The Florida Panthers’ 2024-25 schedule is out. Here are some key dates to know

It’s time to start marking your calendars, Florida Panthers fans.

The 2024-25 schedule is here, and the Panthers’ journey to defending their Stanley Cup championship begins in just over three months.

It all starts Oct. 8, when the Panthers host the Boston Bruins, with puck drop at Amerant Bank Arena set for 7 p.m. and televised on ESPN. The Panthers will unveil their 2024 Stanley Cup championship banner that night.

Here are some other notable dates from the Panthers’ 82-game schedule:

▪ Nov. 1-2 : The Panthers play the Dallas Stars in Tempere, Finland — the hometown of Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov — as part of the NHL’s Global Series.

▪ Nov. 7-Nov. 16 : The first of three five-game homestands for the Panthers, a stretch that includes games against the Nashville Predators (Nov. 7), Philadelphia Flyers (Nov. 9), New Jersey Devils (Nov. 12 and 14) and Winnipeg Jets (Nov. 16).

▪ Nov. 27 : Florida’s first home game against the Toronto Maple Leafs and the return of defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson and goaltender Anthony Stolarz, both of whom signed with Toronto on Monday.

▪ Dec. 22, Dec. 23, March 3 and April 15 : Florida’s four games against the in-state rival Tampa Bay Lightning, whom the Panthers eliminated in the first round of the 2024 Stanley Cup playoffs. The games on Dec. 23 and March 3 are at home. The April 15 game at Tampa is Florida’s regular-season finale.

▪ Dec. 23-Jan. 3 : Florida’s second five-game homestand, with games against the Lightning (Dec. 23), Montreal Canadiens (Dec. 28), New York Rangers (Dec. 30), Carolina Hurricanes (Jan. 2) and Pittsburgh Penguins (Jan. 3).

▪ Feb. 12-20 : The NHL 4 Nations Face-Off tournament takes place in lieu of the All-Star Game. Three Panthers players are already confirmed to be part of the event: Aleksander Barkov with Finland, Gustav Forsling with Sweden and Matthew Tkachuk with the United States.

▪ Feb. 22 : Florida’s home game against the Seattle Kraken and the return of defenseman Brandon Montour, who signed a seven-year deal with Seattle on Monday.

▪ Feb. 27 : Florida’s home game against the Edmonton Oilers, who they beat in the Stanley Cup Final in seven games. This game kicks off Florida’s third and final five-game homestand, which also has games against the Calgary Flames (March 1), Lightning (March 3), Columbus Blue Jackets (March 6) and Buffalo Sabres (March 8).

▪ March 1 : Florida’s home game against the Flames is also the return of forward Ryan Lomberg, who signed a two-year deal with Calgary on Monday.

▪ March 28 : The Panthers host the Utah Hockey Club, the NHL’s newest franchise which relocated from Arizona, for the first time. It will also be the return of former Panthers center Kevin Stenlund.