One of the more exciting dates on the summer offseason calendar is the release of the upcoming regular season schedule. The NHL released this on July 2 — a day after a whopping $1.2 billion worth of contracts were handed out by general managers on the opening day of free agency.

The Colorado Avalanche schedule consists of 12 back-to-back games, which is right in the middle of the least (eight) and most (16). They’ll also rank 18th in total distance traveled, which all things considered, is not bad at all given where Colorado is located compared to other teams in the Western Conference. Albeit Utah Hockey Club, who is playing its inaugural season in 2024-25, has taken the throne as the closest team to Denver in terms of distance traveled.

With that, here are key dates to look forward to ahead of the Avalanche’s 2024-25 schedule, which opens on Oct. 9.

Opening night on the road. The Avs are starting the season on the road for the second consecutive year, although this time it’ll just be for a game. And it’ll be at T-Mobile Arena against the Vegas Golden Knights.

I for one love the idea of Colorado and Vegas duking it out in the opening game. Last year the two western powerhouses played one of the more exciting preseason games in the exhibition finale. They always play each other well and it’ll be no different on Oct. 9.

And the best part? Colorado will have two days off afterward before prepping for their always-exciting home opener on the 12th.

Jack Johnson returns for opening night, again. The veteran defenseman will be part of opening night at Ball Arena for the fourth straight season, this time as a member of the Columbus Blue Jackets.

In 2021, Johnson won a roster spot on a training camp tryout and scored a beautiful season-opening goal on a breakaway against future hall-of-famer Marc-Andre Fleury. Colorado went on to win the Cup and Johnson signed with Chicago, who the Avs hosted for the banner-raising ceremony. Johnson eventually was traded back to the Avs where he again was part of the team for their 2023-24 season opener. The question is, when do the Avs trade back for the veteran this time around? I kid, I kid…

Patrick Roy returns. Each of the first three games of the season has officially made this list. Why? Because two nights after hosting the Jackets, the New York Islanders, led by head coach Patrick Roy, are in Denver for a game at Ball Arena. Roy was hired by the Islanders late last season and has yet to take on the Avalanche as a coach.

Roy infamously quit as the head coach of the Avs in August 2016, setting up a late-offseason hiring of Jared Bednar followed by a historically terrible 48-point season.

I’m genuinely curious how he’s welcomed back. Roy did not partake in the late Pierre Lacroix’s tribute game nearly three years ago despite being good friends with Lacroix over the years. Will the team welcome him back on the jumbotron? Will fans cheer? Boo? It’s going to be a fascinating night, that’s for sure.

Celebrini takes on the Avs. I always love finding the first game between the Avs and the incoming No. 1 overall draft pick. Macklin Celebrini — assuming he makes the Sharks roster — will host Nathan MacKinnon and the Colorado Avalanche on Oct. 20. It’s also the first matinee game of the season, scheduled for 2 pm. MT.

Utah Hockey Club. Speaking of the newest division rival, the Avs’ first trip to Delta Center in Utah is set for Oct. 24. I’ll never forgive the NHL for not scheduling Colorado at Utah for the season opener.

Nichushkin’s reinstatement. Assuming all goes well (which is hard to do with this player right now), Valeri Nichushkin will be eligible for reinstatement starting Nov. 13. If he’s reinstated exactly six months to the date he was suspended, Colorado’s power forward could step into the lineup later that night at home against the L.A. Kings.

I genuinely am interested in how the NHL and the Players’ Association handle this. In the past, we’ve seen players need to get approved for reinstatement just to practice with their teammates again. So, is Nov. 13 the first day Nichushkin can skate with the team at all? Or will he get a chance to return to practice in the weeks leading up to his reinstatement if he’s on the right track?

New Year’s Eve. This has somewhat become a tradition in recent years. The Avs will host the Winnipeg Jets on Dec. 31 with puck drop scheduled for 6 pm. MT. The game is often followed up with indoor fireworks at the arena and ample time for fans to find their way downtown to celebrate the new year.

Six-game homestand. The longest homestand of the season is from Feb. 26 to Mar. 10. The Avs will play six games in 13 days with a nice three days off in between games two and three of the homestand. If the NHL trade deadline is within this date range like it was a year ago, the Avs will be able to handle business from home, which GMs prefer.

Season finale. The Avs will end the season on the road in 2024-25, taking on the Anaheim Ducks on April 13. It’ll be the second of a back-to-back which begins in L.A. on the 12th. The Ducks are an ideal opponent for a game that might have playoff-seeding implications.

Other notable schedule highlights

• Nov. 11: Steven Stamkos, Jonathan Marchessault, and the new-look Nashville Predators
• Nov. 29: First matchup against the Dallas Stars, who eliminated the Avs in six games last season
• Jan. 6: Avs host the Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers
• Feb. 8-21: The league will take two weeks off for the NHL Four Nations Face-Off