The Maple Leafs made long-term commitments to Chris Tanev and Oliver Ekman-Larsson. Is it enough to remake the look and feel of Toronto's defense? The NHL released its full schedule for the 2024-25 regular season on Tuesday and it's a little more condensed than normal. The reason: The NHL's 4-Nations Face-Off tournament which gets underway in mid-February and will shut regular season play down for a couple of weeks. The Leafs will open their season on Oct. 9 against the Montreal Canadiens at Bell Centre in Montreal. They will then travel to New Jersey to visit Sheldon Keefe and the Devils on Oct. 10. Some matches to watch for: • Joel Edmundson and the Los Angeles Kings return to Scotiabank Arena on Oct. 16 • Ilya Samsonov and the Vegas Golden Knights return to Scotiabank Arena on Nov. 20 • Tyler Bertuzzi, TJ Brodie and the Chicago Blackhawks return to Scotiabank Arena on Dec. 2 • Keefe and the Devils make their first return visit to Scotiabank Arena on Jan. 16 • The Maple Leafs take on Ilya Lyubushkin and the Dallas Stars on Dec. 18 and then Lyubushkin returns to Scotiabank Arena on Jan. 14. • Craig Berube coaches against his former team, the St. Louis Blues, as coach of the Leafs for the first time on Oct. 24. He visits the club in St. Louis on Nov. 2. • The Leafs make their first-ever visit to Utah on Mar. 10. •Some additional notes, courtesy of the Leafs • Longest home stand: Four games (3x) – October 12 to October 21, November 5 to November 12, March 13 to March 19 • Longest road stretch: Four games (2x) – February 1 to February 8, February 23 to March 2 • Number of back-to-back games: 16 • Busiest month: 15 games – December and March • Busiest home month: Nine games – December • Busiest road month: Nine games – March • Busiest day of the week: Saturday – 24 games (12 home, 12 road) Image [https://thehockeynews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MjAwNTk1MTUxMDE2NDM2ODQ0/cf1808c0-6a82-4298-9049-3eb2eae105b0.jpg] Related 'We're Not Going To Address It': Maple Leafs GM Brad Treliving Continues to Dodge Questions About Mitch Marner's Future [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/toronto-maple-leafs/latest-news/were-not-going-to-address-it-maple-leafs-gm-brad-treliving-continues-to-dodge-questions-about-mitch-marners-future] Ilya Samsonov Era Ends, Bets on Himself With Vegas Golden Knights and Where Maple Leafs From Last Season Ended Up [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/toronto-maple-leafs/latest-news/ilya-samsonov-era-ends-bets-on-himself-with-vegas-golden-knights-and-where-maple-leafs-from-last-season-ended-up] 'There's Great Opportunity For Nick Here': Maple Leafs GM Brad Treliving Acknowledges Frustration From Nick Robertson But Wants Player in Toronto Despite Reported Trade Request [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/toronto-maple-leafs/latest-news/theres-great-opportunity-for-nick-here-maple-leafs-gm-brad-treliving-acknowledges-frustration-from-nick-robertson-but-wants-player-in-toronto-despite-reported-trade-request] News from THN.com NHL Free Agency: Grading 10 Teams for Their Off-Season Actions – or Lack Thereof [https://thehockeynews.com/news/nhl-free-agency-grading-10-teams-for-their-off-season-actions-or-lack-thereof] Chicago Blackhawks Continue to Build Up with Bertuzzi, Teravainen and More NHL UFA Signings [https://thehockeynews.com/news/chicago-blackhawks-continue-to-build-up-with-bertuzzi-teravainen-and-more-nhl-ufa-signings] 2024 NHL Draft: Building Team Ferrari with the Detroit Red Wings' Pick [https://thehockeynews.com/news/2024-nhl-draft-building-team-ferrari-with-the-detroit-red-wings-picks]
