NHL to open 2024-25 with Utah home debut, Panthers' banner

The Utah Hockey Club will play its first regular-season game Oct. 8 against Connor Bedard and the Chicago Blackhawks, marking the debut of the NHL in Salt Lake City following the team's move from Arizona.

That same night, the Florida Panthers will raise their first Stanley Cup banner to the rafters in Sunrise, Florida, before facing off against the Boston Bruins.

The NHL released the list of home openers for each of its 32 teams Monday with the full 1,312-game regular-season schedule expected this week.

Utah, which is expected to have a permanent name in time for the 2025-26 season, will play at the Delta Center, home of the NBA's Utah Jazz, an arena that will undergo renovations to provide more unobstructed views for NHL games. The capacity is 16,200 for the inaugural season, with not all directly facing the ice, but the demand has been high with 30,000 season-ticket deposits.

"We are thrilled to play the first regular season game in franchise history, at home, in front of our amazing fans," president of hockey operations Chris Armstrong said. "The eyes of the hockey world will be on Utah when we host the Blackhawks on that historic night, and we look forward to rising to the occasion."

The second day of the season is rivalry night with the New York Rangers visiting Pittsburgh; Toronto at Montreal; and Colorado at Vegas. Avalanche-Golden Knights is a matchup of the 2022 and '23 Cup champions.