The Vancouver Canucks season begins on October 15th against division rivals, the Calgary Flames, and there are many other games to look forward to.
The excitement and unpredictability of the annual NHL Draft is almost upon us; and after that, the impending Free Agent Frenzy. But once the flurry of trades and signings is over, there are only the World Cup, preseason and, finally, the start of the regular season to look forward to — with great match-ups for the Vancouver Canucks.
With the full schedules of all 30 NHL teams now released, it’s time to peek into the near future and mark down some key dates and/or some simply entertaining match-ups for Vancouver. In case you hadn’t already checked out the Canucks’ schedule, The Canuck Way has gathered the need-to-knows for your readerly convenience:
QUICK INFO
- The Canucks’ season opens on Saturday, October 15th with back-to-back games against the Calgary Flames
- This season’s schedule sees the Canucks play 29 games against Pacific Division opponents, 21 against all remaining Western Conference teams, and a further 32 against Eastern Conference teams
- The club will play 16 back-to-back series, with nine coming on the road, three at home, and four being home/road splits
- And as always, lots of mileage: 13 road trips, the longest of which is six straight games, from November 2-10 and again from February 7-16
- There will also be 13 home stands, the longest of which is five games, from March 7-16
A NOTE ON ROAD TRIPS/HOME STANDS
For the November 2-10 road trip, the Canucks’ opponents are: Montreal Canadiens, Ottawa Senators, Toronto Maple Leafs, New York Islanders, New York Rangers, and Detroit Red Wings. Lots of good, old Canadian match-ups. Could be a tough two-game visit to the Big Apple, especially as it comes in the middle. Canucks fans watching the game against the Leafs will probably get to see projected first-overall pick, Auston Matthews, line up at center.
The second road stint, several months later in February, will feature visits to Nashville, Columbus, Boston, Buffalo, Pittsburgh, and St. Louis. At this point in the season, the Canucks should have a clear direction but a difficult stretch of games away from Rogers Arena, including matchups against the stingy Nashville Predators, the always pesky Boston Bruins, the dynamic Blues, not to mention the defending Stanley Cup champions, might make or break the season.
As for the extended home stand, teams lacing up against the Canucks will be the Montreal Canadiens, New York Islanders, Pittsburgh Penguins, Boston Bruins, and Dallas Stars. Yikes, that’s an intimidating roll-call of opponents. Home-ice advantage may come in handy there.
PRE-SEASON
The Canucks will play seven preseason games: four at home, three on the road.
- @ San Jose Sharks – September 27th
- vs. Edmonton Oilers – September 28th
- @ Calgary Flames – September 30th
- vs. San Jose Sharks – October 2nd
- vs. Arizona Coyotes – October 3rd
- vs. Calgary Flames – October 6th
But let’s take a look at the most exciting games on the schedule!
Next: October 15th