The NHL made two big announcements Tuesday evening regarding the upcoming 24-team Stanley Cup Qualifiers. The organization dropped the day-by-day schedule as well as information about one-game exhibitions for each team. All times are listed in CDT.
Exhibitions
The NHL announced all Wester Conference teams will play their exhibition games at Rogers Place in Edmonton while all Eastern Conference teams will play at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, as expected.
The Predators will scrimmage against their Winter Classic foe Dallas Stars Thursday, July 30, at 3 p.m. at Rogers Arena in Edmonton.
Exhibition schedule as released (home team listed second, per the NHL):
Tuesday, July 28
- Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Philadelphia Flyers, 3 p.m.
- Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Montreal Canadiens, 7 p.m.
- Edmonton Oilers vs. Calgary Flames, 9:30 p.m. /
Wednesday, July 29
- Tampa Bay Lightning at Florida Panthers, 11 a.m.
- Colorado Avalanche vs. Minnesota Wild, 1:30 p.m.
- Carolina Hurricanes vs. Washington Capitals, 3 p.m.
- St. Louis Blues vs. Chicago Blackhawks, 5:30 p.m.
- New York Islanders vs. New York Rangers, 7 p.m.
- Vancouver Canucks vs. Winnipeg Jets, 9:30 p.m. /
Thursday, July 30
- Nashville Predators vs. Dallas Stars, 3 p.m.
- Boston Bruins vs. Columbus Blue Jackets, 6 p.m.
- Vegas Golden Knights vs. Arizona Coyotes, 9 p.m./
Stanley Cup Qualifiers Schedule
The league clarified the format of the tournament before listing their detailed day-by-day schedule for the 24-team tournament. Again, all times are listed in CDT.
“The top four teams in each conference, based on points percentage, will play a three-game round-robin,” the NHL said. “The No. 5-12 seeds will play in eight best-of-5 series. The winners of those series will advance to the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs against the four teams from the round-robin.”
The Predators are listed as a 6-seed, and will play their first game against the 11-seed Arizona Coyotes on the second day of the tournament, Aug. 2, at 1 p.m.
Predators first round schedule:
- Sunday, Aug. 2: Coyotes vs. Predators, 1 p.m.
- Tuesday, Aug. 4: Coyotes vs. Predators, 1:30 p.m.
- Wednesday, Aug. 5: Predators vs. Coyotes, 1:30 p.m.
- Friday, Aug. 7: Predators vs. Coyotes*, TBD
- Sunday, Aug. 9: Coyotes vs. Predators*, TBD/
Stanley Cup Qualifier Schedule as released by the NHL (home team listed second):
EASTERN CONFERENCE
(5) Pittsburgh Penguins vs. (12) Montreal Canadiens
- Saturday, Aug. 1: Canadiens vs. Penguins, 7 p.m.
- Monday, Aug. 3: Canadiens vs. Penguins, 7 p.m.
- Wednesday, Aug. 5: Penguins vs. Canadiens, 7 p.m.
- Friday, Aug. 7: Penguins vs. Canadiens*
- Saturday, Aug. 8: Canadiens vs. Penguins*/
(6) Carolina Hurricanes vs. (11) New York Rangers
- Saturday, Aug. 1: Rangers vs. Hurricanes, 11 a.m.
- Monday, Aug. 3: Rangers vs. Hurricanes, 11 a.m.
- Tuesday, Aug. 4: Hurricanes vs. Rangers, 7 p.m.
- Thursday, Aug. 6: Hurricanes vs. Rangers*
- Saturday, Aug. 8: Rangers vs. Hurricanes*/
(7) New York Islanders vs. (10) Florida Panthers
- Saturday, Aug. 1: Panthers vs. Islanders, 3 p.m.
- Tuesday, Aug. 4: Panthers vs. Islanders, 11 a.m.
- Wednesday, Aug. 5: Islanders vs. Panthers, 11 a.m.
- Friday, Aug. 7: Islanders vs. Panthers*
- Sunday, Aug. 9: Panthers vs. Islanders*/
(8) Toronto Maple Leafs vs. (9) Columbus Blue Jackets
- Sunday, Aug. 2: Blue Jackets vs. Maple Leafs, 7 p.m.
- Tuesday, Aug. 4: Blue Jackets vs. Maple Leafs, 3 p.m.
- Thursday, Aug. 6: Maple Leafs vs. Blue Jackets, TBD
- Friday, Aug. 7: Maple Leafs vs. Blue Jackets*, TBD
- Sunday, Aug. 9: Blue Jackets vs. Maple Leafs*, TBD/
Round-robin
- Sunday, Aug. 2: Flyers vs. Bruins, 2 p.m.
- Monday, Aug. 3: Capitals vs. Lightning, 3 p.m.
- Wednesday, Aug. 5: Lightning vs. Bruins, 3 p.m.
- Thursday, Aug. 6: Capitals vs. Flyers, TBD
- Saturday, Aug. 8: Bruins vs. Capitals, TBD
- Sunday, Aug. 9: Flyers vs. Lightning, TBD/
WESTERN CONFERENCE
(5) Edmonton Oilers vs. (12) Chicago Blackhawks
- Saturday, Aug. 1: Blackhawks vs. Oilers, 2 p.m.
- Monday, Aug. 3: Blackhawks vs. Oilers, 9:30 p.m.
- Wednesday, Aug. 5: Oilers vs. Blackhawks, 9:30 p.m.
- Friday, Aug. 7: Oilers vs. Blackhawks*, TBD
- Saturday, Aug. 8: Blackhawks vs. Oilers*, TBD/
(6) Nashville Predators vs. (11) Arizona Coyotes
- Sunday, Aug. 2: Coyotes vs. Predators, 1 p.m.
- Tuesday, Aug. 4: Coyotes vs. Predators, 1:30 p.m.
- Wednesday, Aug. 5: Predators vs. Coyotes, 1:30 p.m.
- Friday, Aug. 7: Predators vs. Coyotes*, TBD
- Sunday, Aug. 9: Coyotes vs. Predators*, TBD/
(7) Vancouver Canucks vs. (10) Minnesota Wild
- Sunday, Aug. 2: Wild vs. Canucks, 9:30 p.m.
- Tuesday, Aug. 4: Wild vs. Canucks, 9:45 p.m.
- Thursday, Aug. 6: Canucks vs. Wild, TBD
- Friday, Aug. 7: Canucks vs. Wild*, TBD
- Sunday, Aug. 9: Wild vs. Canucks*, TBD/
(8) Calgary Flames vs. (9) Winnipeg Jets
- Saturday, Aug. 1: Jets vs. Flames, 9:30 p.m.
- Monday, Aug. 3: Jets vs. Flames, 1:30 p.m.
- Tuedsay, Aug. 4: Flames vs. Jets, 5:45 p.m.
- Thursday, Aug. 6: Flames vs. Jets*, TBD
- Saturday, Aug. 8: Jets vs. Flames*, TBD/
Round-robin
- Sunday, Aug. 2: Blues vs. Avalanche, 5:30 p.m.
- Monday, Aug. 3: Stars vs. Golden Knights, 5:30 p.m.
- Wednesday, Aug. 5: Avalanche vs. Stars, 5:30 p.m.
- Thursday, Aug. 6: Golden Knights vs. Blues, TBD
- Saturday, Aug. 8: Golden Knights vs. Avalanche, TBD
- Sunday, Aug. 9: Stars vs. Blues, TBD /
The TV schedule for the tournament has not yet been announced.