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With the book finally closed on the 2015-2016 NHL season, preparations for 2017 are in full swing, with the release of the NHL Regular Season schedule today, and the 2016 NHL Entry Draft on Friday. The Colorado Avalanche will open their 2016 season on Saturday, Oct. 15, against the Dallas Stars at Pepsi Center.
The Avalanche will begin their season running the gauntlet against some of the league’s most formidable teams. After opening the season against last year’s Western Conference champions, the Dallas Star, the Avalanche embark on a long road trip to face four of last season’s Eastern Conference playoff teams. In games 2-4 the Avalanche visit the reigning Stanley Cup Champion Pittsburgh Penguins, the reigning Presidents Trophy winning Washington Capitals, and the Eastern Conference Finalist Tampa Bay Lightning. They conclude their road trip against the Florida Panthers before returning home to face the Winnipeg Jets on October 28th. The challenges continue, with 14 of the Avalanche’s first 21 games against playoff teams.
That early Eastern Conference swing is one of two four game road trips in the season. The Avalanche’s longest road trip of the year happens in February, featuring give games against the Rangers, Islanders, Devils, Sabres, and Hurricanes. The Avalanche’s home schedules mirrors their travel schedule, with a pair of 4-game home stands and a season-long 5-game homestand over the holidays, stretching from November 23rd to December 3rd.
Last season it took until December for the Avalanche to face all their divisional foes, this season it will take just 11 games, as the Avalanche open November with 4 consecutive divisional matchups. If there wasn’t bad blood already between the Avalanche and the St Louis Blues, there likely will be by the end of the year, the two teams play eachother 4 times between March and April.
With the NHL’s new divisional playoff format, divisional play is always important for teams hoping to make the playoffs, but the Avalanche’s schedule makes those games loom even larger this year. The Avalanche start the year with a glut of divisional games, and finish the season with 6 consecutive Central Division matchups. Stumbling on either end would make a playoff appearance unlikely.
Highlights:
- The Avalanche play in 11 back to backs
- Longest Road Trip: 5 games (Feb 11-17 at NYR, NYI, NJ, BUF, CAR)
- Longest Home Stand: 5 games (Nov 23 – Dec 3 vs EDM, VAN, NSH, CLB, DAL)
- The Avalanche host the Minnesota Wild for the first time on November 5th
- The Avalanche host the New York Rangers on New Years Eve
- NHL All-Star Game is in Los Angeles and runs from Friday, January 27th to Monday, January 30th.
- Ryan O’Reilly and the Buffalo Sabres visit Colorado February 25th
- The NHL trade deadline will be on February 28th, at 3pm EST
- The Avalanche host the Detroit Red Wings on March 15th
- The NHL season ends on Sunday, April 9th when the Avalanche visit the Blues.
2016-17 Colorado Avalanche schedule
The 2016-17 schedule for the Colorado Avalanche. (Home games denoted by CAPS):
| OCTOBER | ||
| Date | Opponent | Time |
| Saturday, Oct. 15 | DALLAS | 7 p.m. |
| Monday, Oct. 17 | at Pittsburgh | 5 p.m. |
| Tuesday, Oct. 18 | at Washington | 5 p.m. |
| Thursday, Oct. 20 | at Tampa Bay | 5:30 p.m. |
| Saturday, Oct. 22 | at Florida | 5 p.m. |
| Friday, Oct. 28 | WINNIPEG | 7 p.m. |
| Saturday, Oct. 29 | at Arizona | 7 p.m. |
