The LA Kings will open up the 2019-20 season on the road and will welcome the Nashville Predators to Staples Center for their home opener at 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, October 12, the league announced Friday.
Los Angeles is 21-20-10 all-time in season openers and 24-18-9 all-time in home openers. With last year’s overtime loss to San Jose on October 5, they’re 1-5-1 in their last seven home openers.
They will also be the visitor for Vancouver’s home opener on Wednesday, October 9. The preliminary schedule I saw had Los Angeles opening in Edmonton, and after an off-day flying to Calgary to start their first back-to-back set of the season. These preliminary schedules always change, but if this one holds true at the start of the season, I’d expect a Western Canada three-in-four on October 6, 8 and 9. Again! These schedules always change, so don’t book your WestJet flights just yet, so to speak.
October 9, 1970 was the Canucks very first NHL game also against the Kings pic.twitter.com/inRLmPA2mw
— Andrew Castell (@ACHockeyHistory) June 21, 2019
The season begins Wednesday, October 2 with the defending Stanley Cup champion St. Louis Blues hosting Washington, Toronto hosting Ottawa, Edmonton hosting Vancouver and Vegas playing host to San Jose.
There’s one other confirmed date: Saturday, February 15, the day the Kings will face the Avalanche outdoors at the Air Force Academy’s Falcon Stadium. I don’t have other firm dates, but I’m expecting the Father’s Trip to be held in Tampa and South Florida in January and the Eastern Canada trip to take place in mid-November.
The full schedule will be released on Tuesday at 9:00 a.m. PT and will be promoted through an NHL Network show hosted by Jamison Coyle and featuring analysts E.J. Hradek and Mike Johnson. The 30-minute program will also be streamed live on NHL.com and SiriusXM NHL Network Radio.
Anaheim Ducks: Thursday, Oct. 3 vs. Arizona
Arizona Coyotes: Saturday, Oct. 5 vs. Boston
Boston Bruins: Saturday, Oct. 12 vs. New Jersey
Buffalo Sabres: Saturday, Oct. 5 vs. New Jersey
Calgary Flames: Saturday, Oct. 5 vs. Vancouver
Carolina Hurricanes: Thursday, Oct. 3 vs. Montreal
Chicago Blackhawks: Thursday, Oct. 10 vs. San Jose
Colorado Avalanche: Thursday, Oct. 3 vs. Calgary
Columbus Blue Jackets: Friday, Oct. 4 vs. Toronto
Dallas Stars: Thursday, Oct. 3 vs. Boston
Detroit Red Wings: Sunday, Oct. 6 vs. Dallas
Edmonton Oilers: Wednesday, Oct. 2 vs. Vancouver
Florida Panthers: Saturday, Oct. 5 vs. Tampa Bay
Los Angeles Kings: Saturday, Oct. 12 vs. Nashville
Minnesota Wild: Saturday, Oct. 12 vs. Pittsburgh
Montreal Canadiens: Thursday, Oct. 10 vs. Detroit
Nashville Predators: Thursday, Oct. 3 vs. Minnesota
New Jersey Devils: Friday, Oct. 4 vs. Winnipeg
New York Islanders: Friday, Oct. 4 vs. Washington
New York Rangers: Thursday, Oct. 3 vs. Winnipeg
Ottawa Senators: Saturday, Oct. 5 vs. New York Rangers
Philadelphia Flyers: Wednesday, Oct. 9 vs. New Jersey
Pittsburgh Penguins: Thursday, Oct. 3 vs. Buffalo
San Jose Sharks: Friday, Oct. 4 vs. Vegas
St. Louis Blues: Wednesday, Oct. 2 vs. Washington
Tampa Bay Lightning: Thursday, Oct. 3 vs. Florida
Toronto Maple Leafs: Wednesday, Oct. 2 vs. Ottawa
Vancouver Canucks: Wednesday, Oct. 9 vs. Los Angeles
Vegas Golden Knights: Wednesday, Oct. 2 vs. San Jose
Washington Capitals: Saturday, Oct. 5 vs. Carolina
Staples Center will be celebrating its 20th anniversary this season. All shots below are of the first game at Staples Center in franchise history, a 2-2 tie with Boston on October 20, 1999, and are via the LA Kings Legacy Collection.
–Lead photo via Andrew D. Bernstein/NHLI
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