2014-15 Calgary Flames schedule released: schedule highlights

Yesterday, we learned the Flames will be opening their season on Oct. 8 (opening day!) when they host the Vancouver Canucks, then immediately making the trek up north to hopefully spoil the Edmonton Oilers‘ opening party on Oct. 9.

Now, we have their whole schedule. After playing at home just once, the Flames embark on a six-game road trip. They won’t play their second home game until Oct. 21, when they host Tampa. They’ll have a five-game homestand to close out October before going back on the road.

This is the first of 12 (ugh) years in which Rogers (UGH) gets to broadcast every game. No more TSN. Hockey Night in Canada will still be around on CBC, but under Rogers' control. For the record, the Flames have 13 games on HNiC this season, seven of which are at home.

The Flames play 10 back-to-backs this upcoming season. Six are all on the road (Nashville to Chicago, Anaheim to San Jose, Buffalo to Pittsburgh, New York to New Jersey, Boston to Detroit, and Nashville to Dallas – nothing too crazy), and four splits between home and away (Calgary to Edmonton, Calgary to Vancouver twice, and Calgary to Colorado).

Whoever the Flames pick fourth overall in the upcoming draft will have the chance to make the team, and they’ll have nine games to do it in before the team needs to make a decision, much like Sean Monahan. Last season, Monahan scored six goals in his first nine games and was within the Flames for the entire year. The Flames’ ninth game in 2014-15 will be just their third home game of the season, against the Carolina Hurricanes, so that may be a rather innocent but potentially meaningful date to circle.

The Flames bookend the Christmas break (Dec. 24-26) with a game in Los Angeles on Dec. 22, and return back home to host the Oilers on Dec. 27. They host the Oilers again just four days later on New Year's Eve.

The All-Star break will be from Jan. 22-26. The Flames bookend that when they play in Anaheim on Jan. 21, and come back to host Buffalo on Jan. 27.

The Flames’ final home game of the regular season will be against the Kings on Apr. 9. They close out the regular season on the final day, when all 30 teams are playing, in Winnipeg to play the Jets on Apr. 11.

Here's the entire schedule. All times are Mountain Time. Divisional games have been bolded. They face all divisional opponents five times this season, except the Canucks, whom they only see four times (lucky us!).

by Ari Yanover