2017 -- 18 NHL season - wikipedia 2017 -- 18 NHL season 2017 -- 18 NHL season League National Hockey League Sport Ice hockey Duration October 4, 2017 -- June 2018 Number of games 82 Number of teams 31 Regular Season Playoffs Stanley Cup Seasons ← 2016 -- 17 2018 -- 19 → The 2017 -- 18 NHL season is the 101st season of operation ( 100th season of play ) of the National Hockey League. With the addition of a new expansion team, the Vegas Golden Knights, 31 teams compete in an 82 - game regular season. The regular season began on October 4, 2017, and will end on April 7, 2018. The 2018 Stanley Cup playoffs will then begin a few days afterwards, with the Stanley Cup Finals held in early June. Contents 1 League business 1.1 Expansion 1.2 Olympics abstention and ban 1.3 Salary cap 1.4 Rule changes 1.5 Media rights 1.6 Centennial celebration 1.7 Preseason games in China 2 Coaching changes 3 Arena changes 4 Regular season 4.1 International games 4.2 Outdoor games 4.3 All -- Star Game 5 Standings 6 Statistics 6.1 Scoring leaders 6.2 Leading goaltenders 7 Milestones 7.1 First games 7.2 Last games 7.3 Major milestones reached 8 Uniforms 9 See also 10 References 11 External links League business Expansion On June 22, 2016, the NHL confirmed that it had granted an expansion franchise in the city of Las Vegas to an ownership group led by Bill Foley, whose identity was revealed as the Vegas Golden Knights on November 22. The team plays in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference. Olympics abstention and ban On April 3, 2017, the NHL announced that, after five Olympic tournaments in which the NHL allowed its players to participate in the event, it would not do so for the men 's hockey tournament at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea. Furthermore, the league did not include a break for the Olympics in its schedule, and scheduled its All - Star Game as usual for late - January shortly prior to the Olympics ( historically, the All - Star Game was not played during Olympic years ). Each team 's mandatory bye week, stipulated in the league 's CBA, was also scattered throughout the month of January. The restriction will apply to any player under NHL contract, including those in its affiliated minor leagues, but not to players signed to one - way contracts directly with the teams in those minor leagues nor players signed to entry - level contracts who are playing junior ice hockey. Several players have vowed to participate anyway, most notably Alexander Ovechkin and Evgeni Malkin. The league had initially stated that minor league prospects would not be subject to the ban. As the league had little legal room to enforce a ban itself without running afoul of the National Hockey League Players Association, the league instead colluded with the International Ice Hockey Federation, who agreed to establish a blacklist forbidding the national teams from offering invitations to players under NHL contracts. Players with Olympic aspirations who were free agents, especially those whose NHL prospects were marginal, were advised not to sign NHL contracts and, if they wished to play professionally, sign directly with minor league clubs to maintain Olympic eligibility. Former Buffalo Sabres captain Brian Gionta and former Olympian Jarome Iginla were among those who opted not to sign NHL contracts for the season prior to the Olympics. Salary cap On June 18, 2017, the National Hockey League Players ' Association announced that the salary cap would be set at $75 million for the 2017 -- 18 season. Rule changes The NHL Board of Governors passed some new rules that take effect this season, including : coach 's challenge of offside - the original rule was put in place after a series of highly blatant off - side calls had been missed. The rule soon became a huge time waster, often requested by coaches whose team had allowed a goal wanting a review of the exact millimeter that a skate and the puck pass the blue line. To reduce the number of coach 's challenges, there is now a two - minute penalty for delay of game if the review does not result in an offside being overturned. no timeouts after icing - as a team that causes an