The 2023-24 NHL season is quickly approaching. While the full schedule has already been released, the list of matchups, dates and times for the NHL on TNT schedule was unveiled Wednesday.
Highlighted by matchups between the Chicago Blackhawks and Boston Bruins on Oct. 11, Pittsburgh Penguins and Buffalo Sabres on Nov. 24 and Vegas Golden Knights and Seattle Kraken on Jan. 1, this year’s NHL on TNT schedule promises some of the most exciting matchups to date.
Former Philadelphia Flyers goaltender Brian Boucher will join the NHL on TNT crew for the 2023-24 campaign as a between-the-benches analyst alongside play-by-play commentator Kenny Albert and game analyst Eddie Olczyk.
Here’s a look at the full NHL on TNT schedule with an in-depth look at some of the most intriguing matchups.
2023-24 NHL on TNT Schedule
Boston Bruins vs. Chicago Blackhawks, Oct. 11
An opening-night matchup between two Original Six teams always makes for some entertaining hockey, but this Oct. 11 game between the Bruins and Blackhawks will be must-watch television for a few reasons.
This will be Connor Bedard’s first-ever NHL regular season game, and the 2023 No. 1 overall pick is expected to exceed expectations in his rookie season alongside former Bruin Taylor Hall, who will be making his return to Boston after an offseason trade to Chicago.
In the post-Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews era, Bedard leads a rebuild in Chicago that also includes Lukas Reichel, Taylor Raddysh and Philipp Kurashev.
As for Boston, the Bruins are embarking on a journey without two of their best centers in Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci, both of whom retired this offseason. The pressure will shift to the likes of Charlie Coyle and Pavel Zacha down the middle.
The Black and Gold are expected to bring up an influx of young talent in the likes of John Beecher, Jakub Lauko and possibly even Fabian Lysell to join offseason additions of Jesper Boqvist, Morgan Geekie, James van Riemsdyk and Milan Lucic.
While the Bruins made history in 2022-23, they aren’t expected to be quite as good this year with the losses of Bergeron, Krejci, Hall and Nick Foligno, among others.
Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Buffalo Sabres, Nov. 24
The Penguins and Sabres will play in one of two Black Friday games featured on TNT, and the matchup surely shouldn’t disappoint.
Led by Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang, the Penguins are hoping to return to the playoffs this year after failing to qualify for the postseason in 2022-23 for the first time since 2005-06.
The addition of star defenseman Erik Karlsson in a trade with the San Jose Sharks will help put the Penguins over the edge in a difficult Metropolitan Division that also includes the New Jersey Devils and New York Rangers.
Meanwhile, the Sabres have a talented young core that includes Tage Thompson, Owen Power, Jack Quinn, Rasmus Dahlin and Alex Tuch. The additions of veteran defensemen Connor Clifton and Erik Johnson should help Buffalo better compete for one of the top spots in the Atlantic Division alongside the Maple Leafs and Florida Panthers.
Additionally, Devon Levi could emerge as Buffalo’s starting goaltender this year thanks to an impressive seven-game debut stretch to close out the 2022-23 campaign. The Sabres have lacked goaltending for a while, and Levi might be the answer they’ve been searching for.
Vegas Golden Knights vs. Seattle Kraken, Jan. 1, 2024
The Winter Classic has been a staple in the NHL schedule since its inception in 2008, and this year’s matchup between the league’s two most recent expansion franchises, the Golden Knights and Kraken, at T-Mobile Park in Seattle will make for an exciting game.
The Golden Knights are coming off their first-ever Stanley Cup title thanks to the likes of Jonathan Marchessault, Jack Eichel, Mark Stone and Alex Pietrangelo. Most of the team’s big-time players are returning in 2023-24.
The Kraken, meanwhile, are coming off an impressive 2022-23 campaign, which was just their second year in the league. Led by Matty Beniers and Jared McCann, Seattle finished with a 46-28-8 record and reached the second round of the playoffs before being eliminated by the Dallas Stars in Game 7.
With Beniers expected to take the next step in his development and the potential for 2022 No. 4 overall pick Shane Wright to make the roster, Seattle has a nice mix of young and veteran talent that should help it return to the postseason this year.
