SAN JOSE, California -- The National Hockey League and the San Jose Sharks today announced the team's complete 2013-14 regular season schedule.

The Sharks will open their 23rd NHL season at SAP Center at San Jose on Thurs., Oct. 3 against the Vancouver Canucks. Following a three-game homestand to start the season, the Sharks will play their first road game a week later, also against Vancouver, on Thurs., Oct. 10 at Rogers Arena. The 2013-14 Sharks schedule consists of 82 games - 41 home and 41 road contests.

The home schedule features 14 weekend contests (13 on Saturday, one on Sunday). The busiest home weeknight is Thursday (11), followed by Tuesday (seven), Monday (four), Friday (three) and Wednesday (two).

The 2013-14 season will feature a brand-new divisional realignment that features two seven-team divisions in the Western Conference and two eight-team divisions in the Eastern Conference. The new alignment will place several clubs in more geographically appropriate groupings and will intensify already fierce rivalries throughout the League.

San Jose will compete in the Western Conference's Pacific Division against the Anaheim Ducks, Calgary Flames, Edmonton Oilers, Los Angeles Kings, Phoenix Coyotes and Vancouver Canucks.

The Sharks will play a total of 28 games within the division, facing Anaheim, Calgary, Edmonton, and Los Angeles five times each, and Phoenix and Vancouver four times each. In addition, the Sharks will play a total of 22 games against the Western Conference's Central Division, facing Colorado four times and Chicago, Dallas, Minnesota, Nashville, St. Louis and Winnipeg three times each.

The remaining 32 games in the 82-game schedule will involve the Sharks playing every opponent in the Eastern Conference a total of two times, once at home and once away, meaning every NHL team will visit SAP Center at San Jose this season.

The Sharks three-way intra-state rivalry continues with the Anaheim Ducks (Nov. 30, Dec. 29, March 20) and the Los Angeles Kings (Nov. 27, Jan. 27, April 3) each making three visits to San Jose.

The Sharks have two season-long five-game road trips from Oct. 22 to Oct. 30 and Nov. 10 to Nov. 17. Immediately following their second road trip, San Jose has a season-high five-game homestand from Nov. 21 to Nov. 30.

Due to the NHL's participation in the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, the Sharks will have a 19-day break from Feb. 8 until their Feb. 27 game at Philadelphia.

Information on Sharks individual game tickets and a complete broadcast schedule will be released at a later date.

For an online version of the 2013-14 Sharks schedule, please click here.

SHARKS SCHEDULE NOTES

Home Games By Day: Sun. - 1, Mon. - 4, Tue. - 7, Wed. - 2, Thu. - 11, Fri. - 3, Sat. - 13

Road Games By Day: Sun. - 7, Mon. - 2, Tue. - 8, Wed. - 3, Thu. - 10, Fri. - 5, Sat. - 6

Home Games By Month: Oct. - 5, Nov. - 8, Dec. - 5, Jan. - 7, Feb. - 4, March - 8, April - 4

Road Games By Month: Oct. - 8, Nov. - 5, Dec. - 9, Jan. - 8, Feb. - 2, March - 7, April - 2

GAMES BY CONFERENCE / DIVISION:

Western Conference (50): Pacific Division (28), Central Division (22)

Eastern Conference (32): Metropolitan Division (16), Atlantic Division (16)

OPPONENTS VISITS TO SAN JOSE (41): Anaheim - 3, Boston -1, Buffalo - 1, Calgary - 2, Carolina - 1, Chicago - 1, Colorado - 2, Columbus - 1, Dallas - 2, Detroit - 1, Edmonton - 2, Florida - 1, Los Angeles - 3, Minnesota - 2, Montreal - 1, Nashville - 1, New Jersey - 1, N.Y. Islanders - 1, N.Y. Rangers - 1, Ottawa - 1, Philadelphia - 1, Phoenix - 2, Pittsburgh - 1, St. Louis - 1, Tampa Bay - 1, Toronto - 1, Vancouver - 2, Washington - 1, Winnipeg - 2.

SHARKS VISITS TO ROAD CITIES (41): Anaheim - 2, Boston - 1, Buffalo - 1, Calgary - 3, Carolina - 1, Chicago - 2, Colorado - 2, Columbus - 1, Dallas - 1, Detroit - 1, Edmonton - 3, Florida - 1, Los Angeles - 2, Minnesota - 1, Montreal - 1, Nashville - 2, New Jersey - 1, N.Y. Islanders - 1, N.Y. Rangers - 1, Ottawa - 1, Philadelphia - 1, Phoenix - 2, Pittsburgh - 1, St. Louis - 2, Tampa Bay - 1, Toronto - 1, Vancouver - 2, Washington - 1, Winnipeg - 1.

AT THE OLYMPIC BREAK: San Jose will play 29 of their 41 home games and 59 of their 82 total games before beginning their Olympic break on Feb. 8, 2013. The 2014 Winter Olympics will take place Sochi, Russia.

LONGEST ROAD TRIP: Two five-game road trips from Oct. 21 to Oct. 30 and Nov. 10 to Nov. 17. Dates and opponents during the first road trip are Oct. 21 at Detroit, Oct. 24 at Boston, Oct. 26 at Montreal, Oct. 27 at Ottawa and Oct. 30 at Los Angeles. The second five-game road trip consists of games on Nov. 10 at Winnipeg, Nov. 12 at Calgary, Nov. 14 at Vancouver, Nov. 15 at Edmonton, and Nov. 17 at Chicago.

LONGEST HOMESTAND: Five games from Nov. 21 to Nov. 30. Dates and opponents during this homestand are Nov. 21 vs. Tampa Bay, Nov. 23 vs. New Jersey, Nov. 27 vs. Los Angeles, Nov. 29 vs. St. Louis and Nov. 30 vs. Anaheim.

BACK-TO-BACK GAMES:

Back-to-back overall: 10 timesBack-to-back at home: 1 timeBack-to-back on road: 8 timesHome game followed by next day road game: 1 timeRoad game followed by next day home game: 0 times