icing is not allowed to change the players on the ice, coaches took to calling their 30 - second timeout to allow their players to rest, getting around the intent of the `` no - changes '' rule. This rule change eliminates that practice. touching high - sticked puck by power play team - previously, if a team on the man advantage played a puck after it was high - sticked, no matter where on the ice this happened, the play was stopped and the faceoff come all the way back to their own zone. This has been adjusted slightly so that, if the infraction happens in the short handed team 's zone, the faceoff would only be moved back to the neutral zone just outside the short handed team 's zone. The Board of Governors has also stated that existing rules be fully enforced in certain situations that had become `` unofficially '' ignored : enforcement of slashing rules - not a rule change as such, referees are now expected to enforce the existing two - minute penalty for slashing when players chop at the wrists and hands of a puck carrier. This follows a series of injuries - including a partially chopped - off finger - for this common practice that was rarely being penalized. faceoff infractions - not a rule change as such, referees are now expected to enforce the existing two - minute penalty for improper stance by a player taking a faceoff. This follows an extensive period where players have not been standing with their feet properly placed within the limits of the markings by the dot, with their bodies square to the end boards. Media rights This is the seventh season under the NHL 's ten - year U.S. rights deal with NBC Sports, and the fourth season of its twelve - year Canadian rights deals with Sportsnet and TVA Sports. AT&T SportsNet Rocky Mountain ( which, along with AT&T SportsNet Pittsburgh, the regional broadcaster of the Pittsburgh Penguins, re-branded from Root Sports over the off - season ) hold the regional television rights for the new Vegas Golden Knights expansion team. TSN has re-gained regional English - language rights to the Montreal Canadiens, and extended its radio contract with co-owned CKGM. Rogers Media has acquired the radio rights for the Vancouver Canucks for newly acquired 650 CISL. Centennial celebration The NHL 's centennial commemorations continued into the 2017 -- 18 season, as its 100th season of play. On March 17, 2017, the NHL announced that it would hold an outdoor game at TD Place Stadium between the Ottawa Senators and Montreal Canadiens on December 16, 2017, to formally mark the 100th anniversary of their first NHL game. The Toronto Maple Leafs will mark the centennial of the NHL 's first game ( which involved their predecessor, the Toronto Arenas ) during their December 19, 2017, game against the Carolina Hurricanes. Preseason games in China On March 30, 2017, it was announced that the Los Angeles Kings and Vancouver Canucks would play two pre-season games in China on September 21 and 23. These were the first NHL games ever played in China. Coaching changes Coaching changes Offseason Team 2016 -- 17 coach 2017 -- 18 coach Story / Accomplishments Arizona Coyotes Dave Tippett Rick Tocchet On June 22, 2017, through mutual agreement, Tippett left the head coach position of the Coyotes. He led the team to a 30 -- 42 -- 10 record during the 2016 -- 17 season, and a 282 -- 257 -- 83 overall record in eight seasons with the team. On July 11, 2017, Tocchet was named as the new head coach of the Coyotes. He was the assistant coach for the Pittsburgh Penguins in the last three seasons. Buffalo Sabres Dan Bylsma Phil Housley On April 20, 2017, the Sabres fired Bylsma after his team finished eighth in the Atlantic Division and failed to contend for the playoffs for the second consecutive season. He led the team to a 33 -- 37 -- 12 record during the 2016 -- 17 season and a 68 -- 73 -- 23 overall record in two full seasons. On June 15, Housley was named the Sabres ' new head coach. He had spent the previous four seasons as assistant coach for the Nashville Predators and previously played for the Sabres from 1982 to 1990. Dallas Stars Lindy Ruff Ken Hitchcock On April 9, 2017, the Stars announced that