* Bedard’s highly-anticipated debut comes on the heels of a Western Hockey League campaign that concluded with the Regina Pats forward averaging 2.51 points per game (71-72—143 in 57 GP). The No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NHL Draft just turned 18 on July 17 and can join rare company in NHL history should he collect multiple points in his team’s season opener.

* This will mark the fourth time that an NHL opening day with at least three games will include only U.S.-based teams. The others: Oct. 11, 1968 (DET at BOS, STL at CHI & MNS at OAK), Oct. 9, 2002 (NYR at CAR, DAL at COL & PHX at LAK) and Oct. 8, 2003 (NJD at BOS, ANA at DAL & MIN at CHI).

* Download the PDF for a list of single-game highs by NHL teams, skaters and goaltenders during season-opening games. A list of each team's record in home openers, as well as the date and opponent of their 2023-24 home opener is also included in the attached PDF.

The NHL’s all-time standings in season-opening games can be found on Records.NHL.com:

* Season Opener Standings, Overall
* Season Opener Standings, When Opening at Home
* Season Opener Standings, When Opening on Road

DRAMATIC FINISH IN 2022-23 SEASON OPENER STARTED GOLDEN KNIGHTS’ CUP RUN

The Golden Knights will start a season as defending champions for the first time. Vegas has won each of its past four season-opening games and holds the highest points percentage in those contests in NHL history. Their journey toward a first Stanley Cup started on Oct. 11, 2022, when captain Mark Stone provided a late game-winning goal to open the 2022-23 campaign – foreshadowing a historic finish that saw Stone net a hat trick in the club’s Stanley Cup-clinching game.

* Defending Stanley Cup champions are 60-26-16 (102 GP) in season openers in NHL history, including a 5-3-2 mark in the past 10 years and an 8-7-5 clip over the past 20. (There was no Stanley Cup champion in 1918-19 due to the influenza epidemic. A non-NHL team won the Stanley Cup in 1924-25).

MORE SEASON-OPENING #NHLSTATS ENTERING 2023-24

* Vegas’ four consecutive wins in season openers are tied with Carolina, which squares off with Ottawa to open its campaign (Oct. 11), and Boston, which opens against Chicago (Oct. 11) for the longest active win streaks in season-opening contests. The longest such stretch in NHL history is shared between St. Louis (9 GP: 1978-79 – 1986-87) and Montreal (9 GP: 1953-54 – 1961-62). More information on each note below is available in the attached PDF.

* The Flyers own the NHL’s longest active point streak in season-opening contests (8 GP; 6-0-2 since 2015-16). Should they extend the run to nine games in 2023-24, Philadelphia would become the 10th team in NHL history to have a point streak of at least that length in season-opening games. More information on each note below is available in the attached PDF.

* Minnesota goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury is 10-7 in his team’s season-opening games. Should he start and backstop the Wild past the Panthers on Oct. 12, he would surpass Curtis Joseph (10 in 13 GP) and Martin Brodeur (10 in 18 GP) for the most such wins in NHL history. Should Fleury, the third-winningest goaltender in NHL history, register a shutout in that contest he would tie Glenn Hall (3 SO in 11 GP) and Jacques Plante (3 SO in 12 GP) for the most in season-opening games in NHL history. More information on each note below is available in the attached PDF.

* Capitals teammates Alex Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom enter 2023-24 as the active leaders in goals (13) and assists (15) in season openers, respectively. Ovechkin sits one goal away from tying Michel Goulet (14 in 13 GP) and Dino Ciccarelli (14 in 16 GP) for the most in a career in NHL history. Meanwhile, there are 11 players in League history with at least 16 career assists in such contests. More information on each note below is available in the attached PDF.

* The 2022-23 Calder Trophy winner, Matty Beniers, returns for his sophomore campaign after leading all rookies in goals (tied w/ 24) and points (57) last season. Should he find the back of the net in Seattle’s opener this year (Oct. 10 at VGK), he would become the third active player to begin his career by scoring in his team’s season-opening game in two straight campaigns; Auston Matthews (4: 2016-17 - 2019-20 w/ TOR) and Zemgus Girgensons (2: 2013-14 - 2014-15) both did so. Zach Parise, currently an unsigned free agent, also achieved the feat (2: 2005-06 – 2006-07 w/ NJD).

* Fresh off reaching the 200-goal mark in 2022-23, Jets forward Kyle Connor enters 2023-24 with a goal in each of Winnipeg’s past five season-opening games dating to 2018-19 – the longest active run in the NHL. He is one of 12 players in NHL history to score in at least five consecutive season-opening contests.

* Maple Leafs defenseman Morgan Rielly (1-6—7 in 7 GP since 2016-17) has found the score sheet in each of Toronto’s past seven season-opening games and shares the longest active such point streak with three others: Patrik Laine (5-7—12 in 7 GP), Filip Forsberg (4-5—9 in 7 GP) and Leon Draisaitl (3-10—13 in 7 GP). Should Rielly find the score sheet against the Canadiens on Oct. 11, he would become the fourth blueliner in League history to register a point in eight or more consecutive season-opening contests.

O CANADA. . .
All seven Canadian clubs are in action Oct. 11, the second day of the 2023-24 campaign, including three all-Canadian matchups: Canadiens at Maple Leafs (7 p.m. ET), Senators at Hurricanes (7 p.m. ET), Jets at Flames (10 p.m. ET) and Oilers at Canucks (10 p.m. ET).

* Toronto and Montreal will be meeting in a mutual season-opening game for the fifth time in six seasons, with the Maple Leafs winning four of the previous five entering this campaign (TOR: 3-1-0; MTL: 1-1-2). The 2023-24 schedule marks the 21st time the longtime rivals have been opponents in a mutual season-opening game – the highest such total in NHL history, ahead of the Canucks-Flames, Blackhawks-Red Wings and Canadiens-Bruins (all at 11).

* The Senators are opening their campaign on the road for the second time in as many seasons following Oct. 13, 2022 (at BUF). Ottawa shares the NHL’s best points percentage (.611) when opening the season on the road with Colorado (min. 5 GP); each club is 9-5-4 in those contests. Without a games played minimum, the Golden Knights hold that distinction, winning both of their games (Oct. 6, 2017 at DAL & Oct. 11, 2022 at LAK).

* Calgary and Winnipeg meet to begin 2023-24 after each club skated to a victory to begin 2022-23. The Jets, who also shared a mutual season-opening game with the Flames to begin 2020-21, have only faced one other opponent multiple times in their first game of a campaign since relocating to Winnipeg in 2011-12 (NYR: Oct. 14, 2022 & Oct. 3, 2019). Meanwhile, Calgary looks to win consecutive season openers for the third time in franchise history following 1989-90 to 1991-92 (3 GP) and 1985-86 to 1987-88 (3 GP).

* The 2022-23 campaign marks the fifth consecutive in which Edmonton and Vancouver will meet in each club’s first game of the season; the Oilers hold a 3-1-0 advantage (VAN: 1-2-1). Connor McDavid enters the campaign within reach of hitting the 900- and 1,000-point milestones and hit the 700 point milestone with four-point outing in last year’s season opener against the Canucks. last year. McDavid, who’s collected three or more points in a season-opening contest three times in his career can join Jaromir Jagr (6x), Bernie Federko (5x), Bobby Hull (5x), Adam Oates (4x), Jari Kurri (4x), Joe Sakic (4x), Ray Bourque (4x) and Wayne Gretzky (4x) in achieving the feat on at least four occasions.

* Photo via: @Canucks *