Bedard vs. Crosby included in Tuesday’s NHL’s opening night action

There are three games and plenty of storylines as the NHL opens its regular season Tuesday night.

One of the NHL’s biggest stars and one of its newest will meet for the first time when Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins host rookie Connor Bedard and the Chicago Blackhawks at PPG Paints Arena.

The 36-year-old Crosby is entering his 19th NHL season and knows a thing or two about the challenges the 18-year-old Bedard faces. Crosby arrived in Pittsburgh in 2005 as hockey’s next big thing. Over the years he’s won three Stanley Cups while serving as an ambassador of the sport. It’s a challenge Crosby believes that Bedard is ready to embrace.

The Stanley Cup champion Vegas Golden Knights will show off their new bling and banner as they entertain the Seattle Kraken at T-Mobile Arena. The Knights won their first Stanley Cup on June 13 by defeating the Florida Panthers 4-1 in the best-of-seven final.

And the always-tough Tampa Bay Lightning, without injured all-star netminder Andrei Vasilevskiy, host the rebuilt Nashville Predators at Amalie Arena.

Each of the 32 teams will play an 82-game schedule, resulting in a 1,312-regular-season schedule that winds up April 18.

All seven Canadian teams begin their season Wednesday: Montreal Canadiens visit the Toronto Maple Leafs; Vancouver Canucks host the Edmonton Oilers; Winnipeg Jets visit the Calgary Flames; and Ottawa Senators visit the Carolina Hurricanes.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 10, 2023.