With training camp approaching, the NHL announced a busy slate of exhibition games that will include travel to a variety of different locations and new venues, most notably in China.
The Vancouver Canucks and L.A. Kings kick off the exhibition schedule on Sept. 16, and will make history a few days later with a two-game series, beginning first at the Mercedes-Benz Arena in Shanghai (Sept. 21) and then Wukesong Arena Beijing (Sept. 23), marking the first-ever NHL games to take place in China.
The Vegas Golden Knights will also make history with their first exhibition game, which takes place on Sept. 17 against the Canucks in Vancouver. The home debut will have to wait until Sept. 26, when the Golden Knights host the Kings at T-Mobile Arena.
The Detroit Red Wings will move into their new digs with four exhibition games at Little Caesars Arena, beginning Sept. 23 against the Boston Bruins.
Belle Vernon, Pennsylvania, will host Kraft Hockeyville 2017, as the defending Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins and St. Louis Blues come to town on Sept. 24. Those two teams will square off later that night at the UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex in Cranberry Township, PA. The New Jersey Devils and Ottawa Senators will then take over O’Leary, P.E.I., as the Kraft Hockeyville festivities head to Canada on Sept. 25. The Devils and Senators face off that night in nearby Summerside, P.E.I.
Travel across the hockey landscape don’t end there.
Here is a detailed list of games in other non-NHL communities:
-- Allentown, Pa. (NY Islanders vs. Philadelphia, Sept. 20)
-- Bridgeport, Conn. (NY Islanders vs. NY Rangers, Sept. 22)
-- Kansas City, Mo. (Minnesota vs. St. Louis, Sept. 28)
-- Quebec City, Que. (Montreal vs. Boston, Sept. 18, and Montreal vs. Toronto, Sept. 27)
-- Saskatoon, Sask. (Carolina vs. Edmonton, Sept. 27)
-- State College, Pa., on the campus of Penn State University (Buffalo vs. Pittsburgh, Sept. 19)
-- Tucson, Ariz. (Anaheim vs. Arizona, Sept. 25)
-- Uniondale, N.Y. (NY Islanders vs. Philadelphia, Sept. 17).
Another reminder that hockey season is quickly approaching.
