The Bruins will open the 2013-14 season on Thursday, Oct. 3, against the Lightning at TD Garden, the NHL announced Friday.
The full NHL schedule was revealed Friday shortly after an announcement that the NHL would take a 17-day break in February to allow its players to compete in the Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia.
The NHL regular-season begins on Oct. 1
The Bruins open with a three-game homestand vs. Tampa Bay, Detroit (Oct. 5), and Colorado (Oct. 10). Their first of four games against the Canadiens is Dec. 5 in Montreal. The season ends April 13 at New Jersey.
The annual day-after-Thanksgiving game will be against the New York Rangers on Nov. 29 at 1 p.m. On Nov. 5, recently traded Tyler Seguin and the Dallas Stars will visit TD Garden.
The Bruins also get a pair of rematches with the Chicago Blackhawks, who defeated Boston in the Stanley Cup Finals, on Jan. 19 in Chicago and on March 27 at TD Garden.
The NHL confirmed it will realign its divisions, and the Bruins will now play in the Eastern Conference Atlantic along with Buffalo, Detroit, Florida, Montreal, Ottawa, Tampa Bay and Toronto.
The other divisions are as follows:
Eastern Conference Metropolitan: Carolina, Columbus, New Jersey, New York Islanders, New York Rangers, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Washington.
Western Conference Pacific: Anaheim, Calgary, Edmonton, Los Angeles, Phoenix, San Jose, Vancouver.
Western Conference Central: Chicago, Colorado, Dallas, Minnesota, Nashville, St. Louis, Winnipeg.
There will be six outdoor games next season. The Winter Classic, matching the Maple Leafs vs. the Red Wings, will be at Michigan Stadium Jan. 1. The other five are Kings-Ducks at Dodger Stadium Jan. 25; Rangers-Devils at Yankee Stadium Jan. 26; Rangers-Islanders at Yankee Stadium Jan. 29; Penguins-Blackhawks at Soldier Field March 1; and Senators-Canucks at BC Place March 2.
