The NHL released its 2021-22 regular-season schedule on Thursday night, featuring realigned divisions, a rebalanced schedule and a lengthy Olympic break if the league's players participate in the 2022 Beijing Games.
The schedule, which was announced on SportsCenter, returns the NHL to a full 82-game regular season after playing 56 games in 2020-21 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Opening night is Tuesday, Oct. 12, featuring the Pittsburgh Penguins visiting the Tampa Bay Lightning, who will raise their Stanley Cup championship banner. The expansion Seattle Kraken also will play their first game at the league's other recent expansion team, the Vegas Golden Knights.