The 2014-15 NHL season's must-see games

Fifteen must-see games during the 2014-15 NHL season.

Sarah Kwak | Oct 5, 2014

The 2014-15 NHL season's must-see games /

Kings chase dynasty status as 2014–15 NHL season opens

. But the highlight of the night will be watching the defending Stanley Cup champion

Kings

raise their second championship banner in three years before taking on the

Sharks

, the team that L.A. embarrassed in the first round of the playoffs last spring.

Oct. 11: Love hockey? Well, all 30 teams will be in action on this night. And the highlight of the evening is a meeting will be between the Wild and the Avalanche, a rematch of one of last spring’s most hotly contested first-round series. With a few new faces on both sides (Thomas Vanek for Minnesota, Jarome Iginla for Colorado), this game may provide an early indication of how much each team has improved up front.

Oct. 16: The Bruins take on Montreal for the first time since they dropped a seven-game second-round series to their hated rivals last spring. There’s rarely a dull contest between these two teams, and with an emotional series so fresh in their memories, expect some fireworks in what will be the home opener for the Canadiens.

Nov. 20:Ducks center Ryan Kesler made it known that he wanted out of Vancouver, so the Canucks shipped him to Anaheim in June. But how will the fans react when the rugged center returns to Vancouver for the first time? It may depend on how well their team is playing, but don’t expect any standing ovations for the 30-year-old Kesler.

Nov. 29: The Blackhawks and the Kings played one of the most epic postseason series in recent memory last spring, and let’s face it, that Western Conference finals was the de facto Cup finals. With both teams retaining most of their players from a year ago, this promises to be a clinic of top-notch skill, as well as entertaining hockey.

Dec. 1: The Lightning and the Rangers pulled off a memorable deadline trade last spring, when New York acquired disgruntled winger Martin St. Louis in exchange for captain Ryan Callahan. In their third and final meeting of the 2014–15 season, this game will be the last chance for either forward to stick it to their former team.

Jan. 1: The seventh annual (when there isn’t a lockout) Winter Classic travels south of the Mason-Dixon line to Nationals Park in Washington, D.C. The Capitals will host Chicago in this afternoon game, the culmination of the new EPIX-produced reality show that will look behind the scenes as both teams prep for the outdoor game. The Blackhawks haven’t ever gotten the all-access treatment, and, well, with characters like Patrick Kane in the mix, it could be fun viewing.

Gallery: The NHL Outdoors

The NHL Outdoors

Heritage Classic

Since the NHL staged its first Heritage Classic, outdoor games have proved to be extremely popular with fans as well as players. And now let's take a look back at the seven spectacles the NHL has staged so far.

Nationals Park

Heritage Classic

Commonwealth Stadium hosted the NHL's first-ever outdoor game, with 57,167 hardy souls braving -20 degree temperatures on November 22, 2003. The event was intended to be a one-off.

Heritage Classic

Wayne Gretzky and Guy Carbonneau were among the Oilers and Canadiens greats who skated in an alumni game. The Great One's squad won, 2-0. Gretzky called the experience "memorable" and Habs Hall of Famer Guy LaFleur told the CBC, "It felt like we were 10 again, but with the legs of 50-year-olds."

Heritage Classic

Just chillin' in the stands: As if it wasn't cold enough, the wind chill made it feel like it was -28.

Heritage Classic

In the main game, the Canadiens prevailed over the Oilers, 4-3. Habs forward Richard Zednik (not pictured, that's Patrice Brisebois taking a tumble courtesy of Ryan Smyth) was credited with scoring the NHL's first open-air goal -- 39 seconds into the second period. It was the first of his two tallies on the night.

Heritage Classic

Canadiens goalie Jose Theodore, who made 34 saves in tne game, sported a toque in an attempt to stay warm.

Heritage Classic

The evening concluded with a fireworks display, and while the event went over quite well locally, it would be five years before the NHL would venture outdoors again.

