NHL schedule Must-see games for the 2013-14 seaso

More NHL offseason: | | | The NHL finally released its schedule for the 2013-14 season and everything kicks off on Oct. 1. Of the more than 1,230 games on the regular-season schedule, quite a few stand out as games that hockey fans might want to circle on their calendars.Here are a few of them. at (Oct. 1, 2013): For the second time in four years, the Chicago Blackhawks will open their season with a Stanley Cup banner raising. Their season opener on the first of October is part of the NHL's opening night Andrew Chatfield Jr. Jersey and features a home game against reigning NHL MVP and the Washington Capitals. vs. (Oct. 8, 2013): The Vancouver Canucks finally settled their goaltending controversy this summer when they dealt -- and not -- to the New Jersey Devils in exchange for the No. 9 overall pick in the draft. Schneider returns to Vancouver just one week into the season. The only question that remains: Will Schneider actually be the starting goalie, or will the Devils still be under the a sumption that is their best option? at (Dec. 1, 2013): Ottawa Senators fans were stunned at the start of free agency when , their longtime captain and the best player in franchise history, left to join the Detroit Red Wings. Their first opportunity to see him again in person comes on Dec. 1 when the Red Wings make their first trip to Ottawa. at (Dec. 5, 2013): Perhaps the biggest trade of the offseason came when the Bruins sent young forward to the Dallas Stars in exchange for . Seguin, once thought to be a long-term cornerstone of the Bruins franchise, makes his first trip back to Boston in an opposing sweater on Dec. 5. at New Jersey Devils (March 20, 2013): The New Jersey Devils have changed quite a bit over the past two years, losing several of their best players to free agency ( , ) or, in the case of Ilya Kovalchuk, retirement and the KHL. Due to the lockout in 2012, the Devils never had a chance to play the Wild, the team that signed Parise last summer. Parise makes his first return to New Jersey in late March. at Detroit Red Wings (Winter Cla sic, Jan. 1, 2014): The lockout robbed us of the Winter Cla sic last season, but it's back this season on New Year's Day and will feature the Maple Leafs visiting Detroit. The game will be played at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor. And if you like outdoor games, this is the season for you because the NHL has five more of them coming after this one. vs. (Jan. 25, 2014 at Dodger Stadium): The NHL's stadium series kicks off in late January and takes us out west to Dodger Stadium for a freeway battle between the Ducks and Kings. It will be the first time the two teams have appeared in an outdoor game.New Jersey Devils vs. (Jan. 26, 2014 at Yankee Stadium): Yankee Stadium will be home to a pair of outdoor games in late January that will feature all three teams from the New York metro area. The first one will feature the Rangers and Devils on the 26th. vs. New York Rangers (Jan. 29, 2014 at Yankee Stadium): Just three days later, the Rangers return to Yankee Stadium to take on their cro s-town rivals, the Islanders. Including their 2011-12 Winter Cla sic appearance, it will be the third time the Rangers have appeared in an outdoor game. That ties them with the for the most outdoor appearances.Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Chicago Blackhawks (March 1, 2014 at Soldier Field): The Blackhawks hosted the NHL's second Winter Cla sic at Wrigley Field. This time the setting will be Soldier Field, home of the NFL's Chicago Bears, and will feature an incredible matchup against , and the Pittsburgh Penguins. As far as the outdoor matchups are concerned, this might be the best one in terms of star power, matchup and the quality of the game itself.Ottawa Senators vs. Vancouver Canucks (Heritage Cla sic, March 2, 2014 at B.C. Place): The Heritage Cla sic, which always features a pair of Canadian teams, makes its return in early March. The only catch to this game: B.C. Place has a retractable roof and it's po sible that the game could actually be played indoors. at (Oct. 4, 2013): Why is a game between two of the worst teams in the NHL last season worth tuning in for? Because it's going to feature two of the top prospects in the league when Colorado's Nathan MacKinnon goes up against Nashville's Seth Jones for the first time in the NHL. For months leading up to the draft, Jones was expected to be the top pick, but the Avalanche stayed true to their word and selected MacKinnon with the top pick, helping push Jones down to Nashville at the No. 4 spot.Chicago Blackhawks vs. Boston Bruins (Jan. 11, 2014): The Blackhawks and Bruins played one of the most exciting Stanley Cup Finals in recent memory last season. The two teams get their first rematch in January.Chicago Blackhawks vs. Detroit Red Wings (Jan. 22, 2014 and March 16, 2014): The NHL's new divisional alignment makes it so long-time rivals Chicago and Detroit are no longer in the same division, which means you won't get to see the two teams face off as often as we used to. You're still going to get two of them this season with the Blackhawks visiting Detroit on Jan. 22, while Detroit travels to Chicago on March 16. Fenley Graham Jersey