Florida Panthers 2014-15 schedule released

The Florida Panthers announced Sunday that they will begin their 21st season in the NHL on Thursday, October 9, against their intrastate rivals the Tampa Bay Lightning at 7:30 p.m. The Panthers open the home portion of their schedule on Saturday, October 11, when they host the New Jersey Devils at BB&T Center at 7 p.m.

The 2014-2015 season is highlighted by 28 home games on Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. The Panthers complete the regular season playing their final five games at BB&T Center. The Cats host the New Jersey Devils in their regular season finale on Saturday, April 11, at 7 p.m.

Florida Panthers season seat packages are available for as low as $25 per game (lower bowl). Fans should visit the Panthers website at

www.floridapanthers.com or call (954) 835-PUCK for more information on different ticket options that are available and to purchase season tickets. Single-game tickets will go on sale shortly.

2014-2015 SCHEDULE NOTES

Schedule breakdown: Florida plays 30 games within their division, including five games against each of the Montreal Canadiens (three home/two away) and Buffalo Sabres (two home/three away), while playing their other division opponents four times each (two home/two away). The Panthers will play 24 games within their conference against non-division teams and 28 games against Western Conference teams (one home/one away).

Panthers hockey seven days a week: Florida hosts home contests on every day of the week this season. The Cats have four games on Mondays, seven games on Tuesdays, two games on Wednesdays, 11 games on Thursdays, two games on Fridays, 10 games on Saturdays and five games on Sundays.

Holiday hockey: The Panthers will play three games during Thanksgiving week, hosting the Minnesota Wild (November 24), Carolina Hurricanes (November 26) and Ottawa Senators (November 28). In addition, Florida hosts the Pittsburgh Penguins (December 22), Toronto Maple Leafs (December 28), Montreal Canadiens (December 30) and New York Rangers (December 31).

Spring break hockey: The Panthers will play a season high eight home games in March, including a seven-game home stand that spans from February 26 - March 12.

All-star break: The Panthers will not play a game from January 20-26, as the NHL will take a break from the regular season schedule to allow players to participate in the 2015 All-Star game in Columbus, Ohio. The midseason showcase will be held January 24-25, 2015, in Nationwide Arena. The Cats return to action after the break with a home contest against the Detroit Red Wings on Tuesday, January 27.

Start times: All Panthers weekday home games will begin at 7:30 p.m. Saturday home contests will start at 7 p.m., with the exception of November 8 against the Calgary Flames (3 p.m.) and February 28 against the Buffalo Sabres (3 p.m.). Sunday home games will start at 5 p.m., with the exception of February 8 against the Nashville Predators (3 p.m.). Florida's home game against the New York Rangers on New Year's Eve will begin at 6 p.m. Start times may also be changed when circumstances such as national television start times dictate otherwise.

2014-2015 SCHEDULE HIGHLIGHTS

-- The defending Stanley Cup champion Los Angeles Kings visit South Florida on Thursday, February 5. Florida travels to Los Angeles to play the Kings on Tuesday, November 18.

-- The Panthers host the defending Eastern Conference champion New York Rangers on Wednesday, December 31. The Cats travel to New York City to face the Rangers on Monday, February 2, and Sunday, March 15.

-- The Panthers 2014-2015 schedule includes 11 Sunday contests, seven Monday games, 17 Tuesday games, two Wednesday games, 19 Thursday games, seven Friday games and 19 Saturday contests.

-- The Panthers 2014-2015 home schedule includes five Sunday contests, four Monday games, seven Tuesday games, two Wednesday games, 11 Thursday games, two Friday games and 10 Saturday contests.

-- The Panthers busiest months of the season are February and March when they play 15 games each month.

-- The Panthers busiest home month of the season is March when they play eight games.

-- The Panthers longest home stand of the season is seven games when they host the Chicago Blackhawks, Buffalo Sabres, Tampa Bay Lightning, Toronto Maple Leafs, Dallas Stars, New York Islanders and Winnipeg Jets (Thursday, February 26 and Thursday, March 12).

-- The Panthers longest road trip of the season is six games when they visit the Buffalo Sabres, Washington Capitals, Vancouver Canucks, Calgary Flames, Edmonton Oilers and Winnipeg Jets (Friday, January 2 and Tuesday, January 13).

-- The Cats will play eight games in October, 13 games in November, 14 games in December, 12 in January, 15 in February, 15 in March and five games in April.

-- The Cats will play three home games in October, seven games in November, seven games in December, five in January, six in February, eight in March and five in April.

Florida Panthers 2014-15 schedule