Wings to open season Oct. 9 at home vs. Babcock's Maple Leafs
Save the date. The Red Wings celebrate their 90th year in the National Hockey League by opening their 2015-16 season on Oct. 9 when former coach Mike Babcock returns to Joe Louis Arena with his Toronto Maple Leafs, adding a little more color to one of the league's oldest rivalries.
In pursuit of their 25th straight Stanley Cup playoffs appearance under rookie coach Jeff Blashill, the Wings play 17 of the season's 82 games against Original Six opponents, including four each against Atlantic Division rivals Toronto, Boston and Montreal. They also will play nearly half their home schedule on weekends -- nine Fridays, five Saturdays and six Sundays, at The Joe.
Similar to last season, when the Wings sprinted to near the top of the conference standings thanks to a home-heavy early schedule, the team will play 17 of its first 27 games at home, including a season-long six-game stand at the Joe from Nov. 25 (Thanksgiving Eve) to Dec. 5.
Other highlights of the coming schedule include: participation in the 2016 NHL Stadium Series game against Colorado on Feb. 27 at Coors Field in Denver; a home-and-home series with Stanley Cup champion Chicago (March 2 at The Joe and March 6 at the United Center); the traditional New Year's Eve game on Dec. 31 against Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins; and an Opening Night game for the Hurricanes at Carolina on Oct. 10.
The Wings will play five of their first eight games on the road, including a four-game swing through Canada starting in Montreal the second week of the season. Their most grueling road trip begins with the first of six games on Jan. 2 at Buffalo and continues in New Jersey two nights later. Then it swings to the opposite coast with four games against the Western Conference: San Jose, Anaheim, Los Angeles and Arizona.
To the dismay of fans in both cities, Detroit's schedule does not include a home-and-home series with the Toronto Maple Leafs.
The schedule concludes a two-game trip to Boston and the season finale at the New York Rangers on April 9.
Detroit's eight-game preseason schedule begins on Sept. 22 at Chicago. The Wings will play home and away against the Blackhawks, Pittsburgh, Boston and Toronto.
Various ticket plans are on sale now. Fans who purchase 2015-16 season tickets earn priority access to seating locations in the new Detroit Events Center for the 2017-18 season, among other perks. For more information, phone (313) 471-7575.
DETROIT RED WINGS
2015-16 PRESEASON SCHEDULE
September
22 Mon. at Chicago United Center 8:30
23 Tue. CHICAGO Joe Louis Arena 7:30
24 Thu. PITTSBURGH Joe Louis Arena 7:30
26 Sat. BOSTON Joe Louis Arena 7:00
28 Mon. at Boston TD Garden 7:00
30 Wed. at Pittsburgh CONSOL Energy Center 7:00
October
2 Fri. TORONTO Joe Louis Arena 7:30
3 Sat. at Toronto Air Canada Centre 7:00
2015-16 REGULAR SEASON SCHEDULE
October
9 Fri. TORONTO Joe Louis Arena 7:30
10 Sat. at Carolina PNC Arena 7:00
13 Tue. TAMPA BAY Joe Louis Arena 7:30
16 Fri. CAROLINA Joe Louis Arena 7:30
17 Sat. at Montreal Bell Centre 7:00
21 Wed. at Edmonton Rexall Place 9:30