| NOVEMBER | ||
| Tuesday, Nov. 1 | NASHVILLE | 7 p.m. |
| Thursday, Nov. 3 | at Chicago | 6:30 p.m. |
| Saturday, Nov. 5 | MINNESOTA | 1 p.m. |
| Sunday, Nov. 6 | at St. Louis | 3 p.m. |
| Tuesday, Nov. 8 | ARIZONA | 7 p.m. |
| Friday, Nov. 11 | WINNIPEG | 7 p.m. |
| Sunday, Nov. 13 | BOSTON | 5 p.m. |
| Tuesday, Nov. 15 | LOS ANGELES | 7 p.m. |
| Thursday, Nov. 17 | at Dallas | 6:30 p.m. |
| Saturday, Nov. 19 | at Minnesota | 6 p.m. |
| Monday, Nov. 21 | at Columbus | 5 p.m. |
| Wednesday, Nov. 23 | EDMONTON | 8 p.m. |
| Saturday, Nov. 26 | VANCOUVER | 8 p.m. |
| Tuesday, Nov. 29 | NASHVILLE | 7 p.m. |
| DECEMBER | ||
| Thursday, Dec. 1 | COLUMBUS | 7 p.m. |
| Saturday, Dec. 3 | DALLAS | 7 p.m. |
| Tuesday, Dec. 6 | at Nashville | 6 p.m. |
| Thursday, Dec. 8 | at Boston | 5 p.m. |
| Saturday, Dec. 10 | at Montreal | 5 p.m. |
| Sunday, Dec. 11 | at Toronto | 5 p.m. |
| Wednesday, Dec. 14 | PHILADELPHIA 8 p.m. | |
| Friday, Dec. 16 | FLORIDA | 7 p.m. |
| Sunday, Dec. 18 | at Winnipeg | 1 p.m. |
| Tuesday, Dec. 20 | at Minnesota | 6 p.m. |
| Thursday, Dec. 22 | TORONTO | 7 p.m. |
| Friday, Dec. 23 | at Chicago | 6:30 p.m. |
| Tuesday, Dec. 27 | CALGARY | 7 p.m. |
| Thursday, Dec. 29 | at Dallas | 6:30 p.m. |
| Saturday, Dec. 31 | NY RANGERS | 6 p.m. |
| JANUARY | ||
| Monday, Jan. 2 | at Vancouver | 8 p.m. |
| Wednesday, Jan. 4 | at Calgary | 8 p.m. |
| Friday, Jan. 6 | NY ISLANDERS | 7 p.m. |
| Thursday, Jan. 12 | ANAHEIM | 7 p.m. |
| Saturday, Jan. 14 | NASHVILLE | 1 p.m. |
| Tuesday, Jan. 17 | CHICAGO | 7 p.m. |
| Thursday, Jan. 19 | at Anaheim | 8 p.m. |
| Saturday, Jan. 21 | at San Jose | 8:30 p.m. |
| Monday, Jan. 23 | SAN JOSE | 7 p.m. |
| Wednesday, Jan. 25 | VANCOUVER | 7:30 p.m. |
| ** NHL ALL-STAR BREAK Jan. 26-30 ** | ||
| Tuesday, Jan. 31 | at Anaheim | 8 p.m. |
| FEBRUARY | ||
| Wednesday, Feb. 1 | at Los Angeles | 8:30 p.m. |
| Saturday, Feb. 4 | WINNIPEG | 1 p.m. |
| Tuesday, Feb. 7 | MONTREAL | 7 p.m. |
| Thursday, Feb. 9 | PITTSBURGH | 7 p.m. |
| Saturday, Feb. 11 | at NY Rangers | 5 p.m. |
| Sunday, Feb. 12 | at NY Islanders | 4 p.m. |
| Tuesday, Feb. 14 | at New Jersey | 5 p.m. |
| Thursday, Feb. 16 | at Buffalo | 5 p.m. |
| Friday, Feb. 17 | at Carolina | 5:30 p.m. |
| Sunday, Feb. 19 | TAMPA BAY | 6 p.m. |
| Tuesday, Feb. 21 | LOS ANGELES | 7 p.m. |
| Tuesday, Feb. 23 | at Nashville | 6 p.m. |
| Saturday, Feb. 25 | BUFFALO | 8 p.m. |
| Tuesday, Feb. 28 | at Philadelphia | 5 p.m. |
| MARCH | ||
| Thursday, March 2 | at Ottawa | 5:30 p.m. |
| Saturday, March 4 | at Winnipeg | 5 p.m. |
| Sunday, March 5 | ST. LOUIS | 6 p.m. |
| Tuesday, March 7 | CAROLINA | 7 p.m. |
| Thursday, March 9 | NEW JERSEY | 7 p.m. |
| Saturday, March 11 | OTTAWA | 5 p.m. |
| Monday, March 13 | at Arizona | 8 p.m. |
| Wednesday, March 15 | DETROIT | 8 p.m. |
| Saturday, March 18 | at Detroit | 11 a.m. |
| Sunday, March 19 | at Chicago | 5 p.m. |
| Tuesday, March 21 | ST. LOUIS | 7 p.m. |
| Thursday, March 23 | EDMONTON | 7 p.m. |
| Saturday, March 25 | at Edmonton | 8 p.m. |
| Monday, March 27 | at Calgary | 7 p.m. |
| Wednesday, March 29 | WASHINGTON | 8 p.m. |
| Friday, March 31 | ST. LOUIS | 7 p.m. |
| APRIL | ||
| Sunday, April 2 | at Minnesota | 4 p.m. |
| Tuesday, April 4 | CHICAGO | 7 p.m. |
| Thursday, April 6 | MINNESOTA | 7 p.m. |
| Saturday, April 8 | at Dallas | 6 p.m. |
| Sunday, April 9 | at St. Louis | 4 p.m. |
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