Key dates for 2023-24 NHL season: When is draft lottery and more?

The NHL's most recent expansion teams are taking part in two big days of the 2023-24 season.

The Vegas Golden Knights hosted the Seattle Kraken on opening night. The Golden Knights, who won a Stanley Cup title in their sixth season, celebrated the franchise's first championship by raising a banner before the game at Las Vegas' T-Mobile Arena.

The two also met in the annual outdoor Winter Classic game on New Year's Day at Seattle's T-Mobile Park, home of Major League Baseball's Mariners.

The NHL regular season will run from Oct. 10 to April 18 and includes four outdoor games and four games in Europe.

Here are the key dates (times p.m. ET, unless noted) for the 2023-24 NHL season:

When is NHL opening day 2023?

The NHL season opens on Tuesday, Oct. 10 with three games, all on ESPN:

Nashville at Tampa Bay, 5:30: The Lightning get their first test to see how they'll handle goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy's two-month absence after back surgery.

Chicago at Pittsburgh, 8: Generational prospect Connor Bedard makes his NHL debut against the Penguins and Sidney Crosby, his idol.

Seattle at Vegas, 10:30: The defending champion Golden Knights have been to the playoffs in all but one season while the Kraken improved by 40 points to reach the postseason in their second season.

When is the Hockey Hall of Fame induction?

The Hall of Fame induction is Nov. 13 in Toronto. Tom Barrasso, Henrik Lundqvist, Caroline Ouellette, Pierre Turgeon and Mike Vernon were inducted in the player category. Ken Hitchcock and the late Pierre Lacroix were elected in the builder category.

When and where did the NHL in Europe this season?

Nov. 16-19 at Avicii Arena in Stockholm, Sweden. Nov. 16: Detroit vs. Ottawa, 2. Nov. 17: Toronto vs. Detroit, 2. Nov. 18: Minnesota vs. Ottawa, 11 a.m. Nov. 19: Toronto vs. Minnesota, 8 a.m.

When was the NHL's holiday roster freeze?

No player transactions can take place from Dec. 20-27. No games or practices will be held from Dec. 24-26.

When and where was the Winter Classic?

The Golden Knights visited the Kraken at Seattle's T-Mobile Park. Winners and losers from the Kraken's victory.

When and where were the NHL's other outdoor games this season?

Oct. 29: Heritage Classic, Calgary vs. Edmonton at Edmonton's Commonwealth Stadium, 7

Feb. 17: Stadium Series, Philadelphia vs. New Jersey at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, 8

Feb. 18: Stadium Series, New York Rangers vs. New York Islanders at MetLife, 3

When and where was NHL All-Star weekend? What is the format?

The weekend was expanded to three days at Toronto's Scotiabank Arena. On Thursday, Feb. 1, the four captains chose their teams from 6-7 as the league brings back the player draft. The NHL Alumni Man of the Year award will be named in the next hour, and a 3-on-3 game featuring members of the Professional Women's Hockey League will be held from 8-9. ESPN will show the draft, with the remaining events on ESPN+. The skills competition is at 7 on Feb. 2 (ESPN) and the 3-on-3 NHL All-Star Game will start at 3 on Feb. 3 (ABC). Winners and losers from the weekend.

The format is changing for the skills competition. Instead of everyone competing, 12 skaters will take part in four of six events: fastest skater, hardest shot, stickhandling, one-timers, passing challenge and accuracy shooting. The top eight skaters will take part in a shootout challenge and the top remaining six will take part in an obstacle course. The winner skater will receive $1 million.

When was the NHL trade deadline?

The trade deadline is March 8 at 3.

What was the final day of the NHL regular season?

The regular season ended April 18, with six games. Final standings, who made the playoffs

When did the NHL's Stanley Cup playoffs begin?

The Stanley Cup playoffs opened on April 20. First-round predictions | Stanley Cup predictions

When is the NHL draft lottery?

The draft lottery has been set for May 7 at a time to be determined. It will be shown on ESPN.

When is the 2024 NHL draft?

The NHL draft is expected to be held in Las Vegas on June 28-29. The league is finalizing details to hold it at The Sphere, which opened in September. After this draft, the event will become decentralized, with team officials staying in their home cities.

When does NHL free agency open?

NHL free agency opens on July 1.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NHL 2023-24 season key dates: When is the draft lottery?