NHL Schedule announced

[Oreo]

http://www.nhl.com/schedules/index.html

http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/news/story?id=2117839

The NHL released its new regular-season schedule today as all 30 teams will be on the ice when the regular season begins Oct. 5.

The schedule returns with a new format that has more play within the six divisions.

Format
# Each team plays eight games against each of its four division rivals (32 total).

# Each team plays four games against each of the 10 non-division clubs in its conference (40 total).

# Each team plays 10 interconference games, hosting one game each against all five team from a designated division and traveling for one game each against all five teams from a different division. Here are the matchups for this season:
--Northeast Division hosts Pacific Division and visits the Northwest
--Atlantic Division hosts Northwest and visits the Central
--Southeast Division hosts Central and visits the Pacific

# Division vs. division assignments will rotate annually.

Other notes

# The new schedule has more division rivalries; division rivals played each other six times under the previous schedule.

# The new schedule still has conference-based playoff format; each club continues to play 40 games against non-division, intra-conference opponents.

[getmeouttahere]

1. Yessss!!!! More Montreal-Toronto games!!!

The plan reminds me of the NFL, on a larger scale. Playing teams from the same division (not your own division), although the NFL doesn't seem to rotate it as much.

[gman16]

2. Looks like the Bruins

begin with Montreal, should be good.

[getmeouttahere]

3. Always a good time, eh, gman?

the next best rivalry for the Habs has to be Boston!

[Oreo]

13. Turgeon is done with the Stars

http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/news/story?id=2117957

Would you be happy if the Habs take him back or dya think he's washed up?

[getmeouttahere]

14. He might be done...

a guy like that doesn't make a good 4th liner, IMO...then again, with the game opening up, who knows...honestly, Gainey probably isn't interested in him

[getmeouttahere]

4. Hey Oreo...

How do you think the Wild will do in a more wide-open NHL? Were they already moving away from depending on the trap? I mean, they do have some speed, so it might not matter too much. But the teams that did rely on the trap will have a tough time competing if they can't adjust, because that zone just got a lot smaller!!!

[Oreo]

7. True true...

But I think the speed is going to surprise a lot of people.
They have a lot of speedy forwards and Gaborik is only getting better. Hopefully they'll sign O'Sullivan who should be pretty good.

Lemaire isn't stupid... he'll adjust his game to the new rules.

[getmeouttahere]

8. Yeah, Lemaire is a smart cookie...

of course I'm biased, since he's a former Hab!

It's going to be the most exciting season since, well, the early 90's, when the remnants of the Oilers dynasty still influenced how the game was played, and the goal lines were closer to the boards, making for more room in the offensive zone...sorry, I'm just so glad they moved them back a little, not all the way back to where they were, but close enough...it's an important part of opening up the game again.

[Oreo]

11. That and the red line

Removing the redline is the biggest for me. Opens up the ice and allows for longer passes and more breakaways. Only 2 more months to wait and most of that will be filled with players getting shuffled around which I love to follow. We seriously need to setup a DU Yahoo Fantasy league once they get up and running. I'd be all for running it.

[getmeouttahere]

15. Sounds good, Oreo

You're right about the red line, but I also think that if they didn't shrink the neutral zone like they did, it wouldn't matter as much

Fantasy League, eh? BTW, who's your favorite Wild player?

[Oreo]

18. God it's been so long...

I can't remember any of their names! ;)

Can't help but love Gaborik. I like Brunette a lot... he's kind of slow but his goal in the 2003-2004 playoffs to beat the Avs made me a HUGE fan. I'd hate to lose him... hope they can sign him.

[mzteris]

5. Go CANES!!! n/t

[Oreo]

6. Wow! A Canes fan!

I was season ticket holder #76 (I think). I drove back and forth from Raleigh to Greensboro WAY to many times that first season!

I used to work about a minute from where they practiced so I would go just about everyday to watch them.

[mzteris]

10. r u

still in the area?

My boys LOVE the Canes. Eric Cole is their favorite player. We had a kitten named after him. We've been to a couple of practices, Irbe hit a puck out to my kid. It's a prized possession.

My 11yo son got to go to a Stanley Cup playoff game - the one that lastest forever! Made his life! LOL......

[Oreo]

12. I live in Minneapolis now

It was sort of Twilight Zone to leave NC in 1998 and go from an NHL city to move to Minnesota who (at the time) didn't have a team.

I started one of the first Hurricanes website... had a pretty well known discussion board until I threw up my arms at all the pissed off whaler fans.

[KamaAina]

19. Pissed off Whaler fans?

Why on Earth would we be pissed off? Just because Karmanos screwed the sport worse than anyone before Bettman and Goodenow? :sarcasm:

Really, now, you wouldn't be pissed off if, say, the Panthers were to pack up and move into UConn's shiny new stadium in East Hartford, now would you? Not a bit.

[hasbro]

20. Hit it on the head

The Whalers were my taint between the Rockies and Avs.

Brass Bonanza forever!

[kick-ass-bob]

21. wow. I'm not the first Canes fan in a hockey thread.

that has to be a first.

:thumbsup:

[THUNDER HANDS]

9. every year the Islanders open against the Sabres

I don't know why, but EVERY FREAKIN' YEAR. Jeez. And we're ALWAYS in Buffalo.

[getmeouttahere]

16. That is odd...

they should start out with a rivalry game, unless the league thinks that is a major rivalry...

[devilgrrl]

17. Yeah but the Isles keep winning against the Sabres

nothing wrong with that :shrug: