Boston Bruins: 2016-17 schedule is released

This longest of off-seasons now has an end date in sight.  The National Hockey League released full schedules for all teams today, and in just under four months the Boston Bruins will start play again, when they open on the road on Thursday, Oct. 13, at Columbus. That is the first game of a three-game road trip, which also includes trips to Toronto, where they may face-off against presumed number one draft pick Auston Matthews, and then Winnipeg, where they very well could see the number two pick, Patrik Laine.

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Besides the lack of a playoff berth last season, another reason this off-season is longer is because the 2016-17 season begins a bit later this year due to the 2016 World Cup of Hockey, which runs from Sept. 17-Oct. 1 in Toronto. (Last season’s opener was on Oct. 8.) The Bruins home opener is scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 20,  against New Jersey, followed by contests with Montreal and Minnesota.

A unique twist to this year’s schedule includes a bye week for every team. The Bruins play Montreal at home on Feb. 12 and then do not play again until Feb. 19 at San Jose, which kicks off a four-game road trip, matching the longest of the season, which also includes stops in Anaheim, Los Angeles, and Dallas.

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Some highlights on the schedule are as follows:

• The Bruins’ first trip to Montreal to visit the Canadiens is Nov. 8.
• Boston will play on Thanksgiving (Nov. 24), when they travel to Ottawa for a 7 p.m. game against the Senators. It is the first time the Bruins have played on Thanksgiving since 1989.
• The annual Black Friday game will be Nov. 25 at 7:30 p.m., against Calgary at TD Garden, which is a slight departure from the recent afternoon games the day after Thanksgiving
• The Bruins host Buffalo for a 1 p.m. matinee on New Year’s Eve.
• Boston’s has three games with Sidney Crosby and the defending Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins on Dec. 14 at CONSOL Energy Center. The Bruins travel to Pittsburgh again on Jan. 22 and host the Pens on Jan. 26.
• The All-Star Break is Jan. 27-30. The All-Star Game is Jan. 29 at Staples Center in Los Angeles.
• The Bruins play two morning games (Feb. 26 at Dallas and April 2 at Chicago). Those games begin at 11:30 a.m. locally and 12:30 p.m. in Boston.

THE COMPLETE SCHEDULE:

Thursday, Oct. 13 at Columbus, 7 p.m.

Saturday, Oct. 15 at Toronto, 7 p.m.

Monday, Oct. 17 at Winnipeg, 8 p.m.

Thursday, Oct. 20 vs. New Jersey, 7 p.m.

Saturday, Oct. 22 vs. Montreal, 7 p.m.

Tuesday, Oct. 25 vs. Minnesota, 7 p.m.

Wednesday, Oct. 26 at N.Y. Rangers, 8 p.m.

Saturday, Oct. 29 at Detroit, 7 p.m.

Tuesday, Nov. 1 at Florida, 7:30 p.m.

Thursday, Nov. 3 at Tampa Bay, 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, Nov. 5 vs. N.Y. Rangers, 7 p.m.

Monday, Nov. 7 vs. Buffalo, 7 p.m.

Tuesday, Nov. 8 at Montreal, 7:30 p.m.

Thursday, Nov. 10 vs. Columbus, 7 p.m.

Saturday, Nov. 12 at Arizona, 8 p.m.

Sunday, Nov. 13 at Colorado, 7 p.m.

Thursday, Nov. 17 at Minnesota, 8 p.m.

Saturday, Nov. 19 vs. Winnipeg, 7 p.m.

Tuesday, Nov. 22 vs. St. Louis, 7 p.m.

Thursday, Nov. 24 at Ottawa, 7:30 p.m.

Friday, Nov. 25 vs. Calgary, 7:30 p.m.

Sunday, Nov. 27 vs. Tampa Bay, 1 p.m.

Tuesday, Nov. 29 at Philadelphia, 7 p.m.

Thursday, Dec. 1 vs. Carolina, 7 p.m.

Saturday, Dec. 3 at Buffalo, 1 p.m.

