns from 1993-94 to 1997-98 – combining All five division titles in that period.
* Lightning played its inaugural season (1992-93) in the Norris division, which featured Black Hawk, Red Wings and the North Stars.
* Columbus returned to the Central Division, competing in each of the first twelve seasons (2000-01-2012-13). The blue jackets had Blackhawks, Predators, and Red Wings as opponents within the divisions during that time.
* Hurricanes, Lightning and Leopards in the Southeast Division were together for 14 seasons (1998-99-201213). Before moving to Raleigh, the Hartford Wheelers played their first two seasons in the National Hockey League in the Norris Division with Detroit (1979-80-1980-81).
* Tampa Bay and Dallas will become the first two teams to compete in the same division in 40 years after their meeting in the Stanley Cup Final (1980-1981: NYI vs. PHI in the Patrick Division).
East section
* Boston and Buffalo will be opponents within the divisions for 50 consecutive season dating to 1970-71, the longest active streak in the NHL.
* Rangers and Islands are in the same division for the 48th consecutive season since the latter entered the NHL in 1972-1973 (East: 1972-73-1973-74; Patrick: 1974-75-1992-93; Atlantic: 1993-94-2012- 13; Metropolitan: 2013-14-2019-20). They are joined by Pilots in the forty-sixth consecutive campaign dating back to 1974-1975, while Demons, Pilots, Islanders and Sentinels are in the same division for the 38th consecutive season since 1982-1983.
* The Bruins and Rangers will play in the same division for the 20th time in their history, but for the first time in nearly 50 years. The original six competitors were in the American Division together in each of New York’s first 12 seasons (1926-27-1937-38) and in the original Eastern Division for the first seven campaigns of the League Expansion era (1967-68-1973-74).
* Intra-state rivalry in New York puts Cypress, Rangers and Islander teams in the same division for the first time in nearly 50 years. Buffalo played each of his first four seasons in the National Hockey League in the original Eastern Division, with the Rangers for the four (1970-71-1973-74) and with the Islanders for two (1972-73-1973-74).
* The two in-state competitors, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, will be in the same division for the 22nd consecutive season and the 41st overall since joining the NHL together in 1967-1968 (West: 1967-68-1973-74; Patrick: 1981-82-1992-93; Atlantic : 1998-99-2012-13; Metropolitan: 2013-14-2019-20).
* Fans in Boston and Philadelphia are set to revisit the historic rivalry that saw several watershed battles in the 1970s between the “Big Bad Bruins” and the “Broad Street Bulls”, including a meeting in the 1974 Stanley Cup Final and, more recently, the classic Winter Showdown and historical playoff series For 2010.
* Bruins (2019-20, 2013-14), Capitals (2016-17, 2015-16) and Rangers (2014-15) met in five of the last seven Presidents Awards.
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