Winter Classic

On New Year's Day, the NHL unveiled the first of its annual Winter Classics, billed as a return to the game's roots on frozen ponds. The match-up between the Pittsburgh Penguins and hometown Sabres attracted a league-record crowd of 71,217 to Ralph Wilson Stadium.

Winter Classic

It was perfect 33-degree weather for hockey as far as Buffalo's passionate fans were concerned.

Winter Classic

Snow flurries added a nice atmospheric touch, as did the teams' throwback uniforms.

Winter Classic

At times, the ice in the specially-constructed rink had to be repaired, which made for some lengthy delays. "The only tough part was snow buildup on the ice," said Sabres winger Jason Pominville. "At times there was a lot of snow, and it made it hard for guys to stickhandle and shoot."

Winter Classic

As he so often does, Sidney Crosby seized the big, nationally-televised stage and scored the game-winning goal by beating netminder Ryan Miller in a shootout. Final score: 2-1.

Winter Classic

The second edition of the Winter Classic was held in the cozier confines of a baseball stadium: Wrigley Field. The conversion to hockey required 20,000 gallons of water cooled by a huge refrigeration truck that was parked out on Sheffield Ave.

Winter Classic

The game between the Detroit Red Wings and the host Blackhawks drew a crowd of 40,818 on a slighly windy, 32-degree day. Fans also jammed the apartment rooftops across the street. Tickets went for as much as $400 apiece.

Winter Classic

The Blackhawks got Wrigley rocking by taking an early 3-1 lead, but couldn't hold it as the Red Wings roared back with five unanswered goals en route to a 6-4 win.

Winter Classic

The teams wore throwback uniforms and the atmosphere was festive on a Chicago winter's afternoon.

Winter Classic

"It was amazing -- the whole crowd, the whole atmosphere, it was really unreal," said Blackhawks winger Patrick Kane said after the game. "It's like it wasn't really happening. But it was really fun to be a part of."

Winter Classic

The game's retro feel continued with the next edition played at Fenway Park. A sellout crowd of 38,112 enjoyed almost balmy 40-degree weather as the Bruins did battle with the visiting Flyers. The snow and rain that was forecast never materialized.

Winter Classic

Fans were able to get up close and personal with the players.

Winter Classic

Flyers goalie Brian Boucher spent the game on the bench watching starter Michael Leighton stretch a shutout streak to 154 minutes 7 seconds before he was beaten by Boston's Mark Recchi with 2:18 to go in the third period. The goal tied the game at 1-1.

Winter Classic

Bruins coach Claude Julien rocked the Toe Blake look by donning a fedora.

Winter Classic

The crowd went home happy when Marco Sturm scored at 1:57 of overtime to give the Bruins a 2-1 win.

Winter Classic

Fenway's ancient scoreboard told the story.

Winter Classic

Fears about warm, inclement weather came to pass at Heinz Field as rain postponed the start of the game from 1 p.m. ET to 8 p.m.

Winter Classic

The game offered a marquee match-up of rivals: Washington's Alex Ovechkin and Pittsburgh's Sidney Crosby, who didn't mind the delay in getting started. "I don't see anything wrong with playing under the lights here," he said. "I think that'd be pretty nice. We should all be enjoying ourselves no matter what the scenario."

Untitled Image — David E. Klutho/Sports Illustrated

The game was a wet, sloppy affair with rain frequently creating puddles on the ice.

Winter Classic

The home crowd didn't have much to cheer about as the Capitals won, 3-1.

Winter Classic

Despite the elements, the game drew a crowd of 68,111 and a national TV audience of 4.5 million.

Heritage Classic

Canada welcomed its second Heritage Classic on February 20, 2011, a showdown between the Flames and Canadiens in McMahon Stadium.

Heritage Classic

The Flames entered to a heroes' welcome from the crowd of 41,022. The event also featured an alumni game between members of Calgary's 1989 Stanley Cup championship team and some Montreal notables, as well as AHL and WHL games.

