The NHL schedule is a busy one that starts in September with pre season games and then moves onto the regular schedule from October until early April. That's when the post season or NHL playoffs start. Once the regular season 82 game schedule starts after the pre season, the teams will usually play almost every second or third night which makes for lots of hockey with 30 teams playing the schedule. There is one stop during the season and that is for the NHL All Star game and then shortly after that is the trade deadline. The NHL schedule is one of the longest in professional sports, but makes for a great season and making it ideal for fans who simply can't watch every single game. Early in the schedule some teams even start off great but can later fizzle out or lose their momentum. Because the season is so long, teams can improve over the regular schedule and update their main lines to see how the players adjust and improve. There is also the outdoor games as part of the schedule that include: The Winter Class, The Stadium Series and the Heritage Classic. Once the regular NHL schedule is completed, it will be time to start the playoff's schedule which will run from April until mid June. Once again, there is a game every two days depending on if teams are eliminated after winning the best of 7 games. During the regular NHL schedule all teams are playing for points so they can get into the playoffs. That is essentially the point of the regular season, to win as many points as possible to get into the playoffs and have home ice advantage. When a team wins a regularly scheduled game, they get two points. If a game goes into overtime, each team is guaranteed a point, but the team that wins will get the two points. Also, teams will get breaks with a bi-week, in order for them to travel or make room for other teams to catch up so by the end of the season, so they all play the same amount of games. If you love hockey then by the end of the season, you've had a lot of hockey especially if you have specific teams you like to keep track of throughout the regular NHL schedule. Keep coming back to Team NHL and find out when your favorite teams are playing during the regular scheduled season and get ready for the really exciting playoffs.
