When is Winter Classic, NHL trade deadline? Key dates for 2024-25 season

The NHL has started gearing up for the 2024-25 regular season with the Florida Panthers trying to defend their first championship after making two consecutive trips to the Stanley Cup Final.

That follows a busy offseason in which nine coaches were hired or had their interim tags removed, prominent goalies were traded and free agents found new homes.

Training camps opened on Sept. 18 and preseason games are well underway. The regular season will start in Europe on Oct. 4 and in North America on Oct. 8.

Here are the key dates for the NHL's 2024-25 regular season:

When is the first day of the NHL season?

The 2024-25 NHL regular season will start in Europe on Oct. 4-5 when the New Jersey Devils and Buffalo Sabres play on back-to-back nights in Prague, Czechia.

When is the first day of the NHL season in North America?

The 2024-25 NHL regular season will start in North America with three games on Oct. 8. Teams must submit their opening day rosters by 5 p.m. ET on Oct. 7.

When do the Florida Panthers raise their Stanley Cup banner?

The defending champions' home opener is Oct. 8 against the Boston Bruins (7 p.m. ET), the team they knocked out in the playoffs the past two seasons.

When is the Utah Hockey Club's home opener?

The Salt Lake City-based team, which acquired the assets of the Arizona Coyotes, also is playing on Oct. 8 (10 p.m. ET), hosting rookie of the year Connor Bedard and the Chicago Blackhawks.

The St. Louis Blues visit the Seattle Kraken in the early game on Oct. 8 (4:30 p.m. ET). All games will be broadcast on ESPN.

When does Alex Ovechkin resume his chase of Wayne Gretzky's record?

The Washington Capitals' season opener is Oct. 12. Ovechkin entered the season needing 42 goals to pass Gretzky's 894 career goals.

Ovechkin tracker: How close is he to Wayne Gretzky's record?

What day will all NHL teams be in action?

All 32 teams are playing on Oct. 22 in the Frozen Frenzy. Just as with last season, the start times of this year's 16 games will be staggered every 15 to 30 minutes between 6 p.m. ET and 11 p.m. ET.

When is the NHL's second set of games in Europe?

The Dallas Stars and Panthers will play in Tampere, Finland, on Nov. 1-2.

When is the Hockey Hall of Fame induction?

The Hall of Fame Game is Nov. 8 in Toronto between the Maple Leafs and Detroit Red Wings. The Class of 2024's induction is Nov. 11 in Toronto.

The inductees are players Natalie Darwitz, Pavel Datsyuk, Jeremy Roenick, Shea Weber and Krissy Wendell-Pohl, plus Colin Campbell and David Poile in the builder category.

When is the 4 Nations Face-Off roster reveal?

Each country has named its first six players and the rest will be announced on Dec. 4. Sweden and Finland will be announced at 2 p.m. ET (NHL Network, ESPN's SportsCenter) and the USA (TNT) and Canada (Sportsnet) will be announced at 6:30 p.m. ET.

4 NATIONS FACE-OFF: Who made the final rosters?

When is the Stanley Cup Final rematch?

The runner-up Edmonton Oilers will host the champion Panthers on Dec. 16. The teams also will play on Feb. 27 in Sunrise, Florida.

When is the holiday roster freeze?

The holiday roster freeze on trades and waivers will be Dec. 20-27. No games or practices will be held on Dec. 24-26. Games resume on Dec. 27 and transactions can resume at 12:01 a.m. ET on Dec. 28.

When is the Winter Classic?

The Winter Classic will be held on Dec. 31 (5 p.m. ET) at Chicago's Wrigley Field between the Blackhawks and Blues. The Winter Classic was also played at the Chicago Cubs' stadium in 2009.

When is the NHL All-Star Game?

There is no All-Star Game this season. It will be replaced by the 4 Nations Face-Off, which will serve as an appetizer for NHL players' return to the Olympics at the 2026 Winter Games in Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy.

When is the 4 Nations Face-Off?

It will be held from Feb. 12-20 in Boston and Montreal and will feature NHL players from the United States, Canada, Sweden and Finland.

4 Nations Face-Off: Schedule for in-season tournament

When is the NHL's second outdoor game?

The Columbus Blue Jackets will host the Red Wings at Ohio Stadium, home of Ohio State's football team, on March 1.

When is the NHL trade deadline?

The NHL trade deadline is March 7 at 3 p.m. ET.

When does the NHL regular season end?

The regular season is scheduled to end on April 17 with six games.

When do the NHL playoffs begin?

The Stanley Cup playoffs are scheduled to begin on April 19. The latest possible day for the Stanley Cup Final to end is June 23.

When is the NHL draft?

The date for the NHL draft is TBA.

This story has been updated to add new information.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NHL 2024-25 season key dates: Winter Classic, trade deadline, more