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The NHL released the 2014-2015 schedule today, and the Avalanche have a few significant road trips ahead.
Highlights
Opening Night: @ Minnesota, Oct. 9
Home opener: v. Minnesota, Oct. 11
Closing night/home closer: v. Blackhawks, April 11
Longest Home Stand: 4 games, February 12 - February 18
Longest Road Trip: 5 games, January 12 - January 19 and March 19 - March 26
Number of back-to-backs: 11 (1 in Oct, 2 in Nov, 2 in Dec, 1 in Jan, 2 in Feb, 3 in March)
Number of Home-and-homes*: 2 (vs. Wild, Oct 9 & 11; vs. Predators, Jan 27 & 30) *Not back to back
Number of Morning/Afternoon games: 3 (Oct 13 at 11:00 am, Oct 26 at 1 pm, Jan 10 at 1 pm)
Some other tidbits:
- The Avs have five homestands of 3 or more games, while having 6 road trips of three or more games.
- 8 of the 11 back-to-backs are on the road. The other three are home-and-aways. There are no back-to-backs at home.
- The Avs' Oct 13th 11 am game against the Bruins is on a Monday. It's the US holiday Columbus Day.
- Avalanche are celebrating New Year's Eve in Denver against the Flyers.
NHL Schedule Notes
Training Camp Opens: Thursday, Sept. 18
Preseason Games Begin: Sunday, Sept. 21
Regular Season Opens: Wednesday, Oct. 8
Christmas Break: Wednesday, Dec. 24 – Friday, Dec. 26
All-Star Break: Thursday, Jan. 22 – Monday, Jan. 26
Last Day of Regular Season: Saturday, April 11
Avalanche Schedule
| DATE | VISITOR | HOME | TIME (MT) |
| October 2014 | |||
| THU OCT 9, 2014 | AVALANCHE | WILD | 6:30 PM |
| SAT OCT 11, 2014 | WILD | AVALANCHE | 7:00 PM |
| MON OCT 13, 2014 | AVALANCHE | BRUINS | 11:00 AM |
| TUE OCT 14, 2014 | AVALANCHE | MAPLE LEAFS | 5:30 PM |
| THU OCT 16, 2014 | AVALANCHE | SENATORS | 5:30 PM |
| SAT OCT 18, 2014 | AVALANCHE | CANADIENS | 5:00 PM |
| TUE OCT 21, 2014 | PANTHERS | AVALANCHE | 7:00 PM |
| FRI OCT 24, 2014 | CANUCKS | AVALANCHE | 7:00 PM |
| SUN OCT 26, 2014 | AVALANCHE | JETS | 1:00 PM |
| TUE OCT 28, 2014 | SHARKS | AVALANCHE | 7:00 PM |
| THU OCT 30, 2014 | ISLANDERS | AVALANCHE | 7:00 PM |
| November 2014 | |||
| SAT NOV 1, 2014 | AVALANCHE | BLUES | 6:00 PM |
| SUN NOV 2, 2014 | DUCKS | AVALANCHE | 6:00 PM |
| TUE NOV 4, 2014 | CANUCKS | AVALANCHE | 7:00 PM |
| THU NOV 6, 2014 | MAPLE LEAFS | AVALANCHE | 7:00 PM |
| SAT NOV 8, 2014 | AVALANCHE | FLYERS | 5:00 PM |
| TUE NOV 11, 2014 | AVALANCHE | ISLANDERS | 5:00 PM |
| THU NOV 13, 2014 | AVALANCHE | RANGERS | 5:00 PM |
| SAT NOV 15, 2014 | AVALANCHE | DEVILS | 5:00 PM |
| THU NOV 20, 2014 | CAPITALS | AVALANCHE | 7:00 PM |
| SAT NOV 22, 2014 | HURRICANES | AVALANCHE | 7:00 PM |
| TUE NOV 25, 2014 | AVALANCHE | COYOTES | 7:00 PM |
| WED NOV 26, 2014 | BLACKHAWKS | AVALANCHE | 7:00 PM |
| SAT NOV 29, 2014 | STARS | AVALANCHE | 7:00 PM |
| December 2014 | |||
| MON DEC 1, 2014 | CANADIENS | AVALANCHE | 7:00 PM |
| THU DEC 4, 2014 | AVALANCHE | FLAMES | 7:00 PM |
| FRI DEC 5, 2014 | AVALANCHE | JETS | 6:00 PM |
| TUE DEC 9, 2014 | PREDATORS | AVALANCHE | 7:00 PM |
| THU DEC 11, 2014 | JETS | AVALANCHE | 7:00 PM |
| SAT DEC 13, 2014 | BLUES | AVALANCHE | 8:00 PM |
| THU DEC 18, 2014 | AVALANCHE | PENGUINS | 5:00 PM |
| SAT DEC 20, 2014 | AVALANCHE | SABRES | 5:00 PM |
| SUN DEC 21, 2014 | AVALANCHE | RED WINGS | 4:00 PM |
| TUE DEC 23, 2014 | BLUES | AVALANCHE | 6:00 PM |
| SAT DEC 27, 2014 | BLACKHAWKS | AVALANCHE | 7:00 PM |
| MON DEC 29, 2014 | AVALANCHE | BLUES | 6:00 PM |
| WED DEC 31, 2014 | FLYERS | AVALANCHE | 7:00 PM |
| January 2015 | |||
| FRI JAN 2, 2015 | OILERS | AVALANCHE | 7:00 PM |
| SUN JAN 4, 2015 | BLUE JACKETS | AVALANCHE | 6:00 PM |
| TUE JAN 6, 2015 | AVALANCHE | BLACKHAWKS | 6:30 PM |
