The NHL released its 2011-12 schedule Thursday, and for the Capitals at least, it has a very different flavor than last season. No Winter Classic to look forward to this time. For a while Washington was a favorite to begin the season in Europe with three other NHL teams. That didn’t happen, either. And without any HBO cameras around, this could be a much quieter regular season for a team still smarting from April’s second-round playoff sweep by Tampa Bay.
There is one major quirk, however. Because the NHL didn’t want to realign the six divisions immediately given how late in the spring the Atlanta Thrashers were sold and moved, the new team in Winnipeg stays in the Southeast Division for at least one more season. On Nov. 17, the Caps will make their first trip to Manitoba since Dec. 10, 1995 — a 6-1 win at Winnipeg Arena. They later tied 1-1 at USAir Arena on Jan. 16, 1996, in their final meeting with the team then known as the Jets. The two cities are separated by a mere 1,560 miles — and that’s the closest division trip for the as-yet unnamed franchise in Manitoba.
No real surprises with the schedule otherwise. The Caps again play six games against each division opponent. Every other team in the Eastern Conference gets a pair of home-and-homes as always. Not so with the Western Conference; the Caps play home-and-home against only three teams. This season that will be Detroit, Nashville and San Jose. Fans at Verizon Center also will see Minnesota, Anaheim, Dallas, Phoenix, St. Louis and Calgary. Washington will travel to Stanley Cup finalist Vancouver and Edmonton in October and also will see Colorado, Columbus, Los Angeles and Chicago on the road.
