2024-25 NHL season preview, full schedule and how to watch live
Everything you need to know ahead of the start of the National Hockey League (NHL) regular season, which kicks off with the league's global series matches in Prague, Czechia on 4 October.
Ice Hockey
October can only mean one thing for ice hockey fans: the return of the National Hockey League (NHL).
The 2024-25 season of North America's top ice hockey competition gets underway on 4 October, albeit across the Atlantic Ocean in Prague as part of the league’s global series.
Friday night will see the Buffalo Sabres take on the New Jersey Devils in the Czech capital to kick off the regular season, the first of two games in Czechia on 4 and 5 October.
The Florida Panthers are the defending champions after winning their first Stanley Cup in June, while Utah Hockey Club (formerly the Arizona Coyotes) is the new name in town.
Here is everything you need to know ahead of the start of a new NHL season.
2024-25 NHL season: Format and schedule
The NHL season is divided into two phases: the regular season and the post-season playoffs, where the winner of the Stanley Cup is determined.
Teams are divided into two conferences, the Eastern Conference and the Western Conference, then further split into two divisions apiece. Each club will play 82 games over seven months during the regular season, which concludes on 17 April 2025.
Following the conclusion of the regular season, the playoffs will begin, where teams face off in a best-of-seven elimination format for a place in the Conference finals and then the Stanley Cup Finals.
The full NHL regular season schedule is available to view here.
The Panthers are out to defend their Stanley Cup title in the 2024-25 NHL season.
2024-25 NHL season: Key teams
No doubt the Panthers will be the team to watch, off the back of their maiden Stanley Cup victory earlier this year in a dramatic 4-3 series win against the Edmonton Oilers.
Captain Aleksander Barkov and his team will aim to become the third franchise to win back-to-back titles in the 21st century, having retained much of their championship core of players.
Meanwhile, the Oilers will be keen to avenge themselves in pursuit of a first Stanley Cup in 35 years.
They showed their gutsy spirit by coming back from a 3-0 deficit to level the series in last season’s final, and although they fell just short, they remain a competitive side flying the flag high for Canada.
With the Arizona Coyotes out of the NHL after suspending hockey operations, the team has been replaced by Utah Hockey Club, who have inherited the Coyotes’ players and staff.
It will be intriguing to see how the NHL’s newest team – at least in terms of their name – will fare in Salt Lake City, the host of the 2034 Olympic Winter Games.
2024-25 NHL season: Key dates
The NHL regular season begins this week on 4 October with the international matches in Czechia, featuring two games to be played at the O2 Arena in Prague.
Finland will also play host to regular season matches later in the season, when the Panthers face the Dallas Stars in Tampere in November. The first games of the season on North American soil take place on 8 October.
There will be a season break in February for the inaugural 4 Nations Face-Off: Canada, Finland, Sweden, and the United States will contest the tournament from 12-20 February 2025, hosted between Montreal and Boston.
The 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs are planned to start in April and they will end with the Stanley Cup Finals in June.
2024-25 NHL season: How to watch live
In the United States, NHL matches are televised between ESPN and ESPN+, TNT and ABC. In Canada, fans can watch matches on Sportsnet, Prime Video and TVA Sports.
For fans around the world, NHL.TV stream matches globally, though some territorial restrictions may apply. For the full list of countries the platform is available visit the NHL website.