Monday, Dec. 5 vs. Florida, 7 p.m.

Wednesday, Dec. 7 at Washington, 8 p.m.

Thursday, Dec. 8 vs. Colorado, 7 p.m.

Saturday, Dec. 10 vs. Toronto, 7 p.m.

Monday, Dec. 12 at Montreal, 7:30 p.m.

Wednesday, Dec. 14 at Pittsburgh, 7:30 p.m.

Thursday, Dec. 15 vs. Anaheim, 7 p.m.

Sunday, Dec. 18 vs. Los Angeles, 1 p.m.

Tuesday, Dec. 20 vs. N.Y. Islanders, 7 p.m.

Thursday, Dec. 22 at Florida, 7:30 p.m.

Friday, Dec. 23 at Carolina, 7:30 p.m.

Tuesday, Dec. 27 at Columbus, 7 p.m.

Thursday, Dec. 29 at Buffalo, 7 p.m.

Saturday, Dec. 31 vs. Buffalo, 1 p.m.

Monday, Jan. 2 at New Jersey, 7 p.m.

Thursday, Jan. 5 vs. Edmonton, 7 p.m.

Saturday, Jan. 7 at Florida, 7 p.m.

Sunday, Jan. 8 at Carolina, 5 p.m.

Tuesday, Jan. 10 at St. Louis, 8 p.m.

Thursday, Jan. 12 at Nashville, 7 p.m.

Saturday, Jan. 14 vs. Philadelphia, 1 p.m.

Monday, Jan. 16 vs. N.Y. Islanders, 1 p.m.

Wednesday, Jan. 18 at Detroit, 8 p.m.

Friday, Jan. 20 vs. Chicago, 7 p.m.

Sunday, Jan. 22 at Pittsburgh, 12:30 p.m.

Tuesday, Jan. 24 vs. Detroit, 7 p.m.

Thursday, Jan. 26 vs. Pittsburgh, 7 p.m.

Tuesday, Jan. 31 at Tampa Bay, 7:30 p.m.

Wednesday, Feb. 1 at Washington, 8 p.m.

Saturday, Feb. 4 vs. Toronto, 7 p.m.

Thursday, Feb. 9 vs. San Jose, 7 p.m.

Saturday, Feb. 11 vs. Vancouver, 1 p.m.

Sunday, Feb. 12 vs. Montreal, 7:30 p.m.

Sunday, Feb. 19 at San Jose, 8:30 p.m.

Wednesday, Feb. 22 at Anaheim, 10:30 p.m.

Thursday, Feb. 23 at Los Angeles, 10:30 p.m.

Sunday, Feb. 26 at Dallas, 12:30 p.m.

Tuesday, Feb. 28 vs. Arizona, 7 p.m.

Thursday, March 2 vs. N.Y. Rangers, 7 p.m.

Saturday, March 4 vs. New Jersey, 7 p.m.

Monday, March 6 at Ottawa, 7:30 p.m.

Wednesday, March 8 vs. Detroit, 8 p.m.

Saturday, March 11 vs. Philadelphia, 1 p.m.

Monday, March 13 at Vancouver, 10 p.m.

Wednesday, March 15 at Calgary, 9 p.m.

Thursday, March 16 at Edmonton, 9 p.m.

Monday, March 20 at Toronto, 7:30 p.m.

Tuesday, March 21 vs. Ottawa, 7 p.m.

Thursday, March 23 vs. Tampa Bay, 7 p.m.

Saturday, March 25 at N.Y. Islanders, 7 p.m.

Tuesday, March 28 vs. Nashville, 7 p.m.

Thursday, March 30 vs. Dallas, 7 p.m.

Saturday, April 1 vs. Florida, 1 p.m.

Sunday, April 2 at Chicago, 12:30 p.m.

Tuesday, April 4 vs. Tampa Bay, 7 p.m.

Thursday, April 6 vs. Ottawa, 7 p.m.

Saturday, April 8 vs. Washington, 3 p.m.