About 30 minutes ago, the NHL released it’s 2009-10 schedule. No better time for that than the official slowest sports day of the year. There are plenty of highlights for the Capitals, who open on the road against the Boston Bruins on Oct. 1st. That matches the two best teams in the Eastern Conference last year – at least during the regular season. The NHL will again take an extended break so its star players can participate in the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. That lasts from Feb. 14th to March 2nd.
The Caps host the Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins twice at Verizon Center, including an afternoon game on Super Bowl Sunday (Feb. 7th). They also host the runner-up Detroit Red Wings on Jan. 19th. Every Eastern Conference teams hits D.C. at least twice. Western Conference opponents coming to town include the San Jose Sharks, who led the league in points last season.
The Caps will not play a home game on New Year’s Day for the first time in 20 years. The only NHL game scheduled for that day is the Winter Classic. The outdoor game has become a ratings-booster for the league, which will hold the event at Fenway Park in Boston this year as the Bruins face the Philadelphia Flyers.
NHL teams play 41 games at home and 41 on the road. After the Olympic break, the Caps have a season-long 5-game homestand between March 4th and 12th. Washington set a franchise record last season with an average attendance per game at Verizon Center of 18,097.
