Panthers play at Lightning Oct. 6; host Blue Jackets Oct. 11

Mark your calendars, Panthers fans. The regular season is less than four months away.

Florida will play in Tampa Bay on Oct. 6 for the Lightning’s home opener, and the Panthers will open their slate at the BB&T Center by hosting Columbus on Oct. 11.

The NHL announced all 31 teams’ home openers Wednesday afternoon. The full schedule will be released at 5 p.m. today.

Should Florida’s game against Tampa Bay be its season opener, it would mark the second consecutive season the Panthers and Lightning opened the year against each other. Last year, the teams opened with a home-and-home set of games.

The Panthers and Lightning also finish the preseason with three straight games against each other. Florida went 1-2-1 against Tampa Bay last season.

When the Panthers host Columbus on Oct. 11, it will mark the 25th season in South Florida for the franchise. Florida went 0-2-1 against the Blue Jackets last season.

The Panthers are coming off the third-best regular season in franchise history, racking up 96 points in coach Bob Boughner’s first season. They became the second team in league history with that many points to miss the playoffs. Preseason schedule: Sept. 17: vs. Nashville Predators, 3:30 and 7 p.m., BB&T Center

Sept. 19: at Montreal Canadiens, TBD, Bell Centre

Sept. 22: at Dallas Stars, 8 p.m., BOK Center, Tulsa, Okla.

Sept. 25: at Tampa Bay Lightning, 7:30 p.m., Amalie Arena

Sept. 27: at Tampa Bay Lightning, 7 p.m., Amway Center

Sept. 29: vs. Tampa Bay Lightning, 7 p.m., BB&T Center