The 2016-17 NHL schedule is out and, as we already knew, the Caps will kick things off where they ended so suddenly five months earlier as they are the honored guests for the Penguins‘ banner-raising ceremony October 13. The home slate of the schedule gets underway two nights later, when the Caps play host to the Islanders on October 15.
Here’s a link to the full schedule (which also appears below), and the team’s release:
ARLINGTON , Va. – The National Hockey League today announced the 2016-17 regular-season schedule for its 30 member clubs. The Washington Capitals will open the season against the Pittsburgh Penguins at CONSOL Energy Center on Thursday, Oct. 13, with the first home game of the campaign set for Saturday, Oct. 15, against the New York Islanders at 7 p.m. at Verizon Center.
The NHL will pause for the 2017 NHL All-Star Game, which will be held on Jan. 28-29 at Staples Center in Los Angeles. In addition, the Capitals schedule will pause for a six-day break from Feb. 12-17.
Washington has seven homestands of at least three games on the schedule, the longest being a five-game stretch at Verizon Center from Nov. 16-25. The Capitals have seven stretches of at least three consecutive road games and a season-high five-game road trip from March 28-April 4. In addition, the Capitals will have 16 sets of back-to-back games.
Nearly half of the Capitals’ 41 home games at Verizon Center fall on weekends, which includes five games on Friday, seven on Saturday and six on Sunday. The schedule features holiday home games on Election Day (Nov. 8 vs. San Jose), the day after Thanksgiving (Nov. 25 vs. Buffalo), New Year’s Day (Jan. 1 vs. Ottawa) and Super Bowl Sunday (Feb. 5 vs. Los Angeles). This marks the 10th time in the last 11 seasons and the ninth consecutive season the Capitals will host a game on Super Bowl Sunday.
Television broadcast plans will be released at a later date. All Capitals games can be heard on the Caps Radio Network (flagship station FAN 106.7), CapsRadio247.com, WashingtonCaps.com and on the Washington Caps mobile app.
Home dates to remember:
Oct. 15 – Home opener at Verizon Center against the New York Islanders.
Oct. 22 – The New York Ranges make their first of two visits to Verizon Center.
Nov. 8 – Washington hosts the Western Conference champion San Jose Sharks on Election Day.
Nov. 16 – The Capitals face the defending Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins at Verizon Center.
Jan. 1 – Washington hosts the Ottawa Senators on New Year’s Day.
Jan. 13 – The Chicago Blackhawks make their lone visit to Verizon Center.
Jan. 15 – The Capitals host the Philadelphia Flyers for the first time since eliminating Philadelphia in the ECQF.
Feb. 5 – Washington hosts the Los Angeles Kings on Super Bowl Sunday.
March 16 – The Capitals host head coach Barry Trotz’s former team, the Nashville Predators.
April 9 – Washington completes its 2016-17 schedule against the Florida Panthers at Verizon Center.
| DATE | VISITOR | HOME | TIME (ET) |
| Thu Oct 13, 2016 | CAPITALS | PENGUINS | 7:00 PM |
| Sat Oct 15, 2016 | ISLANDERS | CAPITALS | 7:00 PM |
| Tue Oct 18, 2016 | AVALANCHE | CAPITALS | 7:00 PM |
| Thu Oct 20, 2016 | CAPITALS | PANTHERS | 7:30 PM |
| Sat Oct 22, 2016 | RANGERS | CAPITALS | 7:00 PM |
| Wed Oct 26, 2016 | CAPITALS | OILERS | 9:30 PM |
| Sat Oct 29, 2016 | CAPITALS | CANUCKS | 10:00 PM |
| Sun Oct 30, 2016 | CAPITALS | FLAMES | 9:30 PM |
| Tue Nov 1, 2016 | CAPITALS | JETS | 8:00 PM |
| Thu Nov 3, 2016 | JETS | CAPITALS | 7:00 PM |
| Sat Nov 5, 2016 | PANTHERS | CAPITALS | 7:00 PM |
| Tue Nov 8, 2016 | SHARKS | CAPITALS | 7:00 PM |
| Fri Nov 11, 2016 | CAPITALS | BLACKHAWKS | 8:30 PM |
| Sat Nov 12, 2016 | CAPITALS | HURRICANES | 7:00 PM |
| Tue Nov 15, 2016 | CAPITALS | BLUE JACKETS | 7:00 PM |
| Wed Nov 16, 2016 | PENGUINS | CAPITALS | 8:00 PM |
| Fri Nov 18, 2016 | RED WINGS | CAPITALS | 7:00 PM |
| Sun Nov 20, 2016 | BLUE JACKETS | CAPITALS | 12:30 PM |
| Wed Nov 23, 2016 | BLUES | CAPITALS | 7:00 PM |
