Penguins to raise Stanley Cup banner on October 4

The Pittsburgh Penguins will raise their fifth Stanley Cup championship banner in franchise history when they host the St. Louis Blues on October 4 as the National Hockey League unveiled its regular season schedule on Thursday.

The Penguins home opener is one of four games on opening night.

The Toronto Maple Leafs will visit the Winnipeg Jets, the Edmonton Oilers and Calgary Flames will tangle in the "Battle of Alberta," and the San Jose Sharks host the Philadelphia Flyers to complete the opening night festivities.

Penguins superstar Sidney Crosby led his team to postseason series victories over the Columbus Blue Jackets, Washington Capitals and Ottawa Senators before a six-game triumph over the Nashville Predators in the Stanley Cup final.

The Penguins will host the Predators in a Stanley Cup rematch on October 7.

The Vegas Golden Knights, an expansion team competing in its inaugural season, will visit the Dallas Stars to play their first regular season game on October 6. The Knights play their first home contest four days later against the Arizona Coyotes.

The NHL will also be heading to Europe for the first time in six years as the Senators will face off against the Colorado Avalanche in Sweden on November 10-11.

Outdoor games are also on tap, with the Senators and Montreal Canadiens playing on December 16 at Lansdowne Park in Ottawa, home of the gridiron RedBlacks of the Canadian Football League.

On New Year's Day, the Buffalo Sabres and New York Rangers travel to Citi Field, home of the New York Mets baseball team.

The Capitals will also take the action outdoors on March 3 when they host the Maple Leafs at the Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis, Maryland.

The NHL All-Star break will occur from January 26-29 in Tampa and the regular season will finish on April 7.

Source: AFP