CAPITALS TO RAISE BANNER, BEGIN DEFENSE OF STANLEY CUP

For the first time in the franchise’s 44-season history, the Capitals will open a campaign as defending Stanley Cup champions when they host the Bruins on a banner-raising night at Capital One Arena.

* On the ice, the Capitals will look almost identical to the team that captured Lord Stanley’s Cup last June as 18 of the 20 players who dressed for the Cup-clinching Game 5 against the Golden Knights remain with the club – forward Jay Beagle (VAN) and goaltender Philipp Grubauer (COL) are the only players who dressed for the deciding game and are no longer with the team.

* Capitals forward Alex Ovechkin looks to continue the momentum of a banner 2017-18 season that saw the longtime captain reach the 600-goal, 500-assist and 1,000-game milestones while also capturing his seventh career Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy after leading the League with 49 goals during the regular season and the Conn Smythe Trophy after leading the postseason with 15 goals during Washington’s Stanley Cup run.

* Ovechkin needs 78 points for 1,200 in his career (607-515—1,122 in 1,003 GP) and has scored at least 30 goals in each of his 13 NHL campaigns. The Capitals captain aims to become just the third player in League history to score 30+ goals in 14 consecutive seasons. Should Ovechkin lead the NHL in goals during the 2018-19 season, he would become the first player in NHL history to do so eight times.

* Todd Reirden is set to make his NHL head coaching debut with the Capitals after spending the past four seasons on Barry Trotz’s staff as assistant coach (2014-16) and associate coach (2016-18). This marks the 12th time in NHL history that a Stanley Cup champion has opened the following season with a new head coach and first since Dave Lewis replaced Scotty Bowman after the Red Wings’ 2002 Stanley Cup triumph.

* Of note, only three times in NHL history has a team won back-to-back Stanley Cup championships with different coaches: Detroit (Tommy Ivan in 1954 and Jimmy Skinner in 1955), Montreal (Toe Blake in 1968 and Claude Ruel in 1969) and Pittsburgh (Bob Johnson in 1991 and Scotty Bowman in 1992).

* Defending Stanley Cup champions hold an all-time record of 57-25-15 in season openers the first year after claiming the title.

TAVARES, KARLSSON SET TO DEBUT WITH NEW TEAMS

Two of the League’s biggest stars are set to debut with new clubs when forward John Tavares marks his first regular-season game with the Maple Leafs against the Canadiens at Scotiabank Arena and Erik Karlsson patrols the blueline for the Sharks against the Ducks at SAP Center.

* After spending the first nine seasons of his NHL career with the Islanders, including seven in which he led the team in points, Tavares (Mississauga, Ont.) signed a seven-year contract with the Maple Leafs to return to his home province of Ontario.

* The most points by an Ontario-born player in his first full season with the Maple Leafs is 127, set by Doug Gilmour (Kingston, Ont.) in 1992-93. The most goals by an Ontario-born player in his first full season with Toronto is 53, achieved by Dave Andreychuk (Hamilton, Ont.) in 1993-94. Note: Both Gilmour and Andreychuk joined the Maple Leafs part-way through the previous season.

* Karlsson was traded to the Sharks just prior to the 2018-19 season after spending his first nine seasons with the Senators, where the blueliner captured the Norris Trophy twice (2011-12 and 2014-15) and led the team in points for five consecutive seasons from 2013-14 to 2017-18. In San Jose, Karlsson joins another Norris Trophy winner on the blueline – Brent Burns (2016-17).

* The Sharks are set to become just the ninth team in NHL history to have multiple Norris Trophy-winning defensemen in their lineup for a game and first since Hall of Famers Scott Niedermayer and Chris Pronger teamed up in Anaheim from 2006-07 to 2008-09.

CANUCKS LOOK TO YOUNG STARS AS POST-SEDIN ERA BEGINS

For the first time since April 9, 2000 – a span of 6,752 days and 1,360 regular-season contests – the Canucks will compete in a game without at least one of Daniel or Henrik Sedin in the lineup when they host the Flames at Rogers Arena. In the absence of two of the franchise’s biggest icons, the Canucks will rely on a trio of 23-and-under forwards: Brock Boeser (21), Bo Horvat (23) and Elias Pettersson (19).

* Boeser’s rookie campaign in 2017-18 saw the Burnsville, Minn., forward named a finalist for the Calder Trophy and to the All-Rookie Team after recording 29-26—55 in 62 games and capturing NHL All-Star Game MVP honors. His 29 goals led all Canucks skaters and was the third-highest total by a rookie in franchise history behind only Pavel Bure (34 in 1991-92) and Trevor Linden (30 in 1988-89).

ICYMI: Boeser is the latest member of Team adidas.

* At just 23 years of age, Horvat is about to enter his fifth full season with the Canucks. Horvat has increased his goal total in each of his first four NHL seasons, including consecutive 20-goal campaigns. He is the only Canucks player to reach the 20-goal mark in each of the past two seasons and first on the team to do so since Daniel Sedin (2014-15 and 2015-16).

* Set to make his NHL debut at 19 years of age after being drafted fifth overall in 2017, Pettersson joins the Canucks on the heels of a standout season in the Swedish Hockey League that saw the forward lead the SHL with 24-32—56 in 44 games for league-champion Vaxjo while stocking his trophy case with Rookie of the Year, Most Valuable Player and Playoffs MVP honors.

SEASON-OPENER QUICK HITS

* Aside from the Golden Knights, who defeated the Stars 2-1 in their inaugural game in 2017-18, the Lightning (.680) hold the best points percentage in season-openers in League history.

* The Lightning, Canadiens and Canucks share the longest active win streak in season openers with all three clubs 4-0-0 since 2014-15. The NHL record is nine straight wins, set by the Canadiens (1953-54 to 1961-62) and matched by the Blues (1978-79 to 1986-87).

* At four games, the Lightning, Canadiens, Canucks and Capitals (2-0-2) share the longest active point streak in season openers. The NHL record is 17, set by the Canadiens (13-0-4 from 1963-64 to 1979-80).

* The NHL record for fastest goal from the start of a season opener is 0:10, scored by Minnesota North Stars forward Kent Nilsson on Oct. 11, 1986against the Quebec Nordiques.

* The NHL record for goals by one player in a season opener is five, achieved twice in 1917-18 (HarryHyland and Joe Malone) and once in 1922-23 (BabeDye). The modern-era record is four, last achieved by Maple Leafs forward Auston Matthews in his League debut on Oct. 12, 2016against the Senators.

* The NHL record for assists in a season opener is five, set by Devils forward Greg Adams on Oct. 10, 1985 against the Flyers and matched by Penguins forward John Cullen on Oct. 5, 1990 against the Capitals.

* The NHL record for points in a season opener is six, set by Penguins forward Kevin Stevens (2-4—6) on Oct. 5, 1990 against the Capitals.

* Marc-Andre Fleury (VGK; 9-4-0, 13 GP) and Ryan Miller (ANA; 9-3-1, 13 GP) each need one win to match the NHL record for career wins in season openers.

* Fleury, Antti Niemi (MTL; 6 GP), Jimmy Howard (DET; 7 GP) and Roberto Luongo (FLA; 15 GP) all have two shutouts in season openers, one shy of the record shared by Glenn Hall (11 GP) and Jacques Plante (12 GP).

QUICK CLICKS

* Records.NHL.com is the League’s new online home for official NHL records

* 18 storylines to watch entering 2018-19 season (via Dan Rosen)

* Five Questions with Auston Matthews (via Mike Zeisberger)

* A look at revealed alternate jerseys for the 2018-19 season

thanks to the NHL PR department for the information above