2015-16 Wild Schedule Released

SAINT PAUL, Minn. – The Minnesota Wild’s 2015-16 National Hockey League (NHL) regular season schedule was released today. The Wild opens the season on the road against the Colorado Avalanche at 8 p.m. CT on Thursday, Oct. 8 and then returns home to host the St. Louis Blues on Saturday, Oct. 10 at 7 p.m. The club will play 11 of its first 12 games against Western Conference opponents including six matches against Central Division foes.

    Minnesota will host the Chicago Blackhawks on Sunday, Feb. 21 at 2:30 p.m. at TCF Bank Stadium as part of the 2016 Coors Light NHL Stadium Series. The 2015-16 schedule consists of 82 games – 40 at Xcel Energy Center, one at TCF Bank Stadium and 41 road contests. The Wild’s home schedule features 17 weekend games (three on Friday, 10 on Saturday and four on Sunday). Most evening games at Xcel Energy Center will begin at 7 p.m.

Minnesota will play 29 games against the Central Division, including five each against Chicago (three home, two road), Colorado (two home, three road), Dallas (three home, two road), St. Louis (two home, three road) and Winnipeg (three home, two road), and four vs. Nashville (two home, two road).

The Wild will also play three games against each team in the Pacific Division: Anaheim (one home, two road), Arizona (one home, two road), Calgary (two home, one road), Edmonton (two home, one road), Los Angeles (one home, two road), San Jose (one home, two road) and Vancouver (two home, one road).

Minnesota will play each team in the Eastern Conference twice (once at home and once on the road) for a total of 32 contests. Popular Eastern Conference visits to Xcel Energy Center include Boston (Feb. 13), Montreal (Dec. 22), the New York Rangers (Dec. 17), Pittsburgh (Dec. 26), Toronto (Dec. 3) and the defending Eastern Conference champion Tampa Bay Lightning (Nov. 7). The 2016 NHL All-Star Game will take place on Jan. 31 at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn.

2015-16 MINNESOTA WILD SCHEDULE NOTES

Home Games by Day: Mon. – 3, Tue. – 11, Wed. – 1, Thur. – 9, Fri. – 3, Sat. – 10, Sun. – 4 Road Games by Day: Mon. – 2, Tue. – 5, Wed. – 2, Thur. – 11, Fri. – 4, Sat. – 12, Sun. – 5

Home Games by Month: Oct. – 5, Nov. – 7, Dec. – 8, Jan. – 5, Feb. – 6, March – 8, April – 2

Road Games by Month: Oct. – 6, Nov. – 4, Dec. – 6, Jan. – 8, Feb. – 8, March – 7, April – 2

Games by Conference/Division

Western Conference: Central Division (29 games), Pacific Division (21 games)

Eastern Conference: Metropolitan Division (16 games), Atlantic Division (16 games)

Opponents Visits To Minnesota (41): Anaheim-1, Arizona-1, Boston-1, Buffalo-1, Calgary-2, Carolina-1, Chicago-3, Colorado-2, Columbus-1, Dallas-3, Detroit-1, Edmonton-2, Florida-1, Los Angeles-1, Montreal-1, Nashville-2, New Jersey-1, New York Islanders-1, New York Rangers-1, Ottawa-1, Philadelphia-1, Pittsburgh-1, St. Louis-2, San Jose-1, Tampa Bay-1, Toronto-1, Vancouver-2, Washington-1, Winnipeg-3

Wild Visits To Road Cities (41): Anaheim-2, Arizona-2, Boston-1, Buffalo-1, Calgary-1, Carolina-1, Chicago-2, Colorado-3, Columbus-1, Dallas-2, Detroit-1, Edmonton-1, Florida-1, Los Angeles-2, Montreal-1, Nashville-2, New Jersey-1, New York Islanders-1, New York Rangers-1, Ottawa-1, Philadelphia-1, Pittsburgh-1, St. Louis-3, San Jose-2, Tampa Bay-1, Toronto-1, Vancouver-1, Washington-1, Winnipeg-2

After NHL All-Star Game (Jan. 31) – Minnesota will have 33 games remaining on its schedule, including 16 home games and 17 road contests. The Wild will play 17 games each against the Western Conference, including nine games against the Central Division and 16 against the Eastern Conference.

Longest Homestand: 4 games

Nov. 21 – 28 vs. Nashville, Vancouver, Winnipeg and Dallas

Dec. 21 – 28 vs. Dallas, Montreal, Pittsburgh and Detroit

Longest Road Trip: 4 games

Nov. 12 – 19 at Carolina, Dallas, Pittsburgh and Boston

Dec. 31 – Jan. 5 at St. Louis, Tampa Bay, Florida and Columbus

Jan. 16 – 23 at Nashville, Anaheim, Los Angeles and San Jose

Back-To-Back Games: 15 sets – the Wild had 13 sets of back-to-back contests in 2014-15. Back-to-back on road: 6

Home game followed by road game next day: 5

Road game followed by home game next day: 2

Back-to-back at home: 2

Length of Wild’s 2015-16 Season: 185 days (Oct. 8 – April 9).  The 2014-15 season lasted 185 days.

Air miles: The Wild will travel an estimated 42,416 air miles during the 2015-16 season (source webflyer.com). Last season Minnesota logged 42,758 air miles.

2015-16 MINNESOTA WILD SCHEDULE

DAY DATE OPPONENT TIME (CT)

SEPTEMBER PRESEASON

MON.   21        BUFFALO            7:00 P.M.

