OTTAWA - The National Hockey League and the Ottawa Senators ( @Senators ) announced today the team's 2018-19 regular-season schedule, which will see the club open its campaign at Canadian Tire Centre for the third consecutive season, when it hosts the Chicago Blackhawks on Thursday Oct. 4, at 7:30 p.m. The contest will mark the first time in Ottawa's 26-season history that Chicago serves as the Senators' opening night opponent. The 82-game 2018-19 calendar will conclude when the Senators host the Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday, April 6.

The 2018-19 schedule will feature home and road games against each NHL opponent. Ottawa will face each of its Atlantic Division rivals (Boston, Buffalo, Detroit, Florida, Montreal, Tampa Bay and Toronto) four times each and will play the remaining eight Eastern Conference teams three times, respectively. A home-and-away series with each of the league's 15 Western Conference teams is also included within the schedule.

The Senators' 2018-19 regular-season home schedule features a total of 29 games from Thursday to Sunday at Canadian Tire Centre and includes 13 Saturday contests at Canadian Tire Centre, including nine night games and four 2 p.m. matinees.

As a proud community business partner, the Senators continue to offer exceptional opportunities in the areas of building client relationships in addition to engaging and rewarding staff. Follow the Senators on social media (@Senators) or visit the club's website (www.ottawasenators.com) for information on tickets and community initiatives.

Fans are also able to secure the venue's best seats and great membership benefits with a variety of ticket packages that are now available including 44-game, 22-game and 10-game packs.

For information on ticket packages, group outings and other unique ticketing opportunities including the newly renovated Alumni Lounge, please contact the Senators' sales team at 613-599-0200.

Schedule highlights for 2018-19

- The Stanley Cup-champion Washington Capitals will make two regular-season visits to Ottawa: on Saturday, Dec. 22 and on Saturday, Dec. 29.

- The Senators will host the Western Conference champion Vegas Golden Knights on Thursday, Nov. 8.

- Ottawa will play back-to-back games on 16 occasions in 2018-19, eight of which are back-to-back road sets.

- The Senators will host five consecutive games at Canadian Tire Centre from Oct. 10 to Oct. 23, their longest homestand of the season, while two separate four game road trips (Nov. 21 to Nov. 27 and Feb. 14 to Feb. 21) will constitute their longest of the season.

- The 2019 NHL all-star celebration will take place in San Jose, Calif. when the San Jose Sharks host the event at SAP Center on Friday Jan. 25 and on Saturday, Jan. 26.

2018-19 Ottawa Senators regular-season schedule (all times Eastern and subject to change)

Thursday, Oct. 4 vs. Chicago, 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, Oct. 6 at Toronto, 7 p.m.

Monday, Oct. 8 at Boston, 1 p.m.

Wednesday, Oct. 10 vs. Philadelphia, 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, Oct. 13 vs. Los Angeles, 2 p.m.

Monday, Oct. 15 vs. Dallas, 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, Oct. 20 vs. Montreal, 7 p.m.

Tuesday, Oct. 23 vs. Boston, 7:30 p.m.

Friday, Oct. 26 at Colorado, 9 p.m.

Sunday, Oct. 28 at Vegas, 8 p.m.

Tuesday, Oct. 30 at Arizona, 10 p.m.

Thursday, Nov. 1 vs. Buffalo, 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, Nov. 3 at Buffalo, 1 p.m.

Sunday, Nov. 4 vs. Tampa Bay, 7 p.m.

Tuesday, Nov. 6 vs. New Jersey, 7:30 p.m.

Thursday, Nov. 8 vs. Vegas, 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, Nov. 10 at Tampa Bay, 7 p.m.

Sunday, Nov. 11 at Florida, 5 p.m.

Thursday, Nov. 15 vs. Detroit, 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, Nov. 17 vs. Pittsburgh, 7 p.m.

Monday, Nov. 19 vs. Florida, 7:30 p.m.

Wednesday, Nov. 21 at Minnesota, 8 p.m.

Friday, Nov. 23 at Dallas, 8 p.m.

