ARLINGTON, Va. – The National Hockey League today announced the 2013-14 regular-season schedule for its 30 member clubs. The Washington Capitals will open the season against the Chicago Blackhawks at United Center on Tuesday, Oct. 1, with the first home game of the campaign set for Thursday, Oct. 3, against the Calgary Flames at 7 p.m. at Verizon Center.

Effective this season, the NHL will operate under a new divisional alignment and scheduling matrix that ensures all 30 teams play in all 30 arenas at least once each season. In creating more geographically-appropriate groupings, the NHL now has two eight-team divisions in the Eastern Conference and two seven-team divisions in the Western Conference. The Capitals will be in the Metropolitan Division with Columbus, Carolina, New Jersey, New York Islanders, New York Rangers, Philadelphia Flyers and Pittsburgh Penguins.The NHL will pause from Feb. 9-25, 2014, while NHL players comprise the majority of the rosters of the national teams competing in Sochi for Olympic gold.The Capitals will host the 11-time Stanley Cup champion Detroit Red Wings at Verizon Center on Super Bowl Sunday, Feb. 2 at 12:30 p.m. It will mark the fourth time in the past five years that the Capitals will play on Super Bowl Sunday.Washington has six homestands of at least three games on the schedule, the longest being a five-game stretch at Verizon Center from Oct. 10-19. The Capitals have five stretches of at least three straight road games and two season-high five-game road trips from Oct. 22-Nov. 1 and Jan. 24-31, respectively. In addition, the Capitals will have 17 sets of back-to-back games.Nearly half of the Capitals’ 41 home games at Verizon Center fall on weekends, which includes six games on Friday, eight on Saturday and seven on Sunday. The schedule features holiday home games on Columbus Day (Oct. 14 vs. Edmonton), the day before and the day after Thanksgiving (Nov. 27 vs. Ottawa; Nov. 29 vs. Montreal) and Super Bowl Sunday (Feb. 2 vs. Detroit).Television broadcast plans will be released at a later date. All Capitals games can be heard on Caps Radio Network and WashingtonCaps.com.– Home opener at Verizon Center versus the Calgary Flames.– A Columbus Day tilt versus the Edmonton Oilers.– The New York Rangers make their way to Verizon Center for the first time since the ECQF.– The Pittsburgh Penguins make their first visit of the season to D.C.– The Capitals kick off 2014 when they host the division rival Carolina Hurricanes at Verizon Center.– On Super Bowl Sunday the 11-time Stanley Cup champion Detroit Red Wings make their way to D.C.– Washington hosts Pittsburgh for the second and final time of the regular season.– Washington welcomes the defending Stanley Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks.– Washington concludes the regular-season home schedule at Verizon Center versus Tampa Bay.