Tue.       22        at Winnipeg           7:00 p.m.

Thur.     24        at Columbus          6:00 P.M.

Sat.        26        at Edmonton (Saskatoon, Sask.) 5:00 P.M.

SUN.     27        WINNIPEG          7:00 P.M.

OCTOBER

THUR.  1          BUFFALO            7:00 P.M.

OCTOBER REGULAR SEASON

Thur.     8          at Colorado            8:00 p.m.

SAT.     10        ST. LOUIS            7:00 P.M.

Thur.     15        at Arizona              9:00 p.m.

Fri.        16        at Los Angeles       9:30 p.m.

Sun.       18        at Anaheim            7:00 p.m.

THUR.  22        COLUMBUS        7:00 P.M.

SAT.     24        ANAHEIM           5:00 P.M.

Sun.       25        at Winnipeg           5:00 p.m.

TUE.     27        EDMONTON       7:00 P.M.

FRI.      30        CHICAGO           7:00 P.M.

Sat.        31        at St. Louis             7:00 p.m.

NOVEMBER

THUR.  5          NASHVILLE        7:00 P.M.

SAT.     7          TAMPA BAY       7:00 P.M.

TUE.     10        WINNIPEG          7:00 P.M.

Thur.     12        at Carolina             6:00 p.m.

Sat.        14        at Dallas                 7:00 p.m.

Tue.       17        at Pittsburgh           6:00 p.m.

Thur.     19        at Boston               6:00 p.m.

SAT.     21        NASHVILLE        7:00 P.M.

WED.    25        VANCOUVER     6:00 P.M.

FRI.      27        WINNIPEG          3:00 P.M.

SAT.     28        DALLAS               7:00 P.M.

DECEMBER

Tue.       1          at Chicago              7:30 p.m.

THUR.  3          TORONTO           7:00 P.M.

SAT.     5          COLORADO        7:00 P.M.

Mon.     7          at Colorado            8:00 p.m.

Fri.        11        at Arizona              8:00 p.m.

Sat.        12        at San Jose             9:30 p.m.

TUE.     15        VANCOUVER     7:00 P.M.

THUR.  17        N.Y. RANGERS   7:00 P.M.

Sat.        19        at Nashville            7:00 p.m.

MON.   21        DALLAS               7:00 P.M. TUE.     22        MONTREAL        7:00 P.M.

SAT.     26        PITTSBURGH     7:00 P.M.

MON.   28        DETROIT             7:00 P.M.

Thur.     31        at St. Louis             7:00 p.m.

BOLD INDICATES HOME GAME

DATES AND TIME SUBJECT TO CHANGE

DAY DATE OPPONENT TIME (CT)

JANUARY

Sat.         2          at Tampa Bay        6:00 p.m.

Sun.        3          at Florida               5:00 p.m.

Tue.        5          at Columbus          6:00 P.M.

THUR.   7          PHILADELPHIA 7:00 P.M.

Sat.         9          at Dallas                 7:00 p.m.

SUN.       10        NEW JERSEY      7:00 P.M.

TUE.      12        BUFFALO            7:00 P.M.

FRI.        15        WINNIPEG          7:00 P.M.

Sat.         16        at Nashville            7:00 p.m.

Wed.       20        at Anaheim            9:30 p.m.

Thur.       21        at Los Angeles       9:30 p.m.

Sat.         23        at San Jose             3:00 p.m.

MON.     25        ARIZONA            7:30 P.M.

Sun.             31            NHL ALL-STAR GAME (Nashville, Tenn.) TBD

FEBRUARY

Tue.        2          at N.Y. Islanders    6:00 p.m.

Thur.       4          at N.Y. Rangers     6:00 p.m.

Sat.         6          at St. Louis             7:00 p.m.

TUE.      9          DALLAS               7:00 P.M.

THUR.   11        WASHINGTON   7:00 P.M.

SAT.       13        BOSTON              1:00 P.M.

Mon.       15        at Vancouver         9:00 p.m.

Wed.       17        at Calgary              9:00 p.m.

Thur.       18        at Edmonton          8:00 p.m.

SUN.       21        CHICAGO           2:30 P.M.

TUE.      23        N.Y. ISLANDERS             7:00 P.M.

Thur.       25        at Philadelphia       6:00 p.m.

Fri.          26        at Washington        6:00 p.m.

SUN.       28        FLORIDA             2:00 P.M.

MARCH

TUE.      1          COLORADO        7:00 P.M.

Thur.       3          at Toronto              6:30 p.m.

Sat.         5          at Buffalo              12:00 p.m.

SUN.       6          ST. LOUIS            7:00 P.M.

THUR.   10        EDMONTON       7:00 P.M.

Sat.         12        at Montreal            6:00 p.m.

Tue.        15        at Ottawa               6:30 p.m.

Thur.       17        at New Jersey        6:00 p.m.

SAT.       19        CAROLINA         1:00 P.M.

Sun.        20        at Chicago              7:30 p.m.

TUE.      22        LOS ANGELES    7:00 P.M.            

THUR.   24        CALGARY           7:00 P.M.

Sat.         26        at Colorado            2:00 p.m.

TUE.      29        CHICAGO           7:00 P.M.            

THUR.   31        OTTAWA             7:00 P.M.

APRIL

Fri.          1          at Detroit                6:30 p.m.

Sun.        3          at Winnipeg           6:00 p.m.

TUE.      5          SAN JOSE            7:00 P.M.

SAT.       9          CALGARY           6:00 P.M.