Nashville, Tenn. – The National Hockey League released the 2009-10 regular-season schedule today and the Nashville Predators will open their 12th NHL season on the road for the second consecutive season at the American Airlines Center in Dallas. The Predators’ home opener comes five days later, on Thursday, Oct. 8, when they host the Colorado Avalanche at the Sommet Center. Nashville will play 15 Saturday home games at the Sommet Center and 12 Thursday night contests.

With the 2010 Olympic Break scheduled for Feb. 15-28, Nashville will play only seven games during the calendar’s second month, but will be busy in March, taking the ice for 17 games in a 28-day span, including 10 at the Sommet Center. The Predators will play 11 of their first 17 games on the road (Oct. 3-Nov. 12), but return to play 13 of 17 at home between Nov. 14-Dec. 15.

The Predators will again play all other 29 teams in the NHL at least once in 2009-10. Nashville will play its Central Division rivals six times – three at home and three away – while taking on the Western Conference’s other 10 teams twice at home and twice on the road.

This season, the Preds three “wild card” opponents from the Eastern Conference, who they will play both home and away contests against, are Atlanta, Florida and New Jersey. Nashville’s six other home games against Eastern foes are highlighted by Toronto’s third ever visit to the Sommet Center (Jan. 18), Philadelphia’s first trip to the Music City in more than four years (March 16). The Predators will also receive visits from Buffalo (Oct. 10), Montreal (Nov. 14) and Tampa Bay (Dec. 15). Nashville will travel to the northeast during the season’s first month to clash with Washington (Oct. 17), Boston (Oct. 21) and Ottawa (Oct. 22), then travel to the New York City area for the first time since the 2006-07 season in February to visit the Islanders (Feb. 9), Rangers (Feb. 10) and New Jersey (Feb. 12). The Preds will cap off the February road trip with a visit to the defending Stanley Cup Champion Pittsburgh Penguins on Valentine’s Day (Feb. 14).

Nashville hosts its closest geographical rival, the Atlanta Thrashers, on Jan. 30, while traveling to Philips Arena on March 9. The 2008-09 schedule is also highlighted by the rival Detroit Red Wings’ three visits to the Sommet Center on Nov. 23, Dec. 12 and March 27 and the resurgent Chicago Blackhawks’ trips to the Music City on Oct. 15, Oct. 29 and Dec. 26. The Predators will close out the 2009-10 campaign at home for the first time since 2005-06 by hosting St. Louis on April 10.

As usual, Nashville will play home games in and around several holidays. The Preds host Dallas on Holloween (Oct. 31) and Toronto on Martin Luther King Day (Jan. 18), in addition to playing a pair of games on Thanksgiving weekend (St. Louis, Nov. 27; Florida, Nov. 28). It will also host Chicago the day after Christmas (Dec. 26).

The Predators schedule includes 15 sets of back-to-back games. The club’s longest homestand is five games between Nov. 14-23, while its longest stretch on the road comes Oct. 17-28, when it heads out on a five-game trip.

Face-off for all Predators home contests will be at 7:00 p.m. (Central time), with the two exceptions being a 5 p.m. start on Monday, Nov. 23 (vs. Detroit) and a 2:00 p.m. face-off on Sunday, March 7 (vs. Vancouver).

The Predators will continue to offer a variety of single game promotions and themed nights for the 2009-10 season. All four Monday home games will be “Military Mondays,” select Thursdays will be “College Nights,” and five weekend dates will be “Family Four Pack” games. The Predators will continue the “Fellowship Night” series sponsored by Trevecca Nazarene University and are actively working with partners to sponsor a Tuesday night ticket promotion throughout the season. In addition, the first 100 tickets purchased day-of-game at the Sommet Center box office will also receive ticket specials during the 2009-10 season.

Nashville Predators season tickets are now available. Information on ticket availability for individual games will be announced at a later date. For more information on ticket sales visit nashvillepredators.com, or call (615) 770-PUCK (7825).

