NHL Releases The Pre-season Schedule and Fans Are Angry

As the pre-season wraps up on October 4th, you shouldn't expect the 2024-2025 season to make way until the 2nd week of October. It means, the Stanley Cup playoffs, will be played late into June again.

The NHL pre-season will be a total of 106 games, over 15 days and in 40 NHL and other neutral sites in North America and Europe.

Pre-season hockey will begin on September 21st and ends on October 5th, with the regular season beginning on October 8th in North America.

What is the purpose of starting the regular season so late and continually pushing the playoffs into the summer?

Fans have begged Gary Bettman and company to drop the puck in September and conclude the Stanley Cup Finals in May. But the NHL doesn't listen to its fanbase, as most of the hardcore fans have checked out by June.

Just imagine if it wrapped on a May weekend.

Just imagine the BBQs going, while exciting playoff hockey is on the TV, and players can play on the worst ice conditions possible in June.

Want to go out for the day? Take the kids to the park? Make sure you're home at 5 PM for a random Finals game.

Also, 106 pre-season games?! This is ridiculous, lets streamline this to a week of development camp, a week fo training camp and then let's go. Get the Stanley Cup Finals running in September and end the season, before the majority of fans are checked out.

Below is the pre-season schedule:

Source: Hockey Feed
NHL releases pre-season schedule and fans are not happy