The wait is finally over when the puck drops on the 2024-25 NHL season.
As teams are ready to do battle for the hardest trophy to win in all the sports, the Stanley Cup.
This season will be filled with milestones, drama, remembrance and one player chasing greatness.
In the Western Conference, last year’s finalists Edmonton Oilers look to go on another cup or bust run with superstars Leon Draisaitl, Evander Kane, and Conner McDavid leading the way.
McDavid looks to reach a milestone early into the season. He needs 18 points to become the third fastest player to reach 1000 points. The Edmonton Oilers starting play against the Vancouver Canucks on Oct. 9.
In Southern California, the Los Angeles Kings and Anaheim Ducks look to make the playoffs this season.
L.A. Kings star Quinton Byfield looks to have a breakout year. The Kings will start the season on the road against the Buffalo Sabers on Oct. 10.
The goalie for the Ducks, John Gibson will be sidelined for 3-6 weeks and Lukas Dostal will take the reins in goal. The new look Ducks will start play in San Jose against the Sharks on Oct. 12.
Both teams having a new look this season with the Kings going back to 90’s Gretzky era logo and jersey and the Ducks being back the Mighty Ducks logo and jersey.
After winning the Calder Memorial Trophy for rookie of the year Connor Bedard looks to have a breakout year with the Chicago Blackhawks.
With Dany Heatley, Taylor Hall, Patrick Maroon and Seth Jones, Chicago looks like a team not to be pushed around. The Blackhawks first home game is on Oct. 17.
In Utah, the Utah Hockey Club are about to play their inaugural season after relocated from Arizona. Clayton Keller has been named captain and the team looks to make the playoff. Their first ever game at Delta Center against the Chicago Blackhawks on Oct. 8.
In the Eastern Conference, Matthew Tkachnk and Sergei Borovsky with the defending Stanley Cup champions, Florida Panthers are looking to repeat with their first game at home against the Boston Bruins on Oct. 8.
Their bitter state rivals, the Tampa Bay Lightning are looking to return to dynasty form with 167 points man Nikita Kucherov and fully healthy Anderi Vasilevkiy. The Lightning head to Carolina to face the Hurricanes to start the season.
In Boston from having the two best goalies in the last league to having none. With the Bruins after trading Linus Ullmark to the Ottawa Senators, an other top goalie Jermey Swayman is still in negotiations to sign.
In a press conference, Bruins president Cam Neely said: “I have sixty-four million reasons why I’d be playing right now.” on the money contract situation. The Bruins start their season the road against the defending champion Florida Panthers on Oct. 8.
On broadway the star credit New York Rangers look get over the hump and reach their first finals since 2014. With the last year of K’Andre Miller, Reilly Smith, Alex Lafreniére and Igor Shesterkin. This look like the last chance for a run for a cup. The Rangers start the season on the road against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Oct. 9.
After their first round exit, the Toronto Maple Leafs are looking to break their 57 years cup drought. With their new coach Craig Berube, the Leafs look to be a force to be reckoned with star Auston Matthews being named captain of the team. Their first game of the new season is against their rivals the Montreal Canadians on Oct. 9.
In Washington, the Capitals are still rebuilding. There is one player chasing greatness as Alexander Ovechkin needs 42 goals to break Wayne Gretzky’s record of 894 goals.
There is one team that will play through tragedy this year. On August 29 Johnny Gaudreau and his Brother Matthew were killed by an alleged drunk driver in New Jersey hours before their sister’s wedding. The Columbus Blue Jackets home opener on Oct. 15 against the Florida Panthers will honor both brothers with a 13 second moment of silence and stickers on the back of their helmet with the number 13 and 18.
On New Year’s Eve the NHL have the annual Winter Classic. This year it will be the St. Louis Blues facing the Chicago Blackhawks at Weighty Field. It will be a rematch from the 2017 Winter Classic. This will be the first time that the game will be played on new year’s eve instead of new year’s day.
This season, the NHL will not have annual all-star game, instead it will have NHL 4 Nations Face-Off with Finland, Sweden, Canada, and the United States. The game will be played in Boston and Montreal from February 12-20, 2025.
This is the start of the NHL getting into more international hockey events with them going to 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics in Italy and 2030 French Alps in France.
On April 16, the NHL season will end and the battle of lords Stanley Cup beings with 16 teams making the playoffs. The finals being and end in June, with one team lifting the cup over their head as champions.
