The 2003-04 National Hockey League schedule includes a new dress code, a revamped format and the first outdoor game in NHL history.
The coming season is heavy on intra-division play. Under the new format, each team plays its divisional rivals six times, other conference opponents four times, and each team from the other conference at least once. In all, 78 percent of the NHL's 1,230 games will be between conference rivals.
Opening night is October 8, with a three-game schedule that includes the Stanley Cup champion New Jersey Devils in Boston and the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, the Western Conference finalist, in Dallas.
The regular season concludes April 4, the earliest season-ending date since the 1990-91 schedule ended March 31. The Stanley Cup Playoffs begin April 7 and will conclude no later than June 7. The 2003 playoffs ended on June 9.
NHL regular season games will have a new look in 2003-04: For the first time since 1970, teams will wear their dark-colored jerseys during home games and their light-colored jerseys on the road.
A highlight of the schedule is the "Heritage Classic" on November 22, with Edmonton hosting Montreal at the 55,000-seat Commonwealth Stadium, marking the first outdoor game in NHL history. The Canadiens will wear a jersey patterned after the white sweater the team wore in 1945-46. Edmonton will wear a vintage jersey from the 1979-80 season.
The New Jersey Devils raise their third championship banner on October 16, before a game against the Toronto Maple Leafs. On November 26, the Devils play Anaheim for the first time since defeating the Mighty Ducks in the 2003 Stanley Cup Finals.
Other games of note:
Dominik Hasek, ending his one-year retirement, will likely be in net when Detroit opens the season with a home game against the Los Angeles Kings on October 9. Derian Hatcher, the former Dallas Stars' captain who recently signed with Detroit, will face his former team in a game at Joe Louis Arena on October 24.
Ex-Duck Paul Kariya will face the Mighty Ducks for the first time as a member of the Colorado Avalanche when Anaheim visits Denver on November 18.
Toronto hosts the Philadelphia Flyers in the annual Hall of Fame Game on November 1, two days before the Hall induction ceremony. This year's inductees are goaltender Grant Fuhr, center Pat LaFontaine, Red Wings' owner Mike Ilitch and Brian Kilrea, the veteran junior coach of the Ottawa 67s of the Ontario Hockey League.
The NHL's All-Star Weekend runs February 7 and 8 in St. Paul, Minnesota.
Hockey Day In Canada is February 21, with the Calgary Flames visiting the Ottawa Senators, Montreal at Toronto and Vancouver at Edmonton. All three games will be broadcast nation-wide in Canada.
If all goes according to plan, the Phoenix Coyotes will open their new arena in Glendale, Arizona with a December 27 game against the Nashville Predators.
The schedule also includes 36 home-and-home series, in which teams play twice within two days, one game in each team's arena. Last year, there were 21 such series.
Under the "Vintage Hockey" program, six teams -- Montreal, Boston, New York, Vancouver, St. Louis and Los Angeles -- will don throwback jerseys for select games throughout the year.
