The night has finally come ... The games in Europe are done and North America takes over center stage tonight as it marks the unoffical night 1 of the hockey season and it all gets started with the raising of the 2008 Stanley Cup Champion Detroit Red Wings Banner against the Toronto Maple Leafs at Joe Louis Arena (7pm CBC and CBC HD) then from 9:30 to 10:30pm NHL presents a special 1 hour presentation of NHL Face-Off Rocks 2008 featuring Def Leppard (CBC and HD). Night 1 of the NHL caps off with Calgary at Vancouver (10:30pm CBC and CBC HD) featuring newly named Canucks captain Roberto Luongo.

Also other games of Day 1 of the NHL season:

10pm - Boston at Colorado (Versus HD)
10:30pm - Anaheim at San Jose (CSN-BA HD)


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Results from the Europe Games

Saturday October 4th

NY Rangers 2 Tampa Bay 1
Pittsburgh 4 Ottawa 3

Sunday October 5th

NY Rangers 2 Tampa Bay 1
Ottawa 3 Pittsburgh 1

NHL 2008-09 Season Preview by Sportsnet and NHL.com

http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/2008/...review08_home/
http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/2008/...ason_thursday/
http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=381453

New Coach's of the NHL Season

http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/2008/...hing_carousel/

Can't get enough hockey action on Regular TV? No need to panic as the NHL has it covered with NHL Centre Ice with up to 40 out of market games per week.

http://www.nhl.com/nhlhq/centerice/

Can't get to a TV to watch the games? No need to panic as the NHL has it covered with the All New online feature of NHL Gamecentre Live ... check it out

http://www.nhl.com/gamecenter/index.html (Catch a FREE Preview of this new service starting tomorrow night and ends on Sunday October 11th)

Let the Games Begin and Hope your Favourite Team has a Great Season

Any thoughts/predictions on the upcoming season?

I hate the fact I have to wait until the 12th for my Oilers to start the season.

I'm going against predictions and saying the Red Wings don't go to the finals... everyone seems so enchanted by this team due to their run last season.. I personally believe the short off season will take it's toll on the team and they'll bow out in first round of the playoffs. Odds are they'll still win their division, but that's mainly due to a lack of opposition than anything.

I imagine the league is pulling for a Montreal cup win... that would be a nice storybook ending for their 100th Anniversary.

I personally am calling a Ducks vs Habs SC final... Habs win in 6 on the road.

The fact that the Wings couldn't even put the wood to the Leafs, a team that by all rights Detriot should have sent spiraling down the crapper tonight, should be seen as a wake up cakll to all those Detriot fans thinking "repeat"

Meanwhile as a Leafs fan I'm laughing my arse off

NefCanuck

I havent watched much hockey in the last few years but rock on Cunucks that was a sweet game ya won

And then they won again in Calgary after being down 3 - 1 in the 1st and are 2 and 0 to start the season. I wasn't sure about Gillis as GM after the 10 million offersheet to Sundin, and it's still too early to tell, but the Canucks are looking alright to me.

Ouch... I have a feeling that the Leafs are going to be like this the entire season... flashes of brilliance, followed by flashes of utter ineptitude

NefCanuck

I know how your feeling, the oilers are the only team to not play yet. Thankfully they play tonight vs avs.
Im so happy its hockey season again.
With the other teams all already having played several games maybe this season we can be the team with games in hand instead of the other way around.
They had better have a good road record because they are not at home much in this first part of the season.