Boston, MA – The National Hockey League announced the 2008-2009 official season schedule today. The Bruins 2008-2009 schedule will see the team play each Northeast Division opponent six times, each of the other Eastern Conference opponents four times, and every Western Conference opponent at least once, with the exception of Minnesota, Chicago and St. Louis from the West whom the Bruins will each play twice.

The Bruins start their 2008-2009 campaign with a four game road trip where they will visit Colorado, Minnesota, Montreal and Ottawa. The season opener will be against the Avalanche on Thursday, October 9 at 10:00 p.m. ET. The Bruins and Avs did not play each other this past season and their most recent meeting was on March 6, 2007, where the Bruins fell at home 2-0.

Boston’s home opener will take place Monday, October 20 at 7:00 p.m. ET against the Stanley Cup Finalist Pittsburgh Penguins. The teams split their four decisions last season, with the final meeting between the two clubs coming on February 28, 2008 in Boston, where the Bruins posted a 5-1 victory.

Boston’s first divisional home game falls on October 23 versus the Toronto Maple Leafs at 7:00 p.m. ET. Last year the two met a total of eight times, with Boston winning five of the contests.

The second divisional foe to visit TD Banknorth Garden will be the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday, November 8 at 7:00 p.m. ET. The two split their eight contests last season.

The Montreal Canadiens will visit Boston for the first time of the year on Thursday, November 13 at 7:00 p.m. ET. Despite Montreal sweeping the season-series last season, the Bruins and Canadiens met in the first round of the playoffs in the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals last season. The series went all seven games and was finally won by the Habs in Montreal on April 21, 2008. Boston came back from a 3-1 deficit to force a game seven for the first time in franchise history.

Ottawa is the last division opponent to come to Boston when they do so on Thursday, January 8 at 7:00 p.m. ET. The two split their series last year.

Other season highlights include home contests versus the defending Stanley Cup Champion Detroit Red Wings on Saturday, November 29 at 7:00 p.m. ET, a New Year’s Day matchup versus the Pittsburgh Penguins at 7:00 p.m. ET and a Martin Luther King, Jr. Day matinee on Monday, January 19 against the St. Louis Blues at 1:00 p.m. ET.

The Western Conference teams slated to visit the TD Banknorth Garden this season are the Dallas Stars (11/1), Detroit Red Wings (11/29), Minnesota Wild (1/6), St. Louis Blues (1/19), San Jose Sharks (2/10), Anaheim Ducks (2/26), Phoenix Coyotes (3/5), Chicago Blackhawks (3/7) and the Los Angeles Kings (3/19).

2008-2009 BOSTON BRUINS SCHEDULE
(All times Eastern)


Date Opponent Time (ET)
Thu. Oct. 09 At Colorado 10:00 pm
Sat. Oct. 11 At Minnesota 8:30 pm
Wed. Oct. 15 At Montreal 7:30 pm
Sat. Oct. 18 At Ottawa 7:00 pm
Mon. Oct. 20 Pittsburgh 7:00 pm
Tue. Oct. 21 At Buffalo 7:00 pm
Thu. Oct. 23 Toronto 7:00 pm
Sat. Oct. 25 Atlanta 7:00 pm
Mon. Oct. 27 At Edmonton 9:00 pm
Tue. Oct. 28 At Vancouver 10:00 pm
Thu. Oct. 30 At Calgary 9:00 pm
Sat. Nov. 01 Dallas 7:00 pm
Thu. Nov. 06 Toronto 7:00 pm
Sat. Nov. 08 Buffalo 7:00 pm
Wed. Nov. 12 At Chicago 8:30 pm
Thu. Nov. 13 Montreal 7:00 pm
Sat. Nov. 15 At N.Y. Rangers 7:00 pm
Mon. Nov. 17 At Toronto 7:30 pm
Wed. Nov. 19 Buffalo 7:00 pm
Fri. Nov. 21 Florida 7:00 pm
Sat. Nov. 22 At Montreal 7:00 pm
Wed. Nov. 26 At Buffalo 7:00 pm
Fri Nov. 28 N.Y. Islanders 12:00 pm
Sat. Nov. 29 Detroit 7:00 pm
Thu. Dec. 04 At Tampa Bay 7:30 pm
Sat. Dec. 06 At Florida 7:00 pm
Mon. Dec. 08 Tampa Bay 7:00 pm
Wed. Dec. 10 At Washington 7:00 pm
Fri. Dec. 12 At Atlanta 7:30 pm
Sat. Dec. 13 Atlanta 7:00 pm
Thu. Dec. 18 Toronto 7:00 pm
Sat. Dec. 20 Carolina 1:00 pm
Sun. Dec. 21 At St. Louis 6:00 pm
Tue. Dec. 23 At New Jersey 7:00 pm
Sat. Dec. 27 At Carolina 7:00 pm
Sun. Dec. 28 At Atlanta 5:00 pm
Tue. Dec. 30 At Pittsburgh 7:30 pm
Thu. Jan. 01 Pittsburgh 7:00 pm
Sat. Jan. 03 Buffalo 1:00 pm
Tue. Jan. 06 Minnesota 7:00 pm
Thu. Jan. 08 Ottawa 7:00 pm

