The Ducks said good riddance Thursday to the West Division, the one-season-only, pandemic-necessary, eight-team division of 2020-21, and welcomed the return of the Pacific Division and the expansion Seattle Kraken.
The NHL returned to its traditional divisional alignment, and with a familiar 82-game schedule. Left to be determined is whether the league will send its players to the Beijing Olympics. The schedule-maker left a three-week break for the Games.
The Ducks will face five of the seven Pacific Division teams (San Jose, Vegas, Calgary, Vancouver and the Kings) four times each and the other two (Edmonton and Seattle) three times each.
The Ducks’ longest homestand is five games (Feb. 25-March 6), and they have three five-game road trips (Dec. 6-12, Jan. 24-31, and March 8-15). The Ducks also have 13 sets of back-to-back games.
Here are eight dates to save for the coming season.
OCT. 14, VS. WINNIPEG
This will be only the seventh time since the Ducks’ inaugural 1993-94 season that they’ll start on home ice. Stranger still, they’ll play host to the Minnesota Wild one night later before hitting the road for the first time.
Player to watch: The Ducks lost out to the Jets in the Pierre-Luc Dubois sweepstakes last season, and it will be intriguing to see if he’s found his comfort zone yet.
OCT. 31, VS. MONTREAL
Montreal advanced to the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since 1993, upsetting the Toronto Maple Leafs, the Jets and the Vegas Golden Knights before running into the eventual champion Tampa Bay Lightning.
Player to watch: Corey Perry could make his Honda Center return if he re-signs with the Canadiens. He adapted to a fourth-line role last season, and the Canadiens seem willing to re-sign him.
NOV. 11, AT SEATTLE
The Ducks make their only appearance in Seattle to face the Kraken on the second game of a two-game trip that also features a stop in Vancouver. The remodeled Climate Pledge Arena was always a tough place to play for NBA visitors when the Sonics called it home before leaving for Oklahoma City in 2008.
Player to watch: The Kraken selected defenseman Haydn Fleury from the Ducks in the expansion draft and it will be interesting to see what role he plays with Seattle.
NOV. 30, AT KINGS
The Ducks and their nearby rivals must wait more than a month before renewing hostilities, which doesn’t make much sense. You would think the NHL scheduler would pit them against each other on opening night. Or at least in the opening weeks.
Player to watch: Anze Kopitar is a player fans should always focus their attention upon. He had 50 points in 56 games last season, including 37 assists, proving that he still has a lot left in the tank after 15 seasons in the NHL, all with the Kings.
DEC. 31, AT VEGAS
Could this be a new tradition, spending New Year’s Eve in Sin City? The Ducks ended 2019 with a game at T-Mobile Arena, the last time the NHL attempted to play a full season. The Ducks are 2-6-2 in 10 games over four seasons in Las Vegas.
Player to watch: Pick one. They all seem to play well against the Ducks.
JAN. 21., VS. TAMPA BAY
The Lightning won their second consecutive Stanley Cup championship earlier this month, and the third in their history. The Lightning and the Ducks are the only post-1990 expansion teams to win the Cup. It might be a while before the Ducks are contenders again, but the Lightning could challenge for a third in a row in 2021-22.
Player to watch: Victor Hedman is the spark that ignites the Lightning, a former winner of the Norris Trophy as the NHL’s best defenseman.
FEB. 25, VS. KINGS
The Kings make their first Honda Center appearance, and it’s also the first game after the Olympic break. Additionally, it’s the start of a five-game homestand that could make or break the Ducks’ season.
Player to watch: Cal Petersen’s play in goal last season made it possible (or necessary) for GM Rob Blake to expose longtime No. 1 Jonathan Quick in the expansion draft in order to protect Petersen.
APRIL 29, AT DALLAS
The regular season comes to an end on an unusually late date because of the Olympic break. Oddly enough, this will be the Ducks’ only trip to Dallas in 2021-22.
Player to watch: Who knows? It’s so far away, the Stars’ roster might have changed dramatically as they attempt to return to the playoffs.
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