23 Fri. at Calgary Scotiabank Saddledome 9:00
24 Sat. at Vancouver Rogers Arena 10:00
27 Tue. CAROLINA Joe Louis Arena 7:30
30 Fri. OTTAWA Joe Louis Arena 7:30
31 Sat. at Ottawa Canadian Tire Centre 7:00
November
3 Tue. TAMPA BAY Joe Louis Arena 7:30
6 Fri. at Toronto Air Canada Centre 7:00
8 Sun. DALLAS Joe Louis Arena 3:00
10 Tue. WASHINGTON Joe Louis Arena 7:30
13 Fri. SAN JOSE Joe Louis Arena 7:30
14 Sat. at Boston TD Garden 7:00
16 Mon. at Ottawa Canadian Tire Centre 7:30
18 Wed. WASHINGTON Joe Louis Arena 8:00
20 Fri. LOS ANGELES Joe Louis Arena 7:30
21 Sat. at St. Louis Scottrade Center 8:00
25 Wed. BOSTON Joe Louis Arena 7:30
27 Fri. EDMONTON Joe Louis Arena 7:30
29 Sun. FLORIDA Joe Louis Arena 2:00
December
1 Tue. BUFFALO Joe Louis Arena 7:30
3 Thu. ARIZONA Joe Louis Arena 7:30
5 Sat. NASHVILLE Joe Louis Arena 7:00
8 Tue. at Washington Verizon Center 7:00
10 Thu. MONTREAL Joe Louis Arena 7:30
11 Fri. at New Jersey Prudential Center 7:00
14 Mon. BUFFALO Joe Louis Arena 7:30
18 Fri. VANCOUVER Joe Louis Arena 7:30
20 Sun. CALGARY Joe Louis Arena 7:00
22 Tue. NEW JERSEY Joe Louis Arena 7:30
26 Sat. at Nashville Bridgestone Arena 8:00
28 Mon. at Minnesota Xcel Energy Center 8:00
29 Tue. at Winnipeg MTS Centre 8:00
31 Thu. PITTSBURGH Joe Louis Arena 6:00
January
2 Sat. at Buffalo First Niagara Center 1:00
4 Mon. at New Jersey Prudential Center 7:00
7 Thu. at San Jose SAP Center 10:30
10 Sun. at Anaheim Honda Center 8:00
11 Mon. at Los Angeles STAPLES Center 10:30
14 Thu. at Arizona Gila River Arena 9:00
17 Sun. PHILADELPHIA Joe Louis Arena 7:30
20 Wed. ST. LOUIS Joe Louis Arena 8:00
22 Fri. at Buffalo First Niagara Center 7:00
23 Sat. ANAHEIM Joe Louis Arena 7:00
25 Mon. at New York Islanders Barclays Center 7:00
February
3 Wed. at Tampa Bay Amalie Arena 8:00
4 Thu. at Florida BB&T Center 7:30
6 Sat. NEW YORK ISLANDERS Joe Louis Arena 2:00
8 Mon. FLORIDA Joe Louis Arena 7:30
10 Wed. OTTAWA Joe Louis Arena 7:00
12 Fri. COLORADO Joe Louis Arena 7:30
14 Sun. BOSTON Joe Louis Arena 3:00
15 Mon. at New York Islanders Barclays Center 1:00
18 Thu. at Pittsburgh CONSOL Energy Center 7:00
20 Sat. at Ottawa Canadian Tire Centre 7:00
21 Sun. at New York Rangers Madison Square Garden 7:00
23 Tue. COLUMBUS Joe Louis Arena 7:30
27 Sat. at Colorado Coors Field 8:00
29 Mon. at Dallas American Airlines Center 8:30
March
2 Wed. CHICAGO Joe Louis Arena 8:00
6 Sun. at Chicago United Center 5:00
8 Tue. at Columbus Nationwide Arena 7:00
10 Thu. WINNIPEG Joe Louis Arena 7:30
12 Sat. NEW YORK RANGERS Joe Louis Arena 2:00
13 Sun. TORONTO Joe Louis Arena 7:30
15 Tue. at Philadelphia Wells Fargo Center 7:00
17 Thu. at Columbus Nationwide Arena 7:00
19 Sat. at Florida BB&T Center 7:00
22 Tue. at Tampa Bay Amalie Arena 7:30
24 Thu. MONTREAL Joe Louis Arena 7:30
26 Sat. PITTSBURGH Joe Louis Arena 2:00
28 Mon. BUFFALO Joe Louis Arena 7:30
29 Tue. at Montreal Bell Centre 7:30
April
1 Fri. MINNESOTA Joe Louis Arena 7:30
2 Sat. at Toronto Air Canada Centre 7:00
6 Wed. PHILADELPHIA Joe Louis Arena 8:00
7 Thu. at Boston TD Garden 7:00
9 Sat. at New York Rangers Madison Square Garden 12:30
