By @MichaelCaples –
When the puck drops on the Red Wings’ 2015-16 regular season, there will be a familiar face behind the opposing bench.
Detroit will host Mike Babcock and the Toronto Maple Leafs on Friday, Oct. 9 at Joe Louis Arena to begin their 2015-16 NHL campaign.
The next day, the Wings will play their first game on the road, taking on the Carolina Hurricanes.
The schedule for the Wings’ 90th year in the NHL features 20 weekend home games (nine Fridays, five Saturdays and six Sundays) at JLA.
The full NHL season was released today, and other highlights of the Red Wings’ schedule include:
Home dates to know
Tampa Bay Lightning – Oct. 13 and Nov. 3
Boston Bruins – Nov. 25 and Feb. 14
Montreal Canadiens – Dec. 10 and March 24
Pittsburgh Penguins – December 31 and March 26
Toronto Maple Leafs – Oct. 9 and March 13
Chicago Blackhawks – March 2
Outdoor Game
The Red Wings will play the Colorado Avalanche on Feb. 27 at Coors Field in Denver as part of the 2016 NHL Stadium Series.
Other highlights
The Wings’ traditional Thanksgiving Eve game will be against the Boston Bruins on Nov. 25 and the annual New Year’s Eve game will be against the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Expected No. 1 overall pick Connor McDavid would be coming to town with the Edmonton Oilers on Nov. 27, while expected No. 2 overall pick Jack Eichel (NTDP alum) would arrive with the Sabres on Dec. 1.
Road swings
From Oct. 21-24, the Wings get a west coast road trip out of the way early, playing Edmonton, Calgary and Vancouver.
From Jan. 7 to Jan. 14, Detroit will play road games with San Jose, Anaheim, Los Angeles and Arizona.