Record overseas slate highlights pre-season schedule

NEW YORK -- An historic number of NHL clubs playing international games highlights the National Hockey League's 2010-11 pre-season schedule, the dates and start times of which were announced today. Six clubs -- the Boston Bruins, Phoenix Coyotes, Minnesota Wild, Carolina Hurricanes, San Jose Sharks and Columbus Blue Jackets -- will play a total of seven games throughout Europe as they prepare to open the regular season overseas in the 2010 Compuware NHL Premiere.

The Bruins, making their first overseas appearance in 50 years, will play pre-season games in Belfast, Northern Ireland on Oct. 2 and Liberec, Czech Republic on Oct. 5 in advance of the their two-game regular-season opener against the Coyotes in Prague Oct. 9-10. The Coyotes will tune up for their showdown with the Bruins by traveling to Riga, Latvia for a game against Dinamo Riga on Oct. 6.

The Wild and Hurricanes, who start the regular season with a two-game set in Helsinki, Finland Oct. 7-8, will prepare with pre-season games in nearby cities Oct. 4. The Wild travel north to Tampere, Finland to take on Ilves, while the Hurricanes head east to St. Petersburg, Russia for a match against SKA St. Petersburg.

The Sharks and Blue Jackets, who launch the regular season in Stockholm, Sweden with games on Oct. 8-9, each will play one pre-season contest in Europe. The Sharks visit Mannheim, Germany (vs. Adler Mannheim, Oct. 2); the Blue Jackets go to Malmo, Sweden (vs. Malmo/Rogle, Oct. 5).

The defending Stanley Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks open their pre-season schedule Sept. 22 with a game against the Tampa Bay Lightning at MTS Centre in Winnipeg, Manitoba, the hometown of Blackhawks captain and Conn Smythe Trophy winner as playoff MVP Jonathan Toews.

Also that evening, the Pittsburgh Penguins open their pre-season schedule with the first hockey game ever played at the 18,087-capacity CONSOL Energy Center when they face the Detroit Red Wings.

The people of Dundas, Ontario, winners of the Canada-wide Kraft Hockeyville contest, will celebrate the grand prize when the Buffalo Sabres and Ottawa Senators play a pre-season game in their community Sept. 28.

The schedule features several other contests that will be played outside NHL cities, including Las Vegas, Nev. (Colorado vs. Los Angeles, Oct. 2); London, Ont. (Philadelphia vs. Toronto, Sept. 23); Rochester, N.Y. (Boston vs. Florida, Sept. 23); Quebec City, Que. (Montreal vs. NY Islanders, Oct. 2) and Saskatoon, Sask. (Calgary vs. NY Islanders, Sept. 29).

The 2010-11 NHL regular season opens Oct. 7.

2010-11 NHL PRE-SEASON SCHEDULE (all times Eastern)

TUESDAY, SEPT. 21

Ottawa at Toronto, 7 p.m.
New Jersey at Philadelphia, 7 p.m.
Florida at Carolina, 7 p.m.
Columbus at Atlanta, 7 p.m.
Colorado at St. Louis, 8 p.m.
Tampa Bay at Dallas, 8:30 p.m.
Vancouver at Calgary (split squads), 9 p.m.
Calgary at Vancouver (split squads), 10 p.m.
Phoenix at Anaheim, 10 p.m.

WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 22

Ottawa at Toronto, 7 p.m.
Detroit at Pittsburgh, 7 p.m.
Washington at Columbus, 7 p.m.
Boston at Montreal, 7:30 p.m.
St. Louis at Minnesota, 8 p.m.
Chicago vs. Tampa Bay, at Winnipeg, Man. (MTS Centre), 8 p.m.
Los Angeles at Colorado, 9 p.m.
San Jose at Anaheim, 10 p.m.
Edmonton at Vancouver, 10 p.m.

THURSDAY, SEPT. 23

New Jersey at NY Rangers, 7 p.m.
Philadelphia vs. Toronto, at London, Ont. (John Labatt Centre), 7 p.m.
Boston vs. Florida, at Rochester, N.Y. (Blue Cross Arena), 7 p.m.
Carolina at Nashville, 8 p.m.
Tampa Bay at Edmonton, 9 p.m.
Los Angeles at Phoenix (split squads), 10 p.m.
Phoenix at Los Angeles (split squads), 10:30 p.m.

FRIDAY, SEPT. 24

Philadelphia at Toronto, 7 p.m.
Nashville at Carolina, 7 p.m.
Chicago at Detroit, 7 p.m.
Pittsburgh at Columbus, 7 p.m.
Ottawa at Montreal, 7:30 p.m.
Minnesota at St. Louis, 8 p.m.
Colorado at Dallas, 8:30 p.m.
Anaheim at San Jose, 10:30 p.m.