Ruff 's contract would not be renewed for the 2017 -- 18 season. Ruff led the team to a 34 -- 37 -- 11 record during the 2016 -- 17 season as the Stars missed the playoffs and a 165 -- 122 -- 41 record since taking over in 2013. Ruff joined the New York Rangers as an assistant coach. On April 13, Hitchcock, most recently with the St. Louis Blues, was named the new head coach. He previously coached the Stars from 1996 to 2002. Florida Panthers Gerard Gallant Tom Rowe * Bob Boughner Gallant, who compiled a record of 11 -- 10 -- 1 for the first part of the season ( and a 96 -- 65 -- 25 record over his full 21⁄4 - season tenure with the team, the highest win percentage of any coach in Panthers history ), was fired on November 10, 2016. Rowe, the team 's general manager, stepped into the position and compiled a 24 -- 26 -- 10 record. Gallant joined the Vegas Golden Knights, while Rowe, despite losing both the head coach and general manager titles, will remain with the Panthers as an advisor. On June 12, Boughner was named the team 's new head coach. He was the assistant coach of the San Jose Sharks before being hired by the Panthers. Los Angeles Kings Darryl Sutter John Stevens On April 10, 2017, the Kings fired Sutter after missing the playoffs for the second time in three years. He led the Kings to two Stanley Cup victories in 2012 and 2014. The Kings finished the season with a record of 39 -- 35 -- 8 and an overall record of 225 -- 147 -- 53 over six seasons with Sutter, which is the most wins for any coach in Kings ' history. On April 23, Stevens was named the new head coach. He had been the Kings ' assistant coach since 2010 and was also an interim coach for four games during the 2011 -- 12 season. Vancouver Canucks Willie Desjardins Travis Green On April 10, 2017, the Canucks fired Desjardins after his team failed to contend for the playoffs for the second consecutive year. He led the team to a 30 -- 43 -- 9 record during the 2016 -- 17 season and a 109 -- 110 -- 27 overall record in three full seasons. Desjardins will coach the Canadian Olympic team for this season. On April 26, Green was named the new head coach. Prior to his hiring, Green was the head coach for the Canucks ' AHL affiliate Utica Comets, where he amassed a 155 -- 110 -- 39 record through four seasons. Vegas Golden Knights Expansion team Gerard Gallant On April 13, 2017, the Golden Knights hired Gerard Gallant as the team 's first ever head coach. Arena changes The Detroit Red Wings moved to Little Caesars Arena, replacing their longtime home, the Joe Louis Arena. The Vegas Golden Knights will play their inaugural season at T - Mobile Arena in Paradise, Nevada. The Washington Capitals ' home arena was renamed from Verizon Center to Capital One Arena. The Winnipeg Jets ' home arena was renamed from MTS Centre to Bell MTS Place in observance of the BCE Inc. acquisition of Manitoba Telecom Services ( MTS ) earlier in the year. Regular season The regular season began on October 4, 2017, and will end on April 7, 2018. Each team will receive a five - day `` bye week '', and all of them will take place in mid-January. International games Game between Ottawa Senators vs. Colorado Avalanche in Ericsson Globe, Stockholm, Sweden. Two regular season games between the Colorado Avalanche and the Ottawa Senators were scheduled at Ericsson Globe in Stockholm, Sweden for November 10 and 11, 2017, branded as the SAP NHL Global Series. Outdoor games The 100 Classic will be held on December 16, 2017 at TD Place Stadium in Lansdowne Park, Ottawa, featuring the Montreal Canadiens against the Ottawa Senators. The Winter Classic will be held on January 1, 2018 at Citi Field in Flushing, New York, with the New York Rangers playing the Buffalo Sabres. The Stadium Series will be held on March 3, 2018 at Navy -- Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis, Maryland, featuring two of last seasons playoff teams, the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Washington Capitals. All -- Star game Main article : 63rd National Hockey League All - Star Game The 63rd National Hockey League All - Star Game will be held in Tampa, Florida at Amalie Arena, home