| Fri Nov 25, 2016 | SABRES | CAPITALS | 5:00 PM |
| Sat Nov 26, 2016 | CAPITALS | MAPLE LEAFS | 7:00 PM |
| Thu Dec 1, 2016 | ISLANDERS | CAPITALS | 7:00 PM |
| Sat Dec 3, 2016 | CAPITALS | LIGHTNING | 7:00 PM |
| Mon Dec 5, 2016 | SABRES | CAPITALS | 7:00 PM |
| Wed Dec 7, 2016 | BRUINS | CAPITALS | 8:00 PM |
| Fri Dec 9, 2016 | CAPITALS | SABRES | 7:00 PM |
| Sun Dec 11, 2016 | CANUCKS | CAPITALS | 5:00 PM |
| Tue Dec 13, 2016 | CAPITALS | ISLANDERS | 7:00 PM |
| Fri Dec 16, 2016 | CAPITALS | HURRICANES | 7:30 PM |
| Sat Dec 17, 2016 | CANADIENS | CAPITALS | 7:00 PM |
| Wed Dec 21, 2016 | CAPITALS | FLYERS | 8:00 PM |
| Fri Dec 23, 2016 | LIGHTNING | CAPITALS | 7:00 PM |
| Tue Dec 27, 2016 | CAPITALS | ISLANDERS | 7:00 PM |
| Thu Dec 29, 2016 | DEVILS | CAPITALS | 7:00 PM |
| Sat Dec 31, 2016 | CAPITALS | DEVILS | 1:00 PM |
| Sun Jan 1, 2017 | SENATORS | CAPITALS | 7:30 PM |
| Tue Jan 3, 2017 | MAPLE LEAFS | CAPITALS | 7:00 PM |
| Thu Jan 5, 2017 | BLUE JACKETS | CAPITALS | 7:00 PM |
| Sat Jan 7, 2017 | CAPITALS | SENATORS | 7:00 PM |
| Mon Jan 9, 2017 | CAPITALS | CANADIENS | 7:30 PM |
| Wed Jan 11, 2017 | PENGUINS | CAPITALS | 8:00 PM |
| Fri Jan 13, 2017 | BLACKHAWKS | CAPITALS | 7:00 PM |
| Sun Jan 15, 2017 | FLYERS | CAPITALS | 12:30 PM |
| Mon Jan 16, 2017 | CAPITALS | PENGUINS | 7:00 PM |
| Thu Jan 19, 2017 | CAPITALS | BLUES | 8:00 PM |
| Sat Jan 21, 2017 | CAPITALS | STARS | 8:00 PM |
| Mon Jan 23, 2017 | HURRICANES | CAPITALS | 7:00 PM |
| Tue Jan 24, 2017 | CAPITALS | SENATORS | 7:30 PM |
| Thu Jan 26, 2017 | CAPITALS | DEVILS | 7:00 PM |
| Tue Jan 31, 2017 | CAPITALS | ISLANDERS | 7:00 PM |
| Wed Feb 1, 2017 | BRUINS | CAPITALS | 8:00 PM |
| Sat Feb 4, 2017 | CAPITALS | CANADIENS | 1:00 PM |
| Sun Feb 5, 2017 | KINGS | CAPITALS | 12:00 PM |
| Tue Feb 7, 2017 | HURRICANES | CAPITALS | 7:00 PM |
| Thu Feb 9, 2017 | RED WINGS | CAPITALS | 7:00 PM |
| Sat Feb 11, 2017 | DUCKS | CAPITALS | 7:00 PM |
| Sat Feb 18, 2017 | CAPITALS | RED WINGS | 2:00 PM |
| Sun Feb 19, 2017 | CAPITALS | RANGERS | 12:30 PM |
| Wed Feb 22, 2017 | CAPITALS | FLYERS | 8:00 PM |
| Fri Feb 24, 2017 | OILERS | CAPITALS | 7:00 PM |
| Sat Feb 25, 2017 | CAPITALS | PREDATORS | 5:00 PM |
| Tue Feb 28, 2017 | CAPITALS | RANGERS | 7:00 PM |
| Thu Mar 2, 2017 | DEVILS | CAPITALS | 7:00 PM |
| Sat Mar 4, 2017 | FLYERS | CAPITALS | 7:00 PM |
| Mon Mar 6, 2017 | STARS | CAPITALS | 7:00 PM |
| Thu Mar 9, 2017 | CAPITALS | SHARKS | 10:30 PM |
| Sat Mar 11, 2017 | CAPITALS | KINGS | 10:30 PM |
| Sun Mar 12, 2017 | CAPITALS | DUCKS | 9:30 PM |
| Tue Mar 14, 2017 | WILD | CAPITALS | 7:00 PM |
| Thu Mar 16, 2017 | PREDATORS | CAPITALS | 7:00 PM |
| Sat Mar 18, 2017 | CAPITALS | LIGHTNING | 7:00 PM |
| Tue Mar 21, 2017 | FLAMES | CAPITALS | 7:00 PM |
| Thu Mar 23, 2017 | BLUE JACKETS | CAPITALS | 7:00 PM |
| Sat Mar 25, 2017 | COYOTES | CAPITALS | 7:00 PM |
| Tue Mar 28, 2017 | CAPITALS | WILD | 8:00 PM |
| Wed Mar 29, 2017 | CAPITALS | AVALANCHE | 10:00 PM |
| Fri Mar 31, 2017 | CAPITALS | COYOTES | 10:00 PM |
| Sun Apr 2, 2017 | CAPITALS | BLUE JACKETS | 6:00 PM |
| Tue Apr 4, 2017 | CAPITALS | MAPLE LEAFS | 7:30 PM |
| Wed Apr 5, 2017 | RANGERS | CAPITALS | 8:00 PM |
| Sat Apr 8, 2017 | CAPITALS | BRUINS | 3:00 PM |
| Sun Apr 9, 2017 | PANTHERS | CAPITALS | 7:00 PM |
- Under the current divisional structure, the Caps play five of their seven Metropolitan friends four times, and two of them five times. The two teams getting the five-game treatment? The Islanders and the Blue Jackets. So that’s… something.
- The Caps will play 16 sets of back-to-back games, one more than last year, with two of those sets covering the final four games of the season.
- The team will leave the Eastern time zone for more than two games three separate times this season: a four-game swing through Western Canada at the end of October (ye olde Horse Show trip), three games in California in mid-March, and the first three games of their season-high five-game road trip at the end of March.