The 2023-24 season is almost done as the Florida Panthers and Edmonton Oilers are playing in the Stanley Cup Finals with a fresh champion in-sight. However, the action doesn't stop there as the NHL Entry Draft will be taking place around the end of June 2024 and the buildup of the upcoming 2024-25 season right after that. Notably, the 2024-25 NHL season will mark 107th of play. Interestingly, the upcoming season will bring significant changes to the league especially after the deactivation of the Arizona Coyotes and the addition of a new expansion team in Utah, guaranteeing a fresh dynamic to the league.
Starting this season, Fanatics will become the NHL's official apparel provider under a new ten-year contract. Prior to this agreement, Adidas was the NHL's official apparel provider on a seven-year contract with 2023-24 being the last season in partnership with them. Regarding broadcasting, Canadian viewers can catch the action on Sportsnet, CBC, and TVA Sports, while American fans can tune in via ESPN, ABC, ESPN2, TNT, and TBS. Streaming options include Sportsnet+, Amazon (Canada), ESPN+/Hulu, and Max (United States). Moreover, there will be new head coaches for some top teams like the Toronto Maple Leafs, Buffalo Sabres and San Jose Sharks in the upcoming season.
NHL 2024-25 Season Key Dates
The upcoming NHL season features several key dates, as many events are bound to take place over the next season. However, we have got you covered with that, mentioned below are all the important dates for the 2024-25 season:
NHL Entry Draft 2024
The 2024 NHL Entry Draft marks the league's 62nd draft, set to take place on June 28–29, 2024, at the Sphere in Las Vegas. Notably, all draft rights previously held by the deactivated Arizona Coyotes have been transferred to the new Utah NHL team, as per the April 2024 agreement. The San Jose Sharks will enjoy the first-ever first-overall pick. The fans can enjoy the NHL Entry Draft 2024 on ESPN, NHL Network, SN, and TVA Sports networks. It will be interesting to see the team picking up fresh players.
NHL 2024-25 Regular Season
The 2024-25 regular season will commence on October 4, 2024 and will continue till April 2025. Notably, the Buffalo Sabres and New Jersey Devils will kick off the season at the O2 Arena in Prague, Czech Republic with two regular season games taking place on October 4 and 5 respectively. Following this, the Dallas Stars and Florida Panthers are set to play two games on November 1 and 2 respectively at the Nokia Arena in Tampere, Finland. These games will mark the 2024 NHL Global Series.
Unfortunately, the complete schedule of the 2024-25 NHL regular season is not yet determined. Nonetheless, it is expected to be out soon.
NHL 2024-25 Winter Classic
The 2024-25 NHL Winter Classic game will take place on December 31, 2024, featuring the Chicago Blackhawks and St. Louis Blues at Wrigley Field in Chicago. Notably, the game marks a rematch of the 2017 Winter Classic, where the Blues beat the Blackhawks 4-1 at Busch Stadium.
NHL 2024-25 Stadium Series
The 2024-25 NHL Stadium Series will feature an outdoor game as part of the regular season. The game will feature the Detroit Red Wings going up against Columbus Blue Jackets at Ohio Stadium on the campus of Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio. Moreover, the league announced in February 2024 that the Stadium Series will go back to hosting a single game per season rather than having two games.
4 Nation Faceoff
The NHL will replace the All-Star Game with a new 4 Nations Face-Off tournament, anticipating the NHL's return to the Olympics in 2026. Four teams, featuring the NHL players from Canada, Finland, Sweden, and the United States will compete in seven games from February 12, 2025 to February 20, 2025. Notably, games will be held in one American city and one Canadian city, which will be announced later.