It is the end of a countdown that began last June 13, when the Vegas Golden Knights defeated the Florida Panthers for the fourth time and lifted to heaven the holy grail, which many consider the most difficult trophy among the North American majors to win, the Stanley Cup.
Yes, it is October, and after training camp and preseason games, the best ice hockey league on planet Earth arrives, the NHL.
Vegas Golden Knights defend their title
The great fairy tale that was their inaugural season may not have culminated with the title, but finally the promise of Bill Foley, promising to bring the Stanley Cup to the showcases of the franchise in six years came true, with the icing on the cake of doing so after the only season in which Nevada has been absent from the playoffs, a return to the big time, like everything in the city of sin, where the sense of spectacle is not the exception if not the norm.
With the credit that being the reigning champs deserves, and above all, maintaining the squad that made it to the finish line last June, puts them back in the lineup of favorites, Pittsburgh and Tampa Bay have recently proven that double-doubles are possible, and the Golden Knights want to join that exclusive club of the modern era.
But there will be no shortage of teams that will try to prevent it, Colorado Avalanche, Carolina Hurricanes, Dallas Stars or New Jersey Devils on the part of the American teams or the increasingly demanding Toronto Maple Leafs and Edmonton Oilers north of the border start with the clear objective of winning the championship.
But even so, this plethora of great teams cannot rest on their laurels, because a second tier of teams such as Florida, Calgary, Pittsburgh, Tampa Bay or Boston, can find their moment and spoil the party for the favorites.
Connor Bedard, year one
One of the attractions of the season, Connor Bedard, as expected, is in the starting lineup of the Chicago Blackhawks, and not only the Hawks fans, but the whole league has its eyes on him to see if he turns into reality the expectation that in his junior year he has generated as the heir to the team.He is the heir of other number one players who have become franchise men such as Auston Matthews, Connor McDavid, Sidney Crosby or Patrick Kane, the latter also wearing the Illinois jersey.
The talent is there, and it is a necessary requirement, but not enough, as the New York Rangers, whose Alexis Lafrenière bubble seems to have burst, are well aware, but as of today, the excitement is as high in Chicago as it is the expectation in the rest of the league.
The spotlight is on the Canadian from North Vancouver, but there are other rookies who will be on the lookout for the Calder Trophy that rewards the best rookie, Luke Hughes of the New Jersey Devils or Logan Cooley of the Arizona Coyotes are in the bets of many for that honor.
Competition system
The season consists of two distinct parts, 82 regular league games that will be played from October to April and in which the top three teams in each division qualify for the playoffs. Then, within each conference, the two best teams outside the top three, whether from the same or a different division, also get a place, the so-called wild card.
In the playoffs, those 16 teams, grouped eight and eight in each conference, eliminate each other in a best-of-seven series that ends as soon as one of the contenders has four wins. The champion of each conference receives a trophy, the Clarence S. Campbell Bowl in the West and the Prince of Wales Trophy in the East. These two teams will compete in the Stanley Cup final, with the same format as the previous series.
Analysis of the teams
Atlantic Division
Metropolitan Division
Central Division
Pacific Division
Dates to highlight
In a schedule that spans nine months, there are hot spots that especially attract fans' attention.
Heritage Classic - 29 October 2023, Edmonton Oilers vs Calgary Flames
Winter Classic - 1 January 2024, Seattle Kraken vs Vegas Golden Knights
All Star Weekend (Toronto) - 2,3 February 2024
Stadium Series - 17 February 2024, New Jersey Devils vs Philadelphia Flyers
18 February 2024, New York Islanders vs New York Rangers
Trade Deadline- 8 March 2024
End of regular season - April 18, 2024
Playoffs start - to be determined (approximately April 22, 2024)
Draft - June 2024 (location and date to be determined)
Free agency - July 1, 2024
How to watch the games
In Spain we have two options to enjoy NHL games this season.
Through Movistar +'s sports package, with Spanish narration by Josean Redondo and commentary by arguably the greatest field hockey expert in Spain, Moisés Molina, two games a week are part of the TV operator's schedule.
On tape delay, a game played in the previous American morning during the regular season and playoffs is broadcasted, but for the big prize, the Stanley Cup, our favorite commentators stay up late and offer the grand final live.
But there are fans for whom this field hockey ration is not enough, for them there is the option of NHL TV. After two years in which the Internet operator for Spain has been ESPN through its ESPN Player service, it returns to the league's official application.
This means an increase in the price of the service that goes to $ 130 for the season, but the retransmission options return (home, visitor or Canadian French if applicable), that the library of games remains throughout the season and does not expire after 15 days as in the previous provider, and of course the possibility of watching the games live or on demand according to the user's needs.
New to ice hockey and the NHL?
In these links, just a click away, everything you need to start living ice hockey with all its intensity, what happens on the ice, and also in the offices.
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The NHL dictionary
How NHL free agency works