Heritage Classic

Like its predecessor in 2003, this affair was a freezer, with temperatures hovering around -6F. "The stands were full," Flames captain Jarome Iginla said after the game. "I expected some people to go home. I can't imagine how cold they were."

Heritage Classic

Flames goalie Miikka Kiprusoff was sharp, making 21 saves while posting a 4-0 shutout.

Heritage Classic

Ice conditions proved troublesome at times. The rink had to be flooded with a hose due to fears that the weight of the Zamboni would cause the brittle ice to crack and crumble.

Winter Classic

Citizens Bank Park hosted the fifth edition, drawing a boisterous crowd of 46,967 for an Atlantic Division rivalry match between the Flyers and New York Rangers.

Winter Classic

As happened in Pittsburgh, warm weather delayed the start of the game, this time from 1 p.m. to 3:20 p.m. Game time temperatures were a comfortable 41 with occasional snow flurries.

Winter Classic

Flyers goalie Sergei Bobrovsky got the start over Ilya Bryzgalov, who became a star for his musings on the universe on HBO's

24/7 Road to the Winter Classic

series.

Winter Classic

Though Rangers coach John Tortorella famously complained about the officiating, he couldn't argue with the outcome: a 3-2 New York victory,

Winter Classic

The 2013 Winter Classic between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Detroit Red Wings at 107,500-seat Michigan Stadium would have been the game's largest edition yet, but it was canceled due to the lockout. The plan is to stage it in 2014

Hockeytown Festival

As part of the Michigan Classic, Detroit's Comerica Park will host a weeklong series of events, including college, OHL and AHL games.

Jan. 8: Embattled goalie Roberto Luongo—once the bane, then the Twitter crush of Canucks fans—returns to Vancouver for the first time with his new team, the Panthers. And he’ll likely be facing off against 2010 Olympics foe, and new Canucks goalie, Ryan Miller. That storyline won’t be overplayed to death at all by the Vancouver media, we’re sure.

Jan. 16: Few people know the Predators better than their longtime coach, Barry Trotz, who returns to Nashville for the first time as Washington's bench boss. But the Predators, with a rebooted system focused on boosting offense under new coach Peter Laviolette, will surely look different than the team that Trotz oversaw for 15 years.

Jan. 25: The Blue Jackets were supposed to host the 2013 All-Star Game, but the lockout pushed Columbus's midseason classic, in all its shinny glory, to 2015. (There was no All-Star Game in 2014 because of the Sochi Olympics.)

Feb. 21: After the glut of outdoor games last season, the NHL opted to go with just one Stadium Series match for 2014–15: another California showdown between L.A. and San Jose at the home of the San Francisco 49ers, the brand new Levi’s Stadium, in Santa Clara, Calif. Like the Winter Classic, the game will be preceded by a reality series on EPIX.

March 3: The NHL trade deadline is March 2. So tune in to the 10 games slated for the day after. New faces and playoff races will begin to emerge as the season enters the home stretch.

SI.com's 2014-15 NHL season crystal ball predictions

March 24:

April 1: There is rarely a civil meeting between the cross-state rival Penguins and Flyers. But a meeting this late in the season, with playoff implications likely to be on the line, could be a watershed game in the Metropolitan Division.

April 11: The season doesn’t always end with a “win and in” situation, but with all 30 teams playing in the season finale, there is certainly a chance that there will be a do-or-die scenario for someone. Our bet right now? The Rangers visiting the Capitals, or the Wild at the Blues.

Published Oct 5, 2014

SARAH KWAK

Writer-Reporter, Sports Illustrated Sarah Kwak joinedSports Illustrated as an editorial intern in 2006 before being hired full-time as a reporter in June 2007. A graduate of Duke University, she covered the school's storied athletics program, including three Duke-UNC meetings in Cameron Indoor Stadium and a trip to the Sweet 16. Since then, she has shifted focus from the hard-court to the ice rink, primarily covering the NHL, but she has also covered golf and two Olympics (Vancouver—2010 and London–2012) for SI and SI.com. She lives in New York, well within walking distance to at least four Chipotle locations.