The Montreal Canadiens made a run to the Stanley Cup Final last season, and with the schedule pushed back, that meant they were playing games well into the month of July.
The NHL schedule is usually wrapped up in the middle of June, with the NHL Draft then taking part in the second to last, or last weekend of the month and free agency opening on July 1.
Then, it is pretty much done for the summer months. Things were pushed back last summer, with free agency not opening until July 28, due to the global pandemic wreaking havoc on, well, literally everything in the world.
Things are getting closer to normal in the 2021-22 season, but we are not quite there yet. Training camps opened September 22nd when they would usually open on September 15th. The first regular season game will take place on October 13th which is about a week later than we would see home opener’s being played in a normal season.
The NHL has a lengthy list of critical dates, and they officially updated them yesterday for the upcoming season.
NHL/NHLPA signed off today on transition rules for '21-22 season, which incl. amended critical dates calendar. Most every contract deadline, including end dates, buyouts and no-trade clauses, has been bumped back a few days. (Contracts ending June 30 will now end July 12, etc). pic.twitter.com/7zFGL5IrVW
— Frank Seravalli (@frank_seravalli) September 27, 2021
The trade deadline, usually on the last Monday of February, will not be until March 21st this season. Part of that is due to the slightly later start but that is mostly because there is a lengthy break in the schedule in February for NHL players to take part in the Olympics.
The regular season is going to end on April 29th with the postseason beginning on May 2nd. The last possible day for playoff hockey will be June 30th as the Stanley Cup will inch closer to its normal appearance in June.
Of interest to Canadiens fans will be the NHL Draft which takes place in Montreal at the Bell Centre on the weekend of July 7th and 8th. The first round will be on the 7th with the next six rounds taking place the following day.
there are plenty of other dates regarding arbitration hearings, but the only other date that has a big impact is free agency opening on July 13th 2022 instead of the usual frenzy on July 1st.