For the Bruins, the season will start Oct. 8 with a date against goal-scoring king Alex Ovechkin and the Capitals in Washington at 7:30. Boston will open its home slate the next night against fellow Original Six franchise Chicago at 7 p.m. It’s the first of 13 sets of back-to-back games on the schedule.

Slovakian goaltender Jaroslav Halak officially announced his retirement on Friday after 17 years in the NHL. The 40-year-old played for seven different teams throughout his career, beginning with Montreal where he spent four seasons. Most recently, Halak played 25 games for the New York Rangers during the 2022-23 season.

Creativity abounded as squads looked to show off their upcoming calendar in distinctive ways. The Boston Bruins enlisted comedian Bill Burr to help unveil their schedule. The Pittsburgh Penguins went with a hospital theme. Dogs were brought in to help out the Toronto Maple Leafs with their reveal.