TEAM WILL PLAY IN NEWLY CHRISTENED “METROPOLITAN” DIVISION
The Washington Capitals announced their 2013-14 regular season schedule Friday. Under the new schedule format, all teams will play in every city in the league, setting up some interesting road trips throughout the season. The NHL will pause from Feb. 9-25, 2014, while NHL players comprise the majority of the rosters of the national teams competing in Sochi for Olympic gold.
The Caps open the season in Chicago against the Stanley Cup champion Blackhawks on Oct. 1 and start their home slate two days later when they host the Calgary Flames at 7 pm.
Effective this season, the NHL will operate under a new divisional alignment and scheduling matrix that ensures all 30 teams play in all 30 arenas at least once each season. In creating more geographically-appropriate groupings, the NHL now has two eight-team divisions in the Eastern Conference and two seven-team divisions in the Western Conference. The Capitals will be in the Metropolitan Division with Columbus, Carolina, New Jersey, New York Islanders, New York Rangers, Philadelphia Flyers and Pittsburgh Penguins.
The Capitals will host the 11-time Stanley Cup champion Detroit Red Wings at Verizon Center on Super Bowl Sunday, Feb. 2 at 12:30 p.m. It will mark the fourth time in the past five years that the Capitals will play on Super Bowl Sunday.
Washington has six homestands of at least three games on the schedule, the longest being a five-game stretch at Verizon Center from Oct. 10-19. The Capitals have five stretches of at least three straight road games and two season-high five-game road trips from Oct. 22-Nov. 1 and Jan. 24-31, respectively. In addition, the Capitals will have 17 sets of back-to-back games.
Home dates to remember:
- Oct. 3 – Home opener at Verizon Center versus the Calgary Flames.
- Oct. 14 – A Columbus Day tilt versus the Edmonton Oilers.
- Oct. 16 – The New York Rangers make their way to Verizon Center for the first time since the ECQF.
- Nov. 20 – The Pittsburgh Penguins make their first visit of the season to D.C.
- Jan. 2 – The Capitals kick off 2014 when they host the division rival Carolina Hurricanes at Verizon Center.
- Feb. 2 – On Super Bowl Sunday the 11-time Stanley Cup champion Detroit Red Wings make their way to D.C.
- Mar. 10 – Washington hosts Pittsburgh for the second and final time of the regular season.
- Apr. 11 – Washington welcomes the defending Stanley Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks.
- April 13 – Washington concludes the regular-season home schedule at Verizon Center versus Tampa Bay.
OCTOBER
Tue, Oct. 1 at Chicago 8 p.m.
Thu, Oct. 3 Calgary 7 p.m.
Sat, Oct. 5 at Dallas 8 p.m.
Thu, Oct. 10 Carolina 7 p.m.
Sat, Oct. 12 Colorado 7 p.m.
Mon, Oct. 14 Edmonton 7 p.m.
Wed, Oct. 16 N.Y. Rangers 7:30 p.m.
Sat, Oct. 19 Columbus 7 p.m.
Tue, Oct. 22 at Winnipeg 8 p.m.
Thu, Oct. 24 at Edmonton 9:30 p.m.
Sat, Oct. 26 at Calgary 10 p.m.
Mon, Oct. 28 at Vancouver 10 p.m.
NOVEMBER
Fri, Nov. 1 at Philadelphia 7 p.m.
Sat, Nov. 2 Florida 7 p.m.
Tue, Nov. 5 N.Y. Islanders 7 p.m.
Thu, Nov. 7 Minnesota 7 p.m.
Sat, Nov. 9 at Phoenix 8 p.m.
Sun, Nov. 10 at Colorado 8 p.m.
Tue, Nov. 12 Columbus 7 p.m.
Fri, Nov. 15 at Detroit 7:30 p.m.
Sun, Nov. 17 St. Louis 6 p.m.
Wed, Nov. 20 Pittsburgh 7:30 p.m.
Fri, Nov. 22 Montreal 7 p.m.
Sat, Nov. 23 at Toronto 7 p.m.
Wed, Nov. 27 Ottawa 7 p.m.
Fri, Nov. 29 Montreal 5 p.m.
Sat, Nov. 30 at N.Y. Islanders 7 p.m.
DECEMBER
Tue, Dec. 3 Carolina 7 p.m.
Sat, Dec. 7 Nashville 7 p.m.
Sun, Dec. 8 at N.Y. Rangers 7 p.m.
Tue, Dec. 10 Tampa Bay 7 p.m.
Fri, Dec. 13 at Florida 7:30 p.m.
Sun, Dec. 15 Philadelphia 3 p.m.
Tue, Dec. 17 at Philadelphia 7:30 p.m.
Fri, Dec. 20 at Carolina 7 p.m.
Sat, Dec. 21 New Jersey 7 p.m.
Mon, Dec. 23 Anaheim 7 p.m.
Fri, Dec. 27 N.Y. Rangers 7 p.m.
Sun, Dec. 29 at Buffalo 5 p.m.
Mon, Dec. 30 at Ottawa 7:30 p.m.
JANUARY
Thu, Jan. 2 Carolina 7 p.m.
Sat, Jan. 4 at Minnesota 8 p.m.
Thu, Jan. 9 at Tampa Bay 7:30 p.m.
Fri, Jan. 10 Toronto 7 p.m.
Sun, Jan. 12 Buffalo 3 p.m.
Tue, Jan. 14 San Jose 7 p.m.
Wed, Jan. 15 at Pittsburgh 8 p.m.
Fri, Jan. 17 at Columbus 7 p.m.
Sun, Jan. 19 at N.Y. Rangers 7:30 p.m.
Tue, Jan. 21 Ottawa 7 p.m.
Fri, Jan. 24 at New Jersey 7 p.m.
Sat, Jan. 25 at Montreal 7 p.m.
Tue, Jan. 28 at Buffalo 7:30 p.m.
Thu, Jan. 30 at Columbus 7 p.m.
Fri, Jan. 31 at Detroit 7:30 p.m.
FEBRUARY
Sun, Feb. 2 Detroit 12:30 p.m.
Tue, Feb. 4 N.Y. Islanders 7:30 p.m.
Thu, Feb. 6 Winnipeg 7 p.m.
Sat, Feb. 8 New Jersey 7 p.m.
Thu, Feb. 27 at Florida 7:30 p.m.
MARCH
Sat, March 1 at Boston 1 p.m.
Sun, March 2 Philadelphia 12:30 p.m.
Wed, March 5 at Philadelphia 8 p.m.
Thu, March 6 at Boston 7 p.m.
Sat, March 8 Phoenix 7 p.m.
Mon, March 10 Pittsburgh 7 p.m.
Tue, March 11 at Pittsburgh 7:30 p.m.
Fri, March 14 Vancouver 7 p.m.
Sun, March 16 Toronto 3 p.m.
Tue, March 18 at Anaheim 10 p.m.
Thu, March 20 at Los Angeles 10:30 p.m.
Sat, March 22 at San Jose 10:30 p.m.
Tue, March 25 Los Angeles 7 p.m.
Sat, March 29 Boston 12:30 p.m.
Sun, March 30 at Nashville 8 p.m.
APRIL
Tue, April 1 Dallas 7 p.m.
Fri, April 4 at New Jersey 7 p.m.
Sat, April 5 at N.Y. Islanders 5 p.m.
Tue, April 8 at St. Louis 8 p.m.
Thu, April 10 at Carolina 7 p.m.
Fri, April 11 Chicago 7 p.m.
Sun, April 13 Tampa Bay 3 p.m.
All Times Eastern
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