Worth watching The full schedule and the games you don’t want to miss,
Laine, McDavid, Crosby, Stamkos: Toronto’s youngsters will compare themselves with the league’s best
The Maple Leafs will be entering their 101st season in the National Hockey League. Here is a look at 15 games that rank among the must-see for 2017-18:
Oct. 4 at Winnipeg:
You can bet Patrik Laine has been waiting a long time for this game. The speedy, skilled Jets winger — famously taken second overall behind Auston Matthews in the 2016 draft and finished runner-up in Calder voting — seems to save his best for head-to-head confrontations.
Oct. 14 at Montreal:
Leafs-Habs. Saturday night at the Bell Centre. Need we say more? The Habs have an incredible 14-game winning streak over the Leafs. Think about that for a second. No matter what happens on the ice, the Via train from Toronto on Friday night will be raucous.
Oct. 30 at San Jose:
It’s sure to be an emotional game when Patrick Marleau returns to the city that’s home to the only other NHL team he’s played for. Marleau spent 19 seasons as a member of the Sharks, a lifetime for some. Marleau was at his first training camp with San Jose the same September when Auston Matthews was born.
Nov. 16 vs. New Jersey:
Recently diagnosed with a treatable form of leukemia, Brian Boyle will make his return to Toronto as a New Jersey Devil. It could also be the first chance for Leafs fans to see Nico Hischier, the top pick in the draft last June and one in the conversation for rookie of the year.
Nov. 20 vs. Arizona:
Another exciting young team could be on the rise. Max Domi’s name is well known around these parts, and Mitch Marner will probably love playing against childhood friend Dylan Strome. But watch out for Clayton Keller, a Marner-type who could emerge as the top rookie by the end of the season.
Nov. 30 at Edmonton:
The hype machine promises to be in high order when Auston Matthews visits Connor McDavid in the first head-tohead match of the season between the two players most likely to carry the mantle as faces of the NHL for the near future. Maybe Matthews can be the face of the Eastern Conference, McDavid the face of the West.
Dec. 9 at Pittsburgh:
What better way to measure the progress of a young team than to meet the twotime reigning Stanley Cup champions? Some believe the Penguins were worried the Leafs were going to beat the Capitals, and Pittsburgh was loathe to take on the young, aggressive nothing-to-lose Toronto team.
Dec. 15 at Detroit:
The Leafs’ first regular-season game at Little Caesars Arena, the new home of the Detroit Red Wings. The Leafs didn’t fully take in the place in their preseason game, but Mike Babcock will probably have a lot to say about the new digs, considering he had some input into its design.
Dec. 19 vs. Carolina:
The Maple Leafs hope to load the ACC with school kids for a 2 p.m. start to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the first game played by the franchise. The Leafs will wear Toronto Arenas throwback uniforms from the 1918-19 season.
Dec. 31 at Vegas:
The Golden Knights will already have played the Leafs in Toronto in November, so this will be a return engagement. If ever the wealth of Leaf Nation was being taken for granted, it’s here. It’s the most expensive night in Vegas.
Jan. 2 vs. Tampa Bay:
Assuming Steven Stamkos is healthy — always a question with him these days — it could well be a matchup of playoffbound heavyweights. The Lightning are deemed to be one of the best teams in the league.
Feb. 10 vs. Ottawa:
The four-game Battle of Ontario wraps up early this year. This is the finale. The Senators never quite get the respect they deserve. Their stars — Erik Karlsson, Kyle Turris — are in the prime of their careers.
March 3 at Washington:
The game will be outdoors in Annapolis, Md., at the U.S. Naval Academy. It’s an honour for a team to be chosen by the league to play in the NHL’s outdoor series, and for a Canadian team in an American market, something else indeed. Maybe there’s a rivalry brewing following that playoff series last season.
March 5 at Buffalo:
Can’t believe we have to wait for March for another Battle of the QEW. The Leafs play Buffalo four times over their last 15 games. By then, we should know if the Sabres are for real and how good Jack Eichel really is. An Eichel-Matthews rivalry could last a decade. Too bad they’re friends.
April 7 vs. Montreal:
Leafs-Habs at the Air Canada Centre on a Saturday night. Does it get any better? This is the last game of the season. A playoff spot could well be hanging in the balance. Or maybe it will be a playoff series preview. The two teams haven’t met in the post-season since 1979.