Monday, Nov. 26 at N.Y. Rangers, 7 p.m.

Tuesday, Nov. 27 at Philadelphia, 7 p.m.

Thursday, Nov. 29 vs. N.Y. Rangers, 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, Dec. 1 vs. San Jose, 2 p.m.

Tuesday, Dec. 4 at Montreal, 7:30 p.m.

Thursday, Dec. 6 vs. Montreal, 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, Dec. 8 vs. Pittsburgh, 7 p.m.

Sunday, Dec. 9 vs. Boston, 5 p.m.

Tuesday, Dec. 11 at Nashville, 8 p.m.

Friday, Dec. 14 at Detroit, 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, Dec. 15 at Montreal, 7 p.m.

Monday, Dec. 17 vs. Nashville, 7:30 p.m.

Friday, Dec. 21 at New Jersey, 7 p.m.

Saturday, Dec. 22 vs. Washington, 7 p.m.

Friday, Dec. 28 at N.Y. Islanders, 7 p.m.

Saturday, Dec. 29 vs. Washington, 7 p.m.

Monday, Dec. 31 at Columbus, 7 p.m.

Wednesday, Jan. 2 vs. Vancouver, 7 p.m.

Saturday, Jan. 5 vs. Minnesota, 2 p.m.

Sunday, Jan. 6 vs. Carolina, 2 p.m.

Wednesday, Jan. 9 at Anaheim, 10 p.m.

Thursday, Jan. 10 at Los Angeles, 10:30 p.m.

Saturday, Jan. 12 at San Jose, 10 p.m.

Wednesday, Jan. 16 vs. Colorado, 7 p.m.

Friday. Jan. 18 at Carolina, 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, Jan. 19 at St. Louis, 7 p.m.

Tuesday, Jan. 22 vs. Arizona, 7:30 p.m.

Friday, Feb. 1 at Pittsburgh, 7 p.m.

Saturday, Feb. 2 vs. Detroit, 7 p.m.

Wednesday, Feb. 6 at Toronto, 7:30 p.m.

Thursday, Feb. 7 vs. Anaheim, 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, Feb. 9 vs. Winnipeg, 2 p.m.

Tuesday, Feb. 12 vs. Carolina, 7:30 p.m.

Thursday, Feb. 14 at Detroit, 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, Feb. 16 at Winnipeg, 7 p.m.

Monday, Feb. 18 at Chicago, 8:30 p.m.

Thursday, Feb. 21 at New Jersey, 7 p.m.

Friday, Feb. 22 vs. Columbus, 7 p.m.

Sunday, Feb. 24 vs. Calgary, 7 p.m.

Tuesday, Feb. 26 at Washington, 7 p.m.

Thursday, Feb. 28 vs. Edmonton, 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, March 2 at Tampa Bay, 7 p.m.

Sunday, March 3 at Florida, 5 p.m.

Tuesday, March 5 at N.Y. Islanders, 7 p.m. (at NYCB Live: Home of the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum)

Thursday, March 7 vs. N.Y. Islanders, 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, March 9 at Boston, 7 p.m.

Monday, March 11 at Philadelphia, 7 p.m.

Thursday, March 14 vs. St, Louis, 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, March 16 vs. Toronto, 7 p.m.

Wednesday, March 20 at Vancouver, 10 p.m.

Thursday, March 21 at Calgary, 9 p.m.

Saturday, March 23 at Edmonton, 4 p.m.

Tuesday, March 26 vs. Buffalo, 7:30 p.m.

Thursday, March 28 vs. Florida, 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, March 30 vs. Toronto, 7 p.m.

Monday, April 1 vs. Tampa Bay, 7:30 p.m.

Wednesday, April 3 at N.Y. Rangers, 7:30 p.m.

Thursday, April 4 at Buffalo, 7 p.m.

Saturday, April 6 vs. Columbus, 7 p.m.

Visit the Senators website: www.ottawasenators.com

Engage with the Senators on Twitter: @Senators

Like the Senators on Facebook: www.facebook.com/ottawasenators

Follow the Senators on Instagram: senators

- end -