One day after announcing their home opener, the Philadelphia Flyers on Thursday unveiled their full 82-game schedule.
The franchise's 49th season begins Oct. 8, as they visit the defending Eastern Conference Champion Tampa Bay Lightning — and watching the Bolts raise a banner for the occasion. They face Florida in their home opener on Monday, Oct. 12, playing host to Calder Trophy-winner Aaron Ekblad, Roberto Luongo, and ageless wonder Jaromir Jagr.
Just two days later, the Orange and Black will play host to the reigning Stanley Cup Champion Chicago Blackhawks.
The Flyers will continue to maintain the current scheduling formula by facing Metropolitan Division opponents twice at home and twice on the road, but will face the Rangers and Islanders five times in total. They'll make three trips to Barclays Center, but will host the Rangers thrice — giving fans three chances to boo the Blueshirts at Wells Fargo Center.
It will be a while before the Flyers can reprise their cross-state rivalry with Pittsburgh. Both teams won't meet until Jan. 21 at Consol Energy Center, while the Penguins won't skate Wells Fargo Center ice until March 19.
Buffalo will visit the Wells Fargo Center on Oct. 27 while Edmonton doesn't visit until March 3, which will essentially be the first chances for Flyers fans to personally see Jack Eichel and Connor McDavid in NHL uniforms.
The annual Black Friday game is also scheduled, as the Orange and Black will welcome former coach Peter Laviolette and Nashville to Wells Fargo Center on Nov. 27.
Also of note is a drastic reduction to the team's annual holiday road trip. They'll play just three games (against Anaheim, San Jose and Los Angeles, respectively) between Dec. 27 and Jan. 2.
The team's longest road trip will last just five games — on two separate occasions between Oct. 30-Nov. 7 and Feb. 14-23. Their longest homestand will be six games from Feb. 25 to March 7.
As part of that first five-game set, the Orange and Black will visit Edmonton on Nov. 3 and Calgary on Nov. 5. Both of those games will be Dave Hakstol's first opportunities to coach in his home province of Alberta.
A day of fun for an excellent cause is also on the schedule, as the team will host the Flyers Wives Fight for Lives Carnival on March 13. This year will mark the 39th-annual Carnival, with proceeds benefiting Flyers Charities. Another charity initiative the team will sponsor is the annual Flyers 5K, set for Oct. 17.
In total, the team will play 15 sets of back-to-back games, with 10 of those sets requiring travel from Wells Fargo Center to a visiting rink and vice-versa.
The regular season will conclude on April 9 with a visit from the Penguins — in what will promise to be nothing short of a puglisitic Saturday afternoon affair.
Of course, more highlights of the 2015-16 campaign will be populated as the team makes free-agent signings, and (possibly) deals players. Nonetheless, the framework is set for another season of Flyers hockey.
Only 105 days until Flyers season. The full schedule can be viewed here.
Rob Riches is a contributor to Flyerdelphia and Sports Talk Philly. Follow him on Twitter @Riches61
