The Vancouver Canucks have unveiled their 2024-2025 regular season schedule, and there is plenty for fans to get excited about.
The season kicks off with the club’s home opener against the Calgary Flames on Oct. 6, but there are plenty of dates fans may want to circle on their calendar.
Battling rivals
Canucks supporters still smarting from the team’s Game 7 elimination by the Edmonton Oilers will have to wait until Nov. 9 for their first rematch.
The Canucks will play Edmonton three times this season, down from the four games they played last year. The Pacific division rivals will play their first match in Vancouver, followed by another home game on Jan. 18 and an away game at Rogers Place on Jan. 23.
The Canucks will also face their other playoff rival, the Nashville Predators, three times. Nashville will no doubt be looking to ease the pain of their own elimination and have added some major skill in free agency in the form of Steven Stamkos and Jonathan Marchessault, while the Canucks acquired former Nashville pest Kiefer Sherwood.
Nashville plays in Vancouver on Nov. 17 and Jan. 3, while the Canucks play in the Bridgestone Arena on Jan. 29.
The Canucks will face their long-time foe and Stanley Cup Final heartbreakers the Boston Bruins twice. The matchups will be particularly interesting this year, after the two teams essentially swapped five players in free agency. Nikita Zadorov and Elias Lindholm signed with the Bruins, while the Canucks picked up wingers Jake DeBrusk and Langley native Danton Heinen along with former Boston defender Derek Forbort.
The Canucks play in Boston on Nov. 26, while the Bruins come to Rogers Arena on Dec. 14.
And as always, there will be plenty of interest among Vancouver fans when the team faces the Toronto Maple Leafs twice.
Vancouver plays in Toronto on Jan. 11, while the Leafs come to town on Feb. 8.
Stanley Cup Champions
Fans dreaming of a Canucks Stanley Cup run will no doubt be watching closely when the team takes on the defending champion Florida Panthers.
The club will get its first chance at the champs in Florida during its first road trip of the season on Oct. 15.
The Panthers will then make an appearance in Vancouver on Dec. 12.
The odds of former Canuck goaltending legend Roberto Luongo bringing the cup with him are probably slim, but fans can dream.
Star power
Rounding out the schedule will be a number of games where fans get a chance to see the Canucks stack up against the NHL’s best and brightest and its up-and-comers.
Rookie star and North Vancouver product Connor Bedard and the Chicago Blackhawks play the Canucks three times, starting with an away game in Chicago on Oct. 22.
Bedard missed his first appearance in Vancouver last season due to an injury, so fans will likely have their first chance to see him in person on Nov. 16. If that doesn’t work out, they will get a second opportunity on March 15.
Another season highlight will be the Hughes brothers matchup. Canucks’ captain Quinn Hughes will face down his brothers Jack and Luke and the New Jersey Devils at Rogers Arena on Oct. 30. They’ll have an away game matchup On March 24.
2024 NHL Entry Draft number-one overall pick Macklin Celebrini, another North Vancouver native, will go from fan to foe of the Canucks on Nov. 2 when the club travels to California to play the San Jose Sharks.
The Sharks then make two appearances in Vancouver, on Dec. 23 and April 14.
Canadian hockey legend Sidney Crosby will be in Vancouver on Oct. 26, while the Canucks battle the Pittsburgh Penguins on the road on Nov. 27.
And Alexander Ovechkin, who is credibly chasing down Wayne Gretzky’s all-time goal-scoring record this season, will battle the Canucks on his own tuf on Jan. 8, while his Washington Capitals come to Vancouver on Jan. 25.
Odds and ends
The Canucks will hold their annual Fan Appreciation Night on April i6 in a matchup against the Vegas Golden Knights.
The club has yet to release dates for other popular community events, such as Diwali Night, Pride Night, and Lunar New Year Night.
The Canucks have two six-game road trips, one from Nov. 23 to Dec. 3, and one from March 20-30, already a tough month that sees them play 15 games.
They also play two six-game homestands, one from Nov. 9 to Nov. 19, and one from Dec. 6, to Dec. 16.
The Canucks’ vintage ‘Flying Skate’ jerseys feature heavily in the marketing for the campaign, but the club has yet to reveal how many games they will actually wear the kit. Last year, the jerseys featured in 15 games.