of the Tampa Bay Lightning, on January 28, 2018. The format will not change and will follow the format used in two previous All - Star games. Standings Top 3 ( Metropolitan Division ) Pos Team GP OTL ROW GF GA GD Pts Washington Capitals 34 21 12 19 108 98 + 10 43 New Jersey Devils 32 18 9 5 16 100 96 + 4 41 Columbus Blue Jackets 33 20 12 17 95 86 + 9 41 Source : National Hockey League Top 3 ( Atlantic Division ) Pos Team GP OTL ROW GF GA GD Pts Tampa Bay Lightning 32 24 6 23 123 80 + 43 50 Toronto Maple Leafs 34 20 13 18 109 97 + 12 41 Boston Bruins 30 15 10 5 14 86 85 + 1 35 Source : National Hockey League Eastern Conference Wild Card Pos Div Team GP OTL ROW GF GA GD Pts ME New York Rangers 33 18 12 17 108 96 + 12 39 ME New York Islanders 33 18 12 16 118 114 + 4 39 ME Pittsburgh Penguins 34 17 14 17 99 108 − 9 37 ME Philadelphia Flyers 32 14 11 7 14 91 90 + 1 35 5 ME Carolina Hurricanes 32 14 11 7 11 90 98 − 8 35 6 AT Montreal Canadiens 33 14 15 13 87 103 − 16 32 7 AT Detroit Red Wings 32 12 13 7 10 86 103 − 17 31 8 AT Ottawa Senators 31 11 13 7 10 85 103 − 18 29 9 AT Florida Panthers 33 12 16 5 10 95 115 − 20 29 10 AT Buffalo Sabres 33 8 18 7 8 72 111 − 39 23 Updated to game ( s ) played on December 17, 2017. Source : National Hockey League Top 3 ( Central Division ) Pos Team GP OTL ROW GF GA GD Pts Nashville Predators 32 21 7 18 108 85 + 23 46 St. Louis Blues 35 22 11 20 107 88 + 19 46 Winnipeg Jets 34 19 10 5 18 112 94 + 18 43 Source : National Hockey League Top 3 ( Pacific Division ) Pos Team GP OTL ROW GF GA GD Pts Vegas Golden Knights 32 21 9 19 112 97 + 15 44 Los Angeles Kings 34 20 10 18 103 81 + 22 44 San Jose Sharks 31 17 10 16 85 75 + 10 38 Source : National Hockey League Western Conference Wild Card Pos Div Team GP OTL ROW GF GA GD Pts CE Chicago Blackhawks 33 17 11 5 17 102 86 + 16 39 CE Dallas Stars 34 18 14 16 99 99 0 38 CE Minnesota Wild 33 17 13 15 94 95 − 1 37 PA Calgary Flames 34 17 14 15 97 102 − 5 37 5 PA Anaheim Ducks 33 14 11 8 12 88 95 − 7 36 6 PA Vancouver Canucks 34 15 15 15 88 106 − 18 34 7 CE Colorado Avalanche 32 15 15 14 101 107 − 6 32 8 PA Edmonton Oilers 33 14 17 14 96 107 − 11 30 9 PA Arizona Coyotes 35 7 23 5 6 78 122 − 44 19 Updated to game ( s ) played on December 17, 2017. Source : National Hockey League Statistics Scoring leaders The following players led the league in regular season points at the conclusion of games played on December 17, 2017. Player Team GP Pts + / -- PIM Kucherov, Nikita Nikita Kucherov Tampa Bay Lightning 32 23 23 46 + 10 18 Stamkos, Steven Steven Stamkos Tampa Bay Lightning 32 12 31 43 + 13 10 Tavares, John John Tavares New York Islanders 33 19 21 40 + 3 10 Gaudreau, Johnny Johnny Gaudreau Calgary Flames 34 13 27 40 + 5 8 McDavid, Connor Connor McDavid Edmonton Oilers 33 12 28 40 + 6 10 Bailey, Josh Josh Bailey New York Islanders 33 9 31 40 + 4 Voracek, Jakub Jakub Voracek Philadelphia Flyers 32 7 33 40 + 6 28 Kopitar, Anze Anze Kopitar Los Angeles Kings 34 17 22 39 + 12 12 Wheeler, Blake Blake Wheeler Winnipeg Jets 34 8 31 39 + 6 22 Schenn, Brayden Brayden Schenn St. Louis Blues 35 16 22 38 + 22 36 Leading goaltenders The following goaltenders led the league in regular season goals against average at the conclusion of games played on December 17, 2017, while playing at least 900 minutes. Player Team GP TOI OTL GA SO SV % GAA Crawford, Corey Corey Crawford Chicago Blackhawks 26 1510 : 08 16 7 53. 935 2.11 Vasilevskiy, Andrei Andrei Vasilevskiy Tampa Bay Lightning 26 1564 : 03 21 55. 934 2.11 Rinne, Pekka Pekka Rinne Nashville Predators 25 1519 : 29 18 57. 930 2.25 Bobrovsky, Sergei Sergei Bobrovsky Columbus Blue Jackets 27 1614 : 44 17 9 61. 923 2.27 Quick, Jonathan Jonathan Quick Los Angeles Kings 26 1519 : 42 15 10 59. 924 2.32 Rask, Tuukka Tuukka Rask Boston Bruins 20 1157 : 05 8 8 47. 913 2.44 Hellebuyck, Connor Connor Hellebuyck Winnipeg Jets 27 1545 : 14 17 63. 919 2.45 Jones, Martin Martin Jones San Jose Sharks 22 1245 : 29 11 7 53. 914 2.55 Schneider, Cory Cory Schneider New Jersey Devils 24 1418 : 18 13 6 61. 921 2.58 Allen, Jake Jake Allen St. Louis Blues 29 1667 : 49 17 9 72. 