The National Hockey League released its schedule for the 2021-22 season on Thursday, including that of the Detroit Red Wings.
The Red Wings will open their campaign hosting the defending champion Tampa Bay Lightning on October 14, 2021, and will close it out with a visit to the New Jersey Devils on April 29, 2022.
There will be a handful of firsts for the Wings spread throughout the season.
Their first matchup against the expansion Seattle Kraken will take place at Detroit’s Little Caesars Arena on December 1. Their first visit to the New York Islanders’ new UBS Arena will be later that month, on December 29. Their first game at Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle will be on March 19.
New Red Wing Nick Leddy will face his former Islander teammates for the first time on December 4 in Detroit. Wings goalie Alex Nedeljkovic will oppose his former Carolina Hurricanes teammates on December 16.
Detroit’s annual New Year’s Eve game returns to the schedule as the Red Wings host the Washington Capitals and Anthony Mantha.
There will be only two home-and-home series on the schedule, with the Red Wings facing the Buffalo Sabres on January 15 and January 17 and the Ottawa Senators on April 1 and April 3.
Detroit plays on back-to-back days 14 times throughout the season, with each one of them involving travel between the games.
