The National Hockey League released their schedule on Wednesday and the regular season will begin with a pair of games in London England.

The Stanley Cup champion Anaheim Ducks will play the Los Angeles Kings on Saturday September 29 and Sunday September 30. It will mark the earliest start of a season in the 90 year history of the NHL.

Wednesday October 3 marks opening day in North America. The Leafs and Senators begin a two-day home and home series in Toronto. The Montreal Canadiens also make their 2007-08 debut on the road against the Carolina Hurricanes.

The Flames and Oilers take to the ice for the first time on October 4. The Flames play host to the new look Philadelphia Flyers, while the Oilers host Joe Thornton and the San Jose Sharks.

The Canucks are the last Canadian team to take the ice, and they'll do so at home against the Sharks on Friday October 5.




Notable Dates:

October 6 - The Leafs and Canadiens renew their rivalry on a Saturday night.
October 13 - Sidney Crosby makes his season debut in Canada against the Maple Leafs.
October 20 - Alexander Ovechkin and the Capitals play host to Crosby and the Penguins.
October 20 - The Battle of Alberta begins with Calgary hosting Edmonton.
October 23 - Ryan Smyth returns to Edmonton for the first time in a visitor's uniform.
October 27 - The Devils play their first home game against the Senators as the Prudential Center opens.
November 10 - The New York Rangers visit the Toronto Maple Leafs for the annual 'Hall of Fame' game.
November 22 - The Ottawa Senators host Sidney Crosby and the Penguins.
December 5 - Sidney Crosby and the Penguins face the Oilers in Edmonton.
December 6 - The Penguins make their lone stop in Calgary.
December 8 - Crosby and the Penguins finish up their Western Canada trip in Vancouver.
January 19 - Sidney Crosby makes his season debut against his favourite childhood team, the Montreal Canadiens.
January 26-27 - All-Star weekend in Atlanta
March 3 - The Ducks host the Senators in a rematch of the 2007 Stanley Cup Final.
April 9 - The Stanley Cup playoffs begin.
June 9 - The latest date for the playoffs to end.

Since all of the Canadian teams are in divisions together in the west and east the way the schedule is once every 3 years the Northeast and Northwest divisions won't play each other. Last year they had a vote to change the schedule so that this would not happen this year. They needed either 20 or 22 votes to change the schedule and missed it by 1 vote.