The Edmonton Oilers will face a familiar foe and an entirely foreign one when the 2021 NHL pre-season gets underway in September.
The hockey club announced its pre-season schedule on Tuesday and the team will do battle with its provincial rival in the Calgary Flames as well as the NHL’s latest expansion team in the Seattle Kraken.
The Oilers will also play the Winnipeg Jets, who swept Edmonton 4-0 in their NHL playoff series earlier this year, as well as the Vancouver Canucks.
Five of the pre-season games will be played at the Oilers’ home rink at Rogers Place. All eight pre-season games will be broadcast live on radio by 630 CHED.
READ MORE: Former GM says ‘fast and furious’ NHL offseason could unfold this summer
Ahead of the pre-season, many hockey commentators have suggested it could be a busy off-season for NHL teams, beginning with Wednesday’s expansion draft which will see the Kraken select 30 players to join the new team.
The Oilers will lose one player from their list of players not protected from the draft to Seattle.
READ MORE: Price tops list of NHL players Seattle Kraken can steal from Canadian teams in draft
Earlier this month, Oilers general manager Ken Holland added Duncan Keith to the club’s blue-line, along with forward Tim Soderlund, in a trade with the Chicago Blackhawks.
During his 16 seasons in Chicago, Keith helped the team win a Stanley Cup three times. The Oilers sent defenceman Caleb Jones and a conditional draft pick to Chicago in the deal.
READ MORE: Edmonton Oilers acquire Duncan Keith from Chicago Blackhawks
The Oilers have a number of players who played for the team last season who could become unrestricted free agents on July 28 if they are not signed by Edmonton before then: goaltender Mike Smith, defencemen Adam Larsson, Tyson Barrie, Dmitri Kulikov and Slater Koekkoek, and forwards Alex Chiasson, Tyler Ennis and Patrick Russell.
Watch below: Some recent video about the Edmonton Oilers.
View the Oilers’ complete 2021 NHL pre-season schedule below:
Sunday, Sept. 26 at Calgary Flames Scotiabank Saddledome 7 p.m. MT
Tuesday, Sept. 28 versus Seattle Kraken, Rogers Place, 7 p.m. MT
Wednesday, Sept. 29 at Winnipeg Jets, Bell/MTS Place, 6 p.m. MT
Friday, Oct. 1 at Seattle Kraken, (Everett) Angel of the Winds Arena, 8 p.m. MT
Saturday, Oct 2 versus Winnipeg Jets, Rogers Place, 5 p.m. MT
Monday, Oct. 4 versus Calgary Flames, Rogers Place, 7 p.m. MT
Thursday, Oct. 7 versus Vancouver Canucks, Rogers Place, 7 p.m.
Saturday, Oct. 9 at Vancouver Canucks, Rogers Arena, 7 p.m .
Watch below: Some Global News videos about fans’ excitement after the Edmonton Oilers earned a spot in the 2021 NHL playoffs.
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