911 2.59 Milestones First games The following is a list of notable players who played their first NHL game during the 2017 -- 18 season, listed with their first team. Player Team Notability Nico Hischier New Jersey Devils First overall pick in the 2017 Draft Last games The following is a list of players of note who played their last NHL game in 2017 -- 18, listed with their team : Player Team Notability Mark Streit Montreal Canadiens 1 - time Stanley Cup Champion with the Pittsburgh Penguins, 1 - time NHL All - Star. Major milestones reached On October 4, 2017, Philadelphia Flyers forward Wayne Simmonds scored his 400th point. On October 4, 2017, San Jose Sharks defenseman Brent Burns scored his 500th point. On October 5, 2017, Chicago Blackhawks forward Patrick Sharp scored his 600th point. On October 7, 2017, Anaheim Ducks forward Antoine Vermette scored his 500th point. On October 15, 2017, New York Islanders forward Andrew Ladd scored his 500th point. On October 17, 2017, Vancouver Canucks forward Thomas Vanek scored his 700th point. On October 18, 2017, Toronto Maple Leafs forward Patrick Marleau played his 1,500 th NHL game, becoming the 18th player to do so. On October 19, 2017, St. Louis Blues forward Paul Stastny scored his 600th point. On October 20, 2017, Winnipeg Jets forward Blake Wheeler scored his 200th goal. On October 20, 2017, Winnipeg Jets head coach Paul Maurice won his 600th game, becoming the 17th coach to reach the mark. On October 21, 2017, Tampa Bay Lightning forward Steven Stamkos scored his 600th point. On October 24, 2017, Philadelphia Flyers forward Jakub Voracek scored his 500th point. On October 26, 2017, New York Rangers forward Rick Nash played his 1,000 th game. On October 26, 2017, Pittsburgh Penguins forward Phil Kessel scored his 300th goal. On November 2, 2017, San Jose Sharks forward Joe Thornton scored his 1,400 th career point, becoming the 20th player in league history to reach this milestone. On November 4, 2017, St. Louis Blues forward Vladimir Tarasenko scored his 300th point. On November 4, 2017, Anaheim Ducks forward Andrew Cogliano played his 800th consecutive game, becoming the 4th player in league history to reach this milestone. On November 10, 2017, Washington Capitals goaltender Braden Holtby reached his 200th NHL win, becoming the second - fastest goaltender to reach this mark. On November 24, 2017, Philadelphia Flyers forward Claude Giroux scored his 700th point. On November 30, 2017, Vancouver Canucks forward Daniel Sedin became the 87th player in league history to score 1,000 points. On December 1, 2017, San Jose Sharks forward Joe Pavelski scored his 300th goal. On December 1, 2017, Carolina Hurricanes forward Justin Williams scored his 700th point. On December 4, 2017, Boston Bruins forward David Backes scored his 500th point. On December 5, 2017, Montreal Canadiens defenseman Shea Weber scored his 500th point. On December 5, 2017, Los Angeles Kings forward Marian Gaborik scored his 400th goal and 800th point. On December 12, 2017, Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Cam Ward reached his 300th win, becoming the 32nd goaltender to do so. On December 13, 2017, Dallas Stars goaltender Kari Lehtonen reached his 300th win, becoming the 33rd goaltender to do so. Uniforms Adidas is the official uniform and apparel provider of the NHL beginning with the 2017 -- 18 season. As part of the transition from Reebok to Adidas, no third jerseys will be worn this season. New or updated uniforms for all teams were unveiled on June 20, 2017. The Ottawa Senators are wearing stickers on their helmets honouring former general manager Bryan Murray, who died in August 2017. All jerseys will continue to have patches of the NHL 's centennial emblem, located above or below the numbers on their right sleeves, for at least up to the playing of the NHL 100 Classic on December 16. 