The NHL is looking to break out of its niche sport shell. Last season, the Stanley Cup Finals saw a 43% ratings hike in North America, with Game 7 being watched by 7 million people, the largest audience for an NHL game since 2019. Not only that, but the NHL is gaining fans in other corners of the world, especially in Latin America, where many games are available on the Disney+ platform.
ABC and ESPN dedicated entire days to NHL broadcasts. Fueled by new media rights agreements, digital dasher boards, and advertisements on helmets and jerseys, alongside a convergence of generational talents, ratings have increased, attendance has reached record levels, and revenue has hit an all-time high, estimated at $6.2 billion per year.
Hockey is big, and it’s only getting bigger. Entering the 2024/25 season, here is a checklist that any fan or new fan needs to know about the NHL.
Things to Know About the New NHL Season
The league is still in preseason, but the NHL Global Series in Czechia is kicking off the new season on October 4 between the New Jersey Devils and Buffalo Sabres. The rest of the season kicks off on Tuesday, October 8.
The current NHL champions are the Florida Panthers, who won their first championship last season.
The Presidents’ Trophy, awarded to the best team in the regular season, was won by the New York Rangers.
Nikita Kucherov of the Tampa Bay Lightning was the scoring leader with 144 points.
For the new season, all games can be seen on television via Sportsnet, CBC, TVA Sports (Canada), and ESPN/ABC/ESPN2, TNT/TBS/truTV (United States). The streaming service for the NHL is Sportsnet+, Amazon (Canada), and ESPN+/Hulu, Max (United States).
The Arizona Coyotes franchise was disbanded, and its players and staff were relocated to a new expansion team in Utah known as the Utah Hockey Club, which will later be given an official name, mascot, and colors next season.
Rule Changes
- The puck-over-glass delay-of-game penalty has been added to the list of plays that can go under video review. This only applies to determine whether the puck deflected off a player, stick, the glass, or the boards. The judgment call on how the puck left the defensive zone cannot be reviewed. A failed coach’s challenge would thus essentially result in a double minor: both the original puck-over-glass penalty and the failed coach’s challenge penalty.
- The defensive team cannot make a line change after its goaltender accidentally dislodges the net. Following an icing, offensive centers will receive a warning for a faceoff violation, just like defensive players. A team that has players sitting on the boards will first receive a warning, and then be assessed an unsportsmanlike conduct bench minor penalty for subsequent violations.
- The salary cap limit for each team was raised to $88 million for the 2024–25 season, reflecting a $4.5 million increase from the prior year. Additionally, the salary cap minimum was set at $65 million per team.
NHL official apparel
This will mark Fanatics’ first season as the official apparel provider for the NHL, following a ten-year contract that replaces Adidas, which held the role under a seven-year agreement since the 2017–18 season.
International Games
The Buffalo Sabres and New Jersey Devils will play their first two regular-season games against each other on October 4 and 5, 2024, at O2 Arena in Prague, Czech Republic. Following that, the Dallas Stars and Florida Panthers are set to compete in two games on November 1 and 2 at Nokia Arena in Tampere, Finland.
Outdoor Games
The league has planned the following outdoor games:
- The 2025 NHL Winter Classic will take place on December 31, 2024, at Wrigley Field in Chicago, featuring the Chicago Blackhawks and the St. Louis Blues.
- One NHL Stadium Series game will occur on March 1, 2025, at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio, with the Columbus Blue Jackets hosting the Detroit Red Wings.