Jacob Stoller lists three contracts he liked and three that didn't impress him on Day 1 of NHL free agency. The Florida Panthers finished the 2023-24 NHL season celebrating their first Stanley Cup championship in franchise history. They'll raise their Cup banner on Oct. 8. [https://thehockeynews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MjA3NTY4OTUzMzAyNTkxMTcw/usatsi_23615688_168400847_lowres.jpg] The Florida Panthers finished the 2023-24 NHL season celebrating their first Stanley Cup championship in franchise history. They'll raise their Cup banner on Oct. 8. The NHL released the schedule for the 2024-25 regular season, and it's almost three months away. For the second time in three seasons, the season kicks off in Europe with the NHL Global Series. It starts in Czechia on Oct. 4 between the Buffalo Sabres and New Jersey Devils. Over in North America, the season goes into full force with a tripleheader on Oct. 8. Here are some key dates during the season with standout games. All times are listed in eastern time. STANDOUT DATES Oct. 8: The Florida Panthers raise their Stanley Cup championship banner before facing the Boston Bruins at 7 p.m. as Game 2 of a tripleheader. The first game is between the Seattle Kraken and St. Louis Blues at 4:30 p.m., while the Utah Hockey Club hosts its first-ever game against the Chicago Blackhawks at 10 p.m. Oct. 9: Six Canadian teams are in action, including the Toronto Maple Leafs facing the Montreal Canadiens, Winnipeg Jets playing the Edmonton Oilers and the Calgary Flames taking on the Vancouver Canucks. The New York Rangers and Pittsburgh Penguins also face off, which adds another level of intrigue to Pens forward Bryan Rust saying his team would've beaten the Blueshirts in the first round. [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins/latest-news/pittsburgh-penguins-bryan-rust-believes-won-playoffs] Oct. 17: If No. 1-overall pick Macklin Celebrini signs his entry-level contract for the San Jose Sharks, he'll be scheduled to face Connor Bedard and the Chicago Blackhawks for the first time. Oct. 22: All 32 teams will be in action, with the first game starting at 6 p.m. between the Washington Capitals and Philadelphia Flyers. Then after the Minnesota Wild and Florida Panthers start at 6:30 p.m., 11 games start at 15-minute intervals. After the Ottawa Senators and Utah start at 9:15 p.m., the remaining three games begin in half-hour intervals, finishing with the Los Angeles Kings and Vegas Golden Knights at 11 p.m. It will be the only time this season every team plays in one day. Oct. 28: Longtime Lightning captain Steven Stamkos returns to Tampa Bay as the Nashville Predators are in town. Dec. 16: It's the first rematch between the Stanley Cup finalists, as the champion Panthers head to Rogers Place to play the Oilers. Dec. 31: The NHL Winter Classic goes down at Wrigley Field in Chicago between the Blackhawks and St. Louis Blues. The game starts at 5 p.m. It is one of 13 games that day, whereas New Year's Day has one: the New Jersey Devils and Los Angeles Kings at 6 p.m. Jan. 18: Hockey Day in Canada features all seven Canadian teams in action. The Senators host the Bruins at 3 p.m., followed by Montreal playing Toronto and Calgary facing Winnipeg at 7 p.m. The Canucks host the Oilers at 10 p.m. to end the day. But there are some rivalry matchups in the United States that day, including the Capitals and Penguins and the Flyers and Devils. Feb. 10 to 21: The regular-season schedule is put on hold while the 4 Nations Face-Off tournament takes place in Montreal and Boston. The four national teams practise on Feb. 10 and 11, and the games begin on Feb. 12 to 20. March 1: Ohio hosts Michigan at Ohio Stadium for the 2025 NHL Stadium Series. The Columbus Blue Jackets will play their first outdoor game as they take on the Detroit Red Wings. April 17: This is set to be the final day of the regular season, barring any rescheduling. It features only teams in the Eastern Conference, and they all start at 7 p.m. After the dramatic finish to the Eastern wild-card race in 2023-24, it could get interesting. The Flyers and Sabres play each other, as well as the Capitals and Penguins. The Islanders and Blue Jackets are another game, as well as the Red Wings and Maple Leafs, Lightning and Rangers, and Hurricanes and Senators. SCHEDULING MATRIX REFRESHER Need a refresher or want to know more about what rules the NHL follows in creating its schedule? Here are some notes: - Each team plays 41 games at home and 41 away. - Every team plays two games against each opponent in the opposite conference, with one game at home and one away. - Every team plays three games against each opponent in the other division of the same conference. - For games within the division, a team will face five teams four times, with two games at home and two away. They'll play three games against the other two clubs. For more information on each team's schedule, check out THN.com/teams [http://thn.com/teams]. Get the latest news and trending stories right to your inbox by subscribing to The Hockey News newsletter here [https://info.thehockeynews.com/mail/microsites/951/1/gTeQVf?_gl=1*ustlbj*_ga*NjkyMzUxMy4xNjYzNjIwMzQ3*_ga_PK63FB1PME*MTcxMzUwOTExNi40NDguMS4xNzEzNTA5MjA5LjU5LjAuMA..].
