With the new collective bargaining agreement expected to be ratified on Saturday following the completion of a two-day vote of the 700-plus members of the NHL Players' Association, it is anticipated that the NHL will officially release the condensed 48-game regular season schedule for 2013.
According to reports, it is believed that the NHL has already distributed mock-ups of the schedule to all 30 teams so that it can be reviewed and altered in the case of conflicts.
Given that they have been released, leaks have started to occur and reports have given us a glimpse of what opening night might look like. Of course, these are tentative and have not yet been officially released by the league.
Here is what has been reported as of Friday afternoon:
* Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Philadelphia Flyers
* Anaheim Ducks vs. Vancouver Canucks
* Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Montreal Canadiens
* Detroit Red Wings vs. St. Louis Blues
* New York Rangers vs. Boston Bruins
* Colorado Avalanche vs. Minnesota Wild
* Washington Capitals vs. Tampa Bay Lightning
* Ottawa Senators vs. Winnipeg Jets
* Columbus Blue Jackets vs. Nashville Predators
* Chicago Blackhawks vs. Los Angeles Kings
* New Jersey Devils vs. New York Islanders
h/t to Sporting News