As puck drop nears for all 32 teams across the league, the NHL publicly released important dates for the upcoming 2024-25 season. It’s set to be another busy year.
A quick summary: The opening day of Rookie Camp is September 11 and Training Camp is set to begin on September 18.
Opening Night rosters are due on October 7, the night before the Florida Panthers kick off the regular season with their banner-raising night against the Boston Bruins.
This year’s holiday roster freeze is set from December 20 through December 27. For the Christmas holiday, the league is breaking completely with no practices allowed from December 24 through 26.
The 2024-25 season will pause 11 days for the 4 Nations Face-Off from February 10 through 21 where NHL plaeyrs from Canada, Finland, Sweden, and the United States will compete against each other.
The NHL’s Trade Deadline will be on Friday, March 7 at 3 pm (EST). The last day of the season is April 17 and the Stanley Cup Playoffs are set to begin on April 19.
The 2025 Draft Lottery, the 2025 NHL Awards, and the 2025 NHL Draft are still to be determined and without a date at the moment.
The 2024-25 campaign marks the league’s 108th year of operations and 107th season (the 2004-05 season was locked out and not played).
More important dates from the NHL’s calendar is below. The NHL cautions that these dates are subject to change.
September 2024
September 11 – Opening Day of Rookie Camp
September 18 – Opening Day of Training Camp
September 27 – 2024 NHL Global Series: Buffalo Sabres vs. Red Bull Munich (DEL) (SAP Garden, Munich, Germany)
September 29 – 2024 Kraft Hockeyville preseason game: Ottawa Senators vs. Pittsburgh Penguins (Sudbury Community Arena, Sudbury, Ont.)
October 2024
October 1 – NHL Board of Governors Meeting (New York, NY)
October 4-5 – 2024 NHL Global Series: Buffalo Sabres vs. New Jersey Devils (O2 Arena, Prague, Czechia)
October 7 – Deadline for teams to submit opening-day rosters (5 pm EST)
October 8 – Opening night of 2024-25 NHL regular season
Florida Panthers raise Stanley Cup banner (vs. Boston Bruins)
October 12 – 2024 U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame Game (Ralph Engelstad Arena, Grand Forks, ND)
October 14 – First game on Prime Monday Night Hockey: Montreal Canadiens vs. Pittsburgh Penguins
October 22 – NHL Frozen Frenzy: All 32 NHL Teams in action
November 2024
November 1-2 – 2024 NHL Global Series presented by Fastenal: Dallas Stars vs. Florida Panthers (Nokia Arena, Tampere, Finland)
November 8 – Hockey Hall of Fame Game: Detroit Red Wings at Toronto Maple Leafs
November 11 – Hockey Hall of Fame Induction Celebration (Toronto, Ont.)
Class of 2024 Inductees: Natalie Darwitz, Pavel Datsyuk, Jeremy Roenick, Shea Weber, Krissy Wendell-Pohl (Player category); Colin Campbell, David Poile (Builder category).
November 26 – NHL Founders Day (1917)
November 29 – 2024 NHL Thanksgiving Showdown doubleheader: Pittsburgh Penguins at Boston Bruins and Colorado Avalanche at Dallas Stars
December 2024
December 1 – Signing deadline for Group 2 free agents (5 pm EST)
December 4 – United States Hockey Hall of Fame Induction
Class of 2024 Inductees: Matt Cullen, Brianna Decker, the late Frederic McLaughlin, Kevin Stevens and the 2002 Paralympic Sled Hockey Team & Celebration of Lester Patrick (Pittsburgh, Pa.)
December 9-10 – NHL Board of Governors Meeting
December 20-27 – Holiday roster freeze in effect: For all players on an NHL active roster, injured reserve, or with non-roster and injured non-roster status as of 11:59 p.m. (local time) Dec. 19, a roster freeze shall apply through 12:01 a.m. (local time) Dec. 28, with respect to waivers, trades and loans, subject to the exceptions provided for in CBA Article 16.5 (d).
December 24-26 – Holiday break (no scheduled practices – dressing rooms closed)
December 26-January 5 – 2025 IIHF World Junior Ice Hockey Championship (Ottawa, Ont.)
December 31 – Winter Classic: St. Louis Blues at Chicago Blackhawks (Wrigley Field, Chicago, Ill.)
January 2025
January 4-12 – IIHF Under-18 Women’s World Championship (Vantaa, Finland)
January 18 – Scotiabank Hockey Day in Canada (Host city: Canmore, Alta.); all seven Canadian NHL teams in action
February 2025
February 2-3 – 2025 AHL All-Star Classic (Acrisure Arena, Palm Desert, Calif.)
February 10-21 – NHL season to pause for NHL 4 Nations Face-Off
February 12-20 – NHL 4 Nations Face-Off competition featuring NHL players from Canada, Finland, Sweden, and the United States.
February 17-23 – Hockey Week Across America (USA Hockey); USA Hockey National Try Hockey for Free Day (Feb. 22)
February 22 – NHL Regular Season schedule resumes
February 27 – 2024 Stanley Cup Final rematch: Edmonton Oilers at Florida Panthers (Amerant Bank Arena, Sunrise)
March 2025
March 1 – 2025 Navy Federal Credit Union NHL Stadium Series™: Detroit Red Wings vs. Columbus Blue Jackets (Ohio Stadium, Columbus, Ohio)
March 7 – 2025 NHL Trade Deadline (3 pm EST)
April 2025
April 10-12 – NCAA Frozen Four (Enterprise Center, St. Louis, Mo.)
April 9-20 – IIHF Women’s World Championship (Ceske Budejovice, Czechia)
April 17 – Last Day of 2024-25 NHL Regular Season
April 19 – Stanley Cup Playoffs begin
TBD 2025 NHL Draft Lottery
April 23-May 3 – IIHF Under-18 Men’s World Championship (Frisco & Allen, TX)
May 2025
May 9-25 – IIHF Men’s World Championship (Stockholm, Sweden & Herning, Denmark)
May 22-June 1 – 2025 CHL Memorial Cup (Sun Life Financial Coliseum, Rimouski, QC)
June 2025
June 1-7 – 2025 NHL Scouting Combine (LECOM Harborcenter, Buffalo, N.Y.)
June 15* – Deadline for first club-elected salary arbitration notification (5 p.m. ET) *later of June 15 or 48 hours after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Final
June 23 – Last possible day for 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs
TBA 2025 NHL Awards (TBD)
TBA 2025 NHL Draft (TBD)
July 2025
July 1 – Free agency begins (12 p.m. ET)
July 5 – Deadline for player-elected salary arbitration notification (5 pm EST)
July 6 – Deadline for second club-elected salary arbitration notification (5 pm EST)
July 20-Aug. 4 – Salary arbitration hearings held
August 2025
August 6 – Deadline for salary arbitration decisions to be rendered