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Jump up ^ `` Recap : Ducks Earn Point in 2 - 1 Shootout Loss on Milestone Evening ''. NHL.com. November 5, 2017. Retrieved November 5, 2017. Jump up ^ McNally, Brian ( November 11, 2017 ). `` Capitals defeat Penguins to give Holtby 200th win ''. NHL.com. Retrieved November 12, 2017. Jump up ^ `` Daniel Sedin of Canucks gets 1,000 th NHL point ''. NHL.com. November 30, 2017. Retrieved December 1, 2017. Jump up ^ Rosen, Dan ( September 16, 2015 ). `` Adidas to become official NHL outfitter in 2017 - 18 ''. NHL.com. Retrieved May 9, 2017. Jump up ^ Clinton, Jared ( January 9, 2017 ). `` News Report : No Alternative Jerseys next Season as Adidas takes over NHL Uniforms ''. TheHockeyNews.com. TVA Group. Retrieved June 14, 2017. Jump up ^ Kennedy, Ryan ( June 21, 2017 ). `` The Good, the Bad and the Vegas : A look at the new NHL jerseys ''. The Hockey News. Retrieved October 6, 2017. Jump up ^ Garrioch, Bruce ( October 3, 2017 ). `` Ottawa Senators unveil helmet sticker to honour Bryan Murray ''. Ottawa Citizen. Retrieved October 6, 2017. Jump up ^ Creamer, Chris ( January 2, 2017 ). `` Pics : Centennial Patches Added to All NHL Teams ''. SportsnetLogos.net. Wordpress. Retrieved June 14, 2017. External links 2017 -- 18 NHL season schedule NHL seasons 1910s 1917 -- 18 1918 -- 19 1919 -- 20 1920s 1920 -- 21 1921 -- 22 1922 -- 23 1923 -- 24 1924 -- 25 1925 -- 26 1926 -- 27 1927 -- 28 1928 -- 29 1929 -- 30 1930s 1930 -- 31 1931 -- 32 1932 -- 33 1933 -- 34 1934 -- 35 1935 -- 36 1936 -- 37 1937 -- 38 1938 -- 39 1939 -- 40 1940s 1940 -- 41 1941 -- 42 1942 -- 43 1943 -- 44 1944 -- 45 1945 -- 46 1946 -- 47 1947 -- 48 1948 -- 49 1949 -- 50 1950s 1950 -- 51 1951 -- 52 1952 -- 53 1953 -- 54 1954 -- 55 1955 -- 56 1956 -- 57 1957 -- 58 1958 -- 59 1959 -- 60 1960s 1960 -- 61 1961 -- 62 1962 -- 63 1963 -- 64 1964 -- 65 1965 -- 66 1966 -- 67 1967 -- 68 1968 -- 69 1969 -- 70 1970s 1970 -- 71 1971 -- 72 1972 -- 73 1973 -- 74 1974 -- 75 1975 -- 76 1976 -- 77 1977 -- 78 1978 -- 79 1979 -- 80 1980s 1980 -- 81 1981 -- 82 1982 -- 83 1983 -- 84 1984 -- 85 1985 -- 86 1986 -- 87 1987 -- 88 1988 -- 89 1989 -- 90 1990s 1990 -- 91 1991 -- 92 1992 -- 93 1993 -- 94 1994 -- 95 1995 -- 96 1996 -- 97 1997 -- 98 1998 -- 99 1999 -- 00 2000s 2000 -- 01 2001 -- 02 2002 -- 03 2003 -- 04 2004 -- 05 2005 -- 06 2006 -- 07 2007 -- 08 2008 -- 09 2009 -- 10 2010s 2010 -- 11 2011 -- 12 2012 -- 13 2013 -- 14 2014 -- 15 2015 -- 16 2016 -- 17 2017 -- 18 The 2004 -- 05 season was cancelled due to a lockout. 2017 -- 18 NHL season Pacific Anaheim Ducks Arizona Coyotes Calgary Flames Edmonton Oilers Los Angeles Kings San Jose Sharks Vancouver Canucks Vegas Golden Knights Central Chicago Blackhawks Colorado Avalanche Dallas Stars Minnesota Wild Nashville Predators St. Louis Blues Winnipeg Jets Atlantic Boston Bruins Buffalo Sabres Detroit Red Wings Florida Panthers Montreal Canadiens Ottawa Senators Tampa Bay Lightning Toronto Maple Leafs Metropolitan Carolina Hurricanes Columbus Blue Jackets New Jersey Devils New York Islanders New York Rangers Philadelphia Flyers Pittsburgh Penguins Washington Capitals See also Entry Draft Expansion Draft 100 Classic Winter Classic All - Star Game Stadium Series Stanley Cup playoffs Stanley Cup Finals Transactions Three Star Awards Suspensions and fines 2017 -- 18 in men 's ice hockey International World Championships Championship Rosters Group A Group B Playoff round Final Division I Division II Division III Under - 20 Division I Division II Division III Under - 18 Division I Division II Division III Leagues International National Hockey League AHL ECHL Kontinental Hockey League Champions Hockey League Continental Cup Austria League Asia League MOL Liga Domestic Australia ' 17 ' 18 Belarus Czech Republic 2nd tier Denmark Estonia Finland France Germany 2nd tier Norway 2nd tier Poland Slovakia Sweden 2nd tier Switzerland 2nd tier Ukraine United Kingdom Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=2017 -- 18_NHL_season&oldid = 815949642 '' Categories : 2017 -- 18 NHL season 2017 -- 18 in American ice hockey by league 2017 -- 18 in Canadian ice hockey by league Current ice hockey seasons Hidden categories : Use mdy dates from June 2017 Articles with hCards Talk Contents About Wikipedia Deutsch Français Italiano Polski Русский Suomi Svenska Edit links This page was last edited on 18 December 2017, at 07 : 28. 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Question: when does the regular season for the nhl begin
Answer: October 4, 2017