Isles to play first game at UBS Arena on Nov. 20 vs. Calgary Flames
An aerial view of construction of UBS Arena, the Islanders' new home arena at Belmont Park. Credit: NY Islanders
UBS Arena at Belmont Park will host its first NHL game on Nov. 20 when the Islanders face the Flames.
That just means the Islanders will open this coming season with a marathon 13-game road trip spread over five weeks, starting against the Hurricanes on Oct. 14, before finally moving into their state-of-the-art, $1.1 billion new home.
Team statistician Eric Hornick confirmed it will be the longest road trip in team history, surpassing a nine-game trip in February-March, 2017. The NHL reports it will be the longest road trip to start a season in the league.
The Rangers will open their season on Oct. 13 at Washington before facing the Stars at Madison Square Garden the next night in their home opener.
The NHL released its schedule for the 2021-22 season on Thursday and it will be a return to normalcy in terms of the schedule’s length and dates, provided the league can complete it.
Teams will play 82 games and the league’s division and conference alignment will revert to the pre-pandemic model, other than the expansion Seattle Kraken being placed in the Pacific Division and the Coyotes switching to the Central Division. Teams will be able to travel across the U.S.-Canadian border.
Not settled yet is whether NHL players will be participating in the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics. However, the league built a pause into the schedule from Feb. 7-22 to accommodate the expected participation.
The NHL’s All-Star weekend will be Feb. 4-5 in Vegas.
The COVID-19 pandemic forced the 2019-20 regular season to end before its completion and a resulting four-month pause before the postseason began. Last season, truncated to 56 games, started in January and teams only played within their division and the Stanley Cup Final did not end until July 7.
The Rangers’ first trip to UBS Arena will be on Nov. 24 as the Islanders christen their new facility with a four-game homestand. The Rangers also play at UBS Arena on April 21 and the Islanders are at the Garden on Nov. 28 and April 1.
The Rangers play nine of their first 12 games on the road, including their first trip to Seattle on Oct. 31. Their longest road trip is five games from Jan. 6-15 as they visit Vegas, the three California teams and Philadelphia. The Rangers have two four-game homestands from Nov. 28-Dec. 4 and Jan. 28-Feb. 24, including the Kraken’s first trip to the Garden on Jan. 30.
The Islanders have a season-high, six-game homestand from March 3-13.
The Islanders are in Seattle for the first time on Jan. 4 and the Kraken visit UBS Arena on Jan. 29.
They conclude their regular season hosting the two-time Cup champion Lightning on April 28 while the Rangers end their season on April 29 against the Capitals at the Garden.
The Islanders’ monster, season-opening road trip also includes stops in Chicago, Colorado, Arizona, Vegas, Nashville, Montreal, Winnipeg, Minnesota, New Jersey, Tampa Bay and two trips to Florida.
Andrew Gross joined Newsday in 2018 to cover the Islanders. He began reporting on the NHL in 2003 and has previously covered the Rangers and Devils. Other assignments have included the Jets, St. John’s and MLB.