NHL releases pre-season schedule and fans are not happy

Today, the NHL officially released its pre-season schedule and… well… get ready to watch Stanley Cup Final games in late June again

With its pre-season schedule wrapping up October 5th, don’t expect the 2024-25 regular season to get underway until the 2nd week of October. That means that the Stanley Cup Playoffs are likely to get pushed into late June once again.

Officially the 2024-25 pre-season will contain 106 games over 15 days in 40 NHL and neutral-site locations in both North America and Europe. Pre-season action will begin Sept 21st and end on October 5th, with the regular season opening up on October 8th in North America.

Seriously… what are we doing here?

Why is the NHL so insistent on starting the regular season so late and pushing the playoffs into summer?

For years hockey fans have been begging the NHL to drop the puck in September and wrap the season up in May, but the NHL has made up its mind on the matter. For some reason this league just loves putting its championship series in late June when all but the most hardcore fans have checked out for summer vacation. For the life of me, I can’t figure this out.

Just imagine a Stanley Cup Final that wrapped up on May Long Weekend…

It would be magical. We’d all fire up the BBQs for the official start of grilling season and we’d flip on some Stanley Cup hockey. Pretty perfect, right? Well, too bad because the NHL wants you to stick things out through June so that its players can play on the worst ice conditions possible. Thinking about taking the kids to the beach for the day? Better be sure to get home for that random 5pm week night Stanley Cup Final game in late June. Again… what are we doing here?

And while we’re at it… 106 games? 106 pre-season games!?!?!

Give teams a week of development camp, a week of main training camp and then then let’s get after it. Fire up the regular season in September and let’s hand out the Stanley Cup before 90% of hockey fans are checked out entirely.