Date Opponent Time (ET)
Sat. Jan. 10 Carolina 1:00 pm
Tue. Jan. 13 Montreal 7:00 pm
Thu. Jan. 15 At N.Y. Islanders 7:00 pm
Sat. Jan. 17 At Washington 7:00 pm
Mon. Jan. 19 St. Louis 1:00 pm
Wed. Jan. 21 At Toronto 7:30 pm
Tue. Jan. 27 Washington 7:00 pm
Thu. Jan. 29 New Jersey 7:00 pm
Sat. Jan. 31 N.Y. Rangers 1:00 pm
Sun. Feb. 01 At Montreal 2:00 pm
Wed. Feb. 04 At Philadelphia 7:00 pm
Thu. Feb. 05 At Ottawa 7:30 pm
Sat. Feb. 07 Philadelphia 1:00 pm
Tue. Feb. 10 San Jose 7:00 pm
Fri. Feb. 13 At New Jersey 7:00 pm
Sat. Feb. 14 At Nashville 8:00 pm
Tue. Feb. 17 At Carolina 7:00 pm
Sat. Feb. 21 At Florida 7:00 pm
Sun. Feb. 22 At Tampa Bay 5:00 pm
Tue. Feb. 24 At Florida 7:00 pm
The. Feb. 26 Anaheim 7:00 pm
Sat. Feb. 28 Washington 1:00 pm
Tue. Mar. 03 Philadelphia 7:00 pm
Thu. Mar. 05 Phoenix 7:00 pm
Sat. Mar. 07 Chicago 1:00 pm
Sun. Mar. 08 At N.Y. Rangers 3:00 pm
Tue. Mar. 10 At Columbus 7:00 pm
Thu. Mar. 12 Ottawa 7:00 pm
Sat. Mar. 14 N.Y. Islanders 1:00 pm
Sun. Mar. 15 At Pittsburgh 3:00 pm
Thu. Mar. 19 Los Angeles 7:00 pm
Sun. Mar. 22 New Jersey 3:00 pm
Sat. Mar. 28 At Toronto 7:00 pm
Sun. Mar. 29 At Philadelphia 7:00 pm
Tue. Mar. 31 Tampa Bay 7:00 pm
Thu. Apr. 02 Ottawa 7:00 pm
Sat. Apr. 04 N.Y. Rangers 1:00 pm
Tue. Apr. 07 At Ottawa 7:30 pm
Thu. Apr. 09 Montreal 7:00 pm
Sat. Apr. 11 At Buffalo 4:00 pm
Sun. Apr. 12 At N.Y. Islanders 5:00 pm

*Just edited to fix title of subject..

This only means we are closer to hockey season. The ahl schedule should be out in about two weeks.

Now if they would just offer Nate and Pascal offers they will accept, I would be a little happier. lol.

Well, Pascal Pelletier and Nate Thompson are UFA's so, Boston doesn't have to offer them anything. And I'm afraid that Boston is just going to let them go. For Pascal, in a way I hope he gets with another team. At least they may give him a chance in the NHL. Heaven's knows that Boston didn't give him much of a change. He only lead Providence last year, but they barely called him to Boston. Makes me sick. I fear he won't get a shot at the NHL in the Bruins organization.

According to the free agent list on the nhl.com, they are Group 2 FAs along with Johnny Boychuk.

"GROUP 2 - SUBJECT TO COMPENSATION AND RIGHT TO MATCH

These players have been tendered a qualifying offer by their respective Clubs and are subject to draft-choice compensation and right to match. The draft choice compensation scale is based on compensation offered by the new Club:

OFFER COMPENSATION

$863,156 or below None
Over $863,156 to $1,307,812 Third-round choice
Over $1,307,812 to $2,615,625 Second-round choice
Over $2,615,625 to $3,923,437 First-round and third-round choice
Over $3,923,437 to $5,231,249 First-round, second-round and third-round choice
Over $5,231,249 to $6,539,062 Two first-round choices, one second- and one third-round choice
Over $6,539,062 Four first-round choices"


So they have been tendered offers. I as well think Boston is just going to let them go. And I do agree that it would be nice for Pascal to get the shot he deserves in the NHL but I am greedy and want him to stay in the Bruins organization. lol.

Thanks for clearing that up. I thought that they were RFA's, but some of the sites are so confusing. And, the Boston Bruins didn't even mention them -- like they were throw away's. Sad, and it makes me angry. Also, for the life of me, I can't find the list on NHL.com! I have found (inaccurate) lists other places and they didn't even have Pascal or Nate listed!

What is the link for the 2008 Free Agents at NHL.com?

I do know that Pascal is not going to want to re-sign unless he has a serious chance to be in Boston, and as I already posted (and we all know) Boston really sc**wed him last year I can't blame him at all if he wants to go elsewhere. He's an excellent player, and he deserves a chance in the NHL. Same for Nate.

I guess we'll see.

With all the sites out there that put information out, it is hard to stay straight on information. I would hope though that the information on the nhl.com is right.

It took me a while to find it myself this year but here's the free agent list, they do remove names as players resign or sign with new teams.

http://www.nhl.com/nhl/app/?service=page&page=NHLPage&id=22923



And here's the list of free agents that have signed and where they have signed.

http://www.nhl.com/nhl/app/?service=page&page=NHLPage&id=22924

I had the list of who is signed and all, but for some odd reason I couldn't find the Free Agent list again. Many thanks!