On October 9, the Montreal Canadiens will welcome the Toronto Maple Leafs to the Bell Centre to begin their 107th season of operations.
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Plenty of important nights are ahead, including key matchups against the Boston Bruins and Ottawa Senators, plus three more contests against the Maple Leafs.
Kids like Juraj Slafkovsky, Cole Caufield, Nick Suzuki, Arber Xhekaj, and Joshua Roy are all a year older and have more experience.
However, the Canadiens are just one of 32 teams in the NHL, each with a unique schedule. David Pagnotta from The Fourth Period recently confirmed some key dates that every hockey fan should know.
2024-25 NHL key dates:
Holiday roster freeze: Dec. 20-27, 2024
NHL 4 Nations Face-Off: Feb. 10-21, 2025
Trade deadline: Fri, Mar. 7, 2025 (3pm ET)
Last day of reg-season: April 17, 2025
First day of 2025 Playoffs: April 19, 2025
Last possible day of 2025 SCF: June 23, 2025— David Pagnotta (@TheFourthPeriod) September 11, 2024
At first glance, the Canadiens’ first two months of hockey will proceed without interruption. Even though the club isn’t expected to make any trades before the end of the calendar year, they will play three games during the holiday roster freeze.
Those contests include a home-and-home with the Detroit Red Wings on December 20-21 and a showdown with the Columbus Blue Jackets on December 23. Montreal will have four days off before skating against the reigning Stanley Cup champion, Florida Panthers, on December 28.
Related: Canadiens Preseason Record Under St. Louis
Regarding the 4 Nations Face-off, during the initial roster announcements, no one on the Canadiens roster has yet to secure a spot on Team Canada, USA, Sweden, or Finland.
However, with the tournament on home ice at the Bell Centre, there’s a chance a player like Caufield (USA) or Suzuki (Canada) make it into the event.
When the NHL returns for the stretch drive, there will only be two weeks before the trade deadline. The fanbase will be interested and excited if Montreal is closing in on a playoff spot or on the verge of selling off assets for more draft capital.
The Canadiens wrap up their regular season schedule a day before most teams, on April 16 against the Carolina Hurricanes, while the remaining teams will conclude their seasons on April 17.
Whether or not Montreal advances to the Stanley Cup playoffs, the NHL postseason will begin on April 19. The last possible day for a Game 7 matchup in the Final is scheduled for June…