The 32 teams in the NHL are divided into Western Conference (with Central and Pacific Divisions) and Eastern Conference (with Atlantic and Metropolitan Divisions). During the regular season, teams will each play 82 games. At the end of the season, 16 teams - 8 from each conference - qualify to the Stanley Cup playoffs and battle it out to reach the Stanley Cup Finals, a best of 7 series between 2 teams to decide who lifts the Stanley Cup.
The Stanley Cup winner in both the 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons was the Florida-based Tampa Bay Lightning. Can they make it 3-in-a-row or will new issues like the imposed salary cap or a competitive division shutdown their impressive run? The Lightning face-off against the Pittsburgh Penguins to launch the 2021-22 season on 12 October. The Penguins will hope to start their campaign with a win to push for their 6th Stanley Cup.
The other opening-day game features the Vegas Golden Knights hosting NHL-newbies, the Seattle Kraken. In 2018, the NHL approved a proposal by Seattle Hockey Partners to grant an expansion franchise to the city of Seattle and, by 2020, the Kraken name was announced. Defence is clearly a priority for Seattle with unrestricted free agents Adam Larsson and Jamie Oleksiak signing long-term deals. Last week, the Kraken bulked up on its back line, adding 6-foot-3 Defenceman Gustav Olofsson whose significant experience in the NHL and American Hockey League will hopefully make him as legendary as the team’s name.
If those season-openers got your skates in a spin, thankfully the league really gets into full flow with games being played almost every day from 12 October until 29 April when we’ll know who will progress to the playoffs.
The 3 iconic annual outdoor games have recently been announced. Atmospherically held in baseball or American football stadiums under outdoor weather conditions, these games bring huge attendance and viewing figures. The NHL Winter Classic will take place on New Year’s Day at Target Field, Minnesota between the Minnesota Wild and the St. Louis Blues. The NHL Stadium Series will be held at the Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee featuring the Nashville Predators against the Tampa Bay Lightning. The NHL Heritage Classic will take place in March at an as-yet undecided Canadian venue between 2 unconfirmed teams.
If you’re new to ice hockey, then it’s not all about roughing and fisticuffs; though if you like that kind of thing, there’s plenty of heavy-handed tackles and toothless grins to be seen! The aim within the fast-paced games - 60 minutes long composed of 3 x 20-minute periods - is to out-score the opposing team by getting the puck in the goal using a hockey stick.