Upcoming season features crazy trips for Sharks

SAN JOSE » The Sharks will play eight of their first 11 games away from home next season as the NHL released the complete 2018-19 schedule for all 31 teams on Thursday.

It won’t be the only time a lot of their road games will be clustered.

The first two games of the Sharks’ schedule were released Wednesday, with San Jose opening the year at home against Anaheim on Oct. 3 and playing its first game away from SAP Center two days later against Los Angeles. The game against the Kings begins a road trip that includes dates against the New York Islanders on Oct. 8, Philadelphia on Oct. 9, the New York Rangers on Oct. 11 and Oct. 14 at New Jersey.

After returning home for two games, the Sharks again will zig-zag across the country for a three-game road trip against Nashville, Carolina and Anaheim from Oct. 23-28.

But perhaps the Sharks’ most challenging stretch will come in late November and early December, when they have a five-game road trip Nov. 24-Dec. 2, play a single game at home Dec. 5 against Carolina, then head out again for games against Dallas on Dec. 7 and Arizona on Dec. 8.

It’ll be one of 14 times the Sharks will play on back-to-back nights. Last year, the Sharks played on consecutive nights 13 times. Among them is a rare Southern California trip, when the Sharks play at Los Angeles on March 21 and at Anaheim the following night.

The Sharks have a four-game trip Jan. 16-22 before San Jose hosts NHL All-Star Weekend, Jan. 25-26 at SAP Center. The team then heads out for another fourgame trip after the break.

The Sharks’ longest homestand will be six games from Nov. 11-23.

The Sharks will be holding 1 p.m. games at home Dec. 22 vs. Los Angeles and March 9 against St. Louis. They will also host two 5 p.m. games — Dec. 23 against Arizona and March 31 vs. Calgary, and 6 p.m. games against Calgary on Nov. 11, Vancouver on Nov. 23 and Vegas on March 30.

The Sharks’ broadcast schedule will be released at a later date.