Kings to host Sharks in 2014-15 home opener

The Los Angeles Kings will begin the defense of their Stanley Cup championship against the team that nearly ended their magical run before it got rolling.

Los Angeles will host the San Jose Sharks to Staples Center as part of a four-game night Oct. 8 to start the 2014-15 NHL season, the League announced Saturday.

The Sharks won the first three games of their Western Conference First Round series against the Kings in April, only to lose four straight to Los Angeles. The Kings became the fourth team in NHL history to rally from a 3-0 deficit, then went on to win two more seven-game series before defeating the New York Rangers in five games in the Stanley Cup Final.

The other games on opening night will have the Philadelphia Flyers at TD Garden to face the Boston Bruins, the Toronto Maple Leafs welcoming the Montreal Canadiens to Air Canada Centre, and the Vancouver Canucks visiting the Calgary Flames at Scotiabank Saddledome.

One of the highlights the following night will be the rebranded Arizona Coyotes playing their first game since the name change, which goes into effect at the 2014 NHL Draft, against the Winnipeg Jets at Jobing.com Arena. That evening will see 11 other teams host their home opener.

The Minnesota Wild and Colorado Avalanche, who waged a seven-game series in the first round of the 2014 Stanley Cup Playoffs, will start the season with a home-and-home. Minnesota defeated Colorado in Game 7 on Nino Niederreiter's overtime goal and will celebrate its first playoff series victory since 2003 at Xcel Energy Center on Oct. 9. Colorado will then welcome the Wild to Pepsi Center two days later.

The complete 1,230-game schedule will be released Sunday at 4 p.m. ET.

FULL LIST OF HOME OPENERS, 2014-15 SEASON

Anaheim Ducks: Friday, Oct. 17 vs. Minnesota

* Arizona Coyotes: Thursday, Oct. 9 vs. Winnipeg

Boston Bruins: Wednesday, Oct. 8 vs. Philadelphia

Buffalo Sabres: Thursday, Oct. 9 vs. Columbus

Calgary Flames: Wednesday, Oct. 8 vs. Vancouver

Carolina Hurricanes: Friday, Oct. 10 vs. NY Islanders

Chicago Blackhawks: Saturday, Oct. 11 vs. Buffalo

Colorado Avalanche: Saturday, Oct. 11 vs. Minnesota

Columbus Blue Jackets: Saturday, Oct. 11 vs. NY Rangers

Dallas Stars: Thursday, Oct. 9 vs. Chicago

Detroit Red Wings: Thursday, Oct. 9 vs. Boston

Edmonton Oilers: Thursday, Oct. 9 vs. Calgary

Florida Panthers: Saturday, Oct. 11 vs. New Jersey

Los Angeles Kings: Wednesday, Oct. 8 vs. San Jose

Minnesota Wild: Thursday, Oct. 9 vs. Colorado

Montreal Canadiens: Thursday, Oct. 16 vs. Boston

Nashville Predators: Thursday, Oct. 9 vs. Ottawa

New Jersey Devils: Saturday, Oct. 18 vs. San Jose

New York Islanders: Saturday, Oct. 11 vs. Carolina

New York Rangers: Sunday, Oct. 12 vs. Toronto

Ottawa Senators: Thursday, Oct. 16 vs. Colorado

Philadelphia Flyers: Thursday, Oct. 9 vs. New Jersey

Pittsburgh Penguins: Thursday, Oct. 9 vs. Anaheim

San Jose Sharks: Saturday, Oct. 11 vs. Winnipeg

St. Louis Blues: Thursday, Oct. 9 vs. NY Rangers

Tampa Bay Lightning: Thursday, Oct. 9 vs. Florida

Toronto Maple Leafs: Wednesday, Oct. 8 vs. Montreal

Vancouver Canucks: Saturday, Oct. 11 vs. Edmonton

Washington Capitals: Thursday, Oct. 9 vs. Montreal

Winnipeg Jets: Friday, Oct. 17 vs. Nashville

* Franchise's name officially changes on Friday, June 27, at 2014 NHL Draft