SATURDAY, SEPT. 25

Montreal at Ottawa, 7 p.m.
Carolina at Atlanta, 7 p.m.
Florida at Boston, 7 p.m.
Toronto at Buffalo, 7 p.m.
NY Rangers at New Jersey, 7 p.m.
Columbus at Pittsburgh, 7 p.m.
Washington at Nashville, 8 p.m.
Detroit at Chicago, 8 p.m.
Philadelphia at Minnesota, 8 p.m.
St. Louis at Dallas, 8 p.m.
Tampa Bay at Calgary, 9 p.m.
Anaheim at Vancouver, 10 p.m.
San Jose at Phoenix (split squads), 10 p.m.
Phoenix at San Jose (split squads), 10:30 p.m.

SUNDAY, SEPT. 26

NY Rangers at Detroit, 5 p.m.
Minnesota at Montreal, 7 p.m.
Vancouver at Edmonton, 8 p.m.
St. Louis at Colorado, 9 p.m.

MONDAY, SEPT. 27

Buffalo at Toronto, 7 p.m.
Florida at Montreal, 7:30 p.m.
Atlanta at Nashville, 8 p.m.

TUESDAY, SEPT. 28

Buffalo vs. Ottawa, at Dundas, Ont. (J.L. Grightmire Market St. Arena), 7 p.m.
Philadelphia at New Jersey, 7 p.m.
Boston at Washington, 7 p.m.
Chicago at Pittsburgh, 7 p.m.
Minnesota at Columbus, 7 p.m.
Dallas at Colorado, 9 p.m.
Phoenix at Calgary, 9 p.m.
San Jose at Vancouver, 10 p.m.
Anaheim at Los Angeles, 10:30 p.m.

WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 29

Washington at Boston, 7 p.m.
Detroit at NY Rangers, 7 p.m.
Nashville at Atlanta, 7 p.m.
NY Islanders (split squad) at Philadelphia, 7 p.m.
Toronto at Ottawa, 7:30 p.m.
Carolina at Florida, 7:30 p.m.
Calgary vs. NY Islanders (split squad), at Saskatoon, Sask. (Credit Union Centre), 8 p.m.
Phoenix at Edmonton, 9 p.m.
Vancouver at San Jose, 10:30 p.m.

THURSDAY, SEPT. 30

Buffalo at Montreal, 7:30 p.m.
Chicago at St. Louis, 8 p.m.
Columbus at Minnesota, 8 p.m.
Colorado at Dallas, 8:30 p.m.

FRIDAY, OCT. 1

Atlanta at Carolina, 1:30 p.m.
Toronto at Detroit, 7 p.m.
Buffalo at Philadelphia, 7 p.m.
NY Islanders at New Jersey, 7 p.m.
Ottawa at NY Rangers, 7 p.m.
Columbus at Washington, 7 p.m.
Tampa Bay at Florida, 7:30 p.m.
Pittsburgh at Chicago, 8:30 p.m.
Calgary at Edmonton, 9 p.m.
Vancouver at Anaheim, 10 p.m.

SATURDAY, OCT. 2

San Jose vs. Adler Mannheim, at Mannheim, Germany (SAP Arena), 1:30 p.m.
Boston vs. Belfast Giants Select, at Belfast, N. Ireland (Odyssey Arena), 2 p.m.
Atlanta at Columbus, 6 p.m.
Detroit at Toronto, 7 p.m.
NY Rangers at Ottawa, 7 p.m.
New Jersey at NY Islanders (split squad), 7 p.m.
Montreal vs. NY Islanders (split squad), at Quebec City, Que. (Colisée Pepsi), 7 p.m.
Florida at Tampa Bay, 7:30 p.m.
Dallas at St. Louis, 8 p.m.
Colorado vs. Los Angeles, at Las Vegas, Nev. (MGM Grand), 9 p.m.

SUNDAY, OCT. 3

Nashville at Washington, 12:30 p.m.
Pittsburgh at Detroit, 5 p.m.
Philadelphia at Buffalo, 6 p.m.
St. Louis at Chicago, 6 p.m.
Edmonton at Calgary, 8 p.m.
Los Angeles at Anaheim, 8 p.m.

MONDAY, OCT. 4

Carolina vs. SKA St. Petersburg, at St. Petersburg, Russia (Ledovy Arena), 11 a.m.
Minnesota vs. Ilves Tampere, at Tampere, Finland (Jaahalli Arena), noon.

TUESDAY, OCT. 5

Columbus vs. Malmo/Rogle BK, at Malmo, Sweden (Malmo Arena), 1 p.m.
Boston vs. HC Liberec, at Liberec, Czech Republic (Tipsport Arena), 1 p.m.

WEDNESDAY, OCT. 6

Phoenix vs. Dinamo Riga, at Riga, Latvia (Arena Riga), noon.