The Toronto Maple Leafs have announced their 2023-24 schedule, and for the first time ever, they’ll be playing a regular season game outside of North America when they visit Sweden in November.
The Leafs, along with the NHL’s other 31 teams, released their pre-season and regular season schedules on Tuesday. Toronto opens the season on Wednesday, Oct. 11 at home against the Montreal Canadiens.
In mid-November, the Leafs will be one of six teams to participate in the 2023 NHL Global Series.
“Toronto will face the Detroit Red Wings on Nov. 17 and the Minnesota Wild on Nov. 19 at Stockholm’s Avicii Arena,” the team said in a press release.
The Ottawa Senators will also be in Stockholm for matchups against the Wild and Red Wings, but unfortunately for fans hoping to see the battle of Ontario in Scandinavia, they won’t face the Leafs.
The league’s other Global Series will be played in Melbourne, Australia in late September, when the Los Angeles Kings will face off against the Arizona Coyotes on back-to-back days.
Here are some other notable games to circle on the Leafs’ calendar this year:
• Oct. 19 at Florida – Toronto will have its first chance at revenge against the Panthers, who knocked them out of the playoffs last season
• Oct. 31 at Scotiabank Arena – A Halloween matchup against the Kings
• Nov. 25 at Pittsburgh – Toronto’s first game against former GM Kyle Dubas’ Penguins
• Feb. 2, 3 at Scotiabank Arena – 2024 NHL All-Star Weekend in Toronto
• Feb. 22 at Las Vegas, Feb. 27 at Scotiabank Arena – Toronto faces the defending Stanley Cup Champion Golden Knights twice in less than a week
• March 23 at Scotiabank Arena – Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers visit Toronto
The Leafs wrap up the season on the road with back-to-back meetings on April 16 and 17 against the Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning, respectively.
“The Maple Leafs also announced today the club's 2023 NHL preseason schedule, which begins on Sunday, Sept. 24 against the Senators. The club will play eight preseason games in total with three games at home, four games on the road and one game at a neutral site,” the press release read.
“This year's preseason schedule includes a game against the Buffalo Sabres in St. Thomas, ON hosted by the Kraft Hockeyville 2023 winning community of West Lorne, ON.”
And after weeks of speculation, Leafs fans finally know who will be leading the team from behind the bench this year.
Toronto’s new GM, Brad Treliving, confirmed on Tuesday that Sheldon Keefe will return as head coach for the upcoming season.