| THU JAN 8, 2015 | SENATORS | AVALANCHE | 7:00 PM |
| SAT JAN 10, 2015 | STARS | AVALANCHE | 1:00 PM |
| MON JAN 12, 2015 | AVALANCHE | CAPITALS | 5:00 PM |
| TUE JAN 13, 2015 | AVALANCHE | HURRICANES | 5:00 PM |
| THU JAN 15, 2015 | AVALANCHE | PANTHERS | 5:30 PM |
| SAT JAN 17, 2015 | AVALANCHE | LIGHTNING | 5:00 PM |
| MON JAN 19, 2015 | AVALANCHE | BLUES | 6:00 PM |
| WED JAN 21, 2015 | BRUINS | AVALANCHE | 8:00 PM |
| TUE JAN 27, 2015 | AVALANCHE | PREDATORS | 6:00 PM |
| FRI JAN 30, 2015 | PREDATORS | AVALANCHE | 7:00 PM |
| February 2015 | |||
| TUE FEB 3, 2015 | AVALANCHE | STARS | 6:30 PM |
| THU FEB 5, 2015 | RED WINGS | AVALANCHE | 7:00 PM |
| SAT FEB 7, 2015 | AVALANCHE | WILD | 6:00 PM |
| SUN FEB 8, 2015 | AVALANCHE | JETS | 4:00 PM |
| THU FEB 12, 2015 | RANGERS | AVALANCHE | 7:00 PM |
| SAT FEB 14, 2015 | STARS | AVALANCHE | 7:00 PM |
| MON FEB 16, 2015 | COYOTES | AVALANCHE | 7:00 PM |
| WED FEB 18, 2015 | KINGS | AVALANCHE | 8:00 PM |
| FRI FEB 20, 2015 | AVALANCHE | BLACKHAWKS | 6:30 PM |
| SUN FEB 22, 2015 | LIGHTNING | AVALANCHE | 4:00 PM |
| TUE FEB 24, 2015 | AVALANCHE | PREDATORS | 6:00 PM |
| FRI FEB 27, 2015 | AVALANCHE | STARS | 6:30 PM |
| SAT FEB 28, 2015 | WILD | AVALANCHE | 8:00 PM |
| March 2015 | |||
| WED MAR 4, 2015 | PENGUINS | AVALANCHE | 8:00 PM |
| SAT MAR 7, 2015 | AVALANCHE | BLUE JACKETS | 5:00 PM |
| SUN MAR 8, 2015 | AVALANCHE | WILD | 4:00 PM |
| TUE MAR 10, 2015 | KINGS | AVALANCHE | 7:00 PM |
| THU MAR 12, 2015 | DEVILS | AVALANCHE | 7:00 PM |
| SAT MAR 14, 2015 | FLAMES | AVALANCHE | 8:00 PM |
| THU MAR 19, 2015 | AVALANCHE | COYOTES | 8:00 PM |
| FRI MAR 20, 2015 | AVALANCHE | DUCKS | 8:00 PM |
| MON MAR 23, 2015 | AVALANCHE | FLAMES | 7:00 PM |
| WED MAR 25, 2015 | AVALANCHE | OILERS | 6:00 PM |
| THU MAR 26, 2015 | AVALANCHE | CANUCKS | 8:00 PM |
| SAT MAR 28, 2015 | SABRES | AVALANCHE | 7:00 PM |
| MON MAR 30, 2015 | OILERS | AVALANCHE | 7:00 PM |
| April 2015 | |||
| WED APR 1, 2015 | AVALANCHE | SHARKS | 8:30 PM |
| FRI APR 3, 2015 | AVALANCHE | DUCKS | 8:00 PM |
| SAT APR 4, 2015 | AVALANCHE | KINGS | 8:00 PM |
| TUE APR 7, 2015 | PREDATORS | AVALANCHE | 7:00 PM |
| THU APR 9, 2015 | JETS | AVALANCHE | 7:00 PM |
| SAT APR 11, 2015 | BLACKHAWKS | AVALANCHE | 7:00 PM |
Scheduling Matrix
The scheduling matrix, effective as of last season, ensures that all 30 teams play in all 30 arenas at least once a season:
Eastern Conference (8-Team Divisions)
Within Conference (Division): 30 games
* 5 games vs. two teams (3 Home/2 Away vs. one team, 2 Home/3 Away vs. one team) AND 4 games vs. five teams (2 Home/2 Away). Teams rotated on a yearly basis.
* 5 x 2 =10 games
* 4 x 5 = 20 games
Within Conference (Non-Division): 24 games
* 3 games vs. each team (2 Home/1 Away vs. four teams, 1 Home/2 Away vs. four teams). Teams rotated on a yearly basis.
* 3 x 8 = 24 games
Non-Conference: 28 games
* 2 games vs. each team (1 Home/1 Away)
* 2 x 14 = 28 games
Western Conference (7-Team Divisions)
Within Conference (Division): 29 games
* 5 games vs. five teams (3 Home/2 Away vs. two teams, 2 Home/3 Away vs. three teams) AND 4 games vs. one team (2 Home/2 Away). Teams rotated on a yearly basis.
* 5 x 5 =25 games
* 1 x 4 = 4 games
Within Conference (Non-Division): 21 games
* 3 games vs. each team (2 Home/1 Away vs. four teams, 1 Home/2 Away vs. three teams). Teams rotated on a yearly basis.
* 3 x 7 = 21 games
Non-Conference: 32 games
* 2 games vs. each team (1 Home/1 Away)
* 2 x 16 = 32 games
Exception: One team from each division plays one less game inside division and one more game inside conference outside division.