 

DAY DATE OPPONENT TIME
Sat. Oct. 3 at Dallas 7 p.m.
Thu. Oct. 8 Colorado 7 p.m.
Sat. Oct. 10 Buffalo 7 p.m.
Mon. Oct. 12 Edmonton 7 p.m.
Wed. Oct. 14 at Dallas 7:30 p.m.
Thu. Oct. 15 Chicago 7 p.m.
Sat. Oct. 17 at Washington 6 p.m.
Wed. Oct. 21 at Boston 6 p.m.
Thu. Oct. 22 at Ottawa 6:30 p.m.
Sat. Oct. 24 at Chicago 7:30 p.m.
Wed. Oct. 28 at Minnesota 7 p.m.
Thu. Oct. 29 Chicago 7 p.m.
Sat. Oct. 31 Dallas 7 p.m.
Thu. Nov. 5 at Anaheim 9 p.m.
Sat. Nov. 7 at Los Angeles 3 p.m.
Tue. Nov. 10 at San Jose 9:30 p.m.
Thu. Nov. 12 at St. Louis 7 p.m.
Sat. Nov. 14 Montreal 7 p.m.
Tue. Nov. 17 San Jose 7 p.m.
Thu. Nov. 19 New Jersey 7 p.m.
Sat. Nov. 21 Columbus 7 p.m.
Mon. Nov. 23 Detroit 5 p.m.
Wed. Nov. 25 at Colorado 8 p.m.
Fri. Nov. 27 St. Louis 7 p.m.
Sat. Nov. 28 Florida 7 p.m.
Mon. Nov. 30 Calgary 7 p.m.
Wed. Dec. 2 at Minnesota 7 p.m.
Fri. Dec. 4 at Chicago 7:30 p.m.
Sat. Dec. 5 Minnesota 7 p.m.
Tue. Dec. 8 Vancouver 7 p.m.
Thu. Dec. 10 Columbus 7 p.m.
Sat. Dec. 12 Detroit 7 p.m.
Mon. Dec. 14 at Columbus 6 p.m.
Tue. Dec. 15 Tampa Bay 7 p.m.
Thu. Dec. 17 at Edmonton 8:30 p.m.
Sat. Dec. 19 at Calgary 6 p.m.
Tue. Dec. 22 at Vancouver 9:30 p.m.
Sat. Dec. 26 Chicago 7 p.m.
Sun. Dec. 27 at Chicago 6 p.m.
Tue. Dec. 29 at St. Louis 7 p.m.
Thu. Dec. 31 at Columbus 6 p.m.
Sat. Jan. 2 Anaheim 7 p.m.
Tue. Jan. 5 Calgary 7 p.m.
Thu. Jan. 7 Carolina 7 p.m.
Sat. Jan. 9 Anaheim 7 p.m.
Mon. Jan. 11 at Vancouver 9:30 p.m.
Tue. Jan. 12 at Edmonton 8 p.m.
Fri. Jan. 15 at Calgary 8 p.m.
Mon. Jan. 18 Toronto 7 p.m.
Thu. Jan. 21 at Phoenix 8 p.m.
Fri. Jan. 22 at Colorado 8 p.m.
Tue. Jan. 26 at Columbus 6 p.m.
Fri. Jan. 29 at Detroit 6:30 p.m.
Sat. Jan. 30 Atlanta 7 p.m.
Tue. Feb. 2 Phoenix 7 p.m.
Thu. Feb. 4 Colorado 7 p.m.
Sat. Feb. 6 San Jose 7 p.m.
Tue. Feb. 9 at N.Y. Islanders 6 p.m.
Wed. Feb. 10 at N.Y. Rangers 6 p.m.
Fri. Feb. 12 at New Jersey 6 p.m.
Sun. Feb. 14 at Pittsburgh 12 p.m.
Tue. Mar. 2 Edmonton 7 p.m.
Thu. Mar. 4 Los Angeles 7 p.m.
Fri. Mar. 5 at Detroit 6:30 p.m.
Sun. Mar. 7 Vancouver 2 p.m.
Tue. Mar. 9 at Atlanta 6 p.m.
Thu. Mar. 11 at San Jose 9:30 p.m.
Fri. Mar. 12 at Anaheim 9 p.m.
Sun. Mar. 14 at Los Angeles 2 p.m.
Tue. Mar. 16 Philadelphia 7 p.m.
Thu. Mar. 18 Minnesota 7 p.m.
Sat. Mar. 20 Columbus 7 p.m.
Sun. Mar. 21 at St. Louis 5 p.m.
Tue. Mar. 23 Dallas 7 p.m.
Thu. Mar. 25 Phoenix 7 p.m.
Sat. Mar. 27 Detroit 7 p.m.
Mon. Mar. 29 at Florida 6:30 p.m.
Tue. Mar. 30 Los Angeles 7 p.m.
Thu. Apr. 1 St. Louis 7 p.m.
Sat. Apr. 3 at Detroit 1 p.m.
Wed. Apr. 7 at Phoenix 9 p.m.
Sat. Apr. 10 St. Louis 7 p.m.