2016-17 ST. LOUIS BLUES SCHEDULE

By LOU KORAC
ST. LOUIS -- The NHL released its full 2016-17 regular season schedule on Tuesday, including that of the Blues, who open on the night the league opens, Oct. 12 at the Chicago Blackhawks.

The Blues play 12 sets of back-to-back games, including opening the season at Chicago and the home opener, Oct. 13 against the Minnesota Wild and new coach Bruce Boudreau. St. Louis will close the season April 8 at Carolina and at home against Colorado April 9, which is also the final day of the regular season for the entire league.

Some other highlights include a season-long six-game homestand Dec. 28-Jan. 10, which includes the 2017 NHL Bridgestone Winter Classic Jan. 2 against the Blackhawks at Busch Stadium, with an expected puck drop of noon.

The Blues' longest road trips include a pair of five games, one Feb. Feb. 6-15 and the other March 13-21.

The San Jose Sharks, who eliminated the Blues in the Western Conference Final, make their first and only visit to St. Louis Nov. 17, and the Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins make their only visit to Scottrade Center Jan. 24.

The busiest home months, each containing eight games, will be November and December, and the Blues will play 10 of 15 March games on the road, which isn't a surprise with the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament taking up residence for a four-day stretch at Scottrade Center in March.

The Blues will play their final regular season game at Detroit's Joe Louis Arena on Feb. 15 and make their first trip to Edmonton's new home, Rogers Place, on Oct. 20.

There are two sets of back-to-back games against the Calgary Flames (Oct. 22-25) and Arizona Coyotes (March 27-29); the Blues in fact play Arizona all three meetings in a 12-day stretch in March (18-29).

The bye break, a first of its kind in the league, for the Blues is after they play on Feb. 20. They'll have five days off before playing again on the 26th.

Here is the Blues' complete preseason and regular season schedule:

PRESEASON
SEPTEMBER
* 25 -- COLUMBUS, noon
* 25 -- at Columbus, 6 p.m.
26 -- at Dallas, 7:30 p.m.
30 -- DALLAS, 7 p.m.
OCTOBER
1 -- at Chicago, 7:30 p.m.
3 -- at Washington, 6 p.m.
5 -- WASHINGTON (at Kansas City), 7 p.m.
8 -- CHICAGO, 7 p.m.
* -- split squad games
REGULAR SEASON
12 -- at Chicago, 7:30 p.m.
13 -- MINNESOTA, 7 p.m.
15 -- N.Y. RANGERS, 7 p.m.
18 -- at Vancouver, 9 p.m.
20 -- at Edmonton, 8 p.m.
22 -- at Calgary, 9 p.m.
25 -- CALGARY, 7 p.m.
27 -- DETROIT, 7 p.m.
29 -- LOS ANGELES, 7 p.m.
NOVEMBER
1 -- at N.Y. Rangers, 6 p.m.
3 -- at Dallas, 7:30 p.m.
5 -- COLUMBUS, 6 p.m.
6 -- COLORADO, 4 p.m.
9 -- CHICAGO, 7 p.m.
10 -- at Nashville, 7 p.m.
12 -- at Columbus, 6 p.m.
15 -- BUFFALO, 7 p.m.
17 -- SAN JOSE, 7 p.m.
19 -- NASHVILLE, 7 p.m.
22 -- at Boston, 6 p.m.
23 -- at Washington, 6 p.m.
26 -- MINNESOTA, 7 p.m.
28 -- DALLAS, 7 p.m.
DECEMBER
1 -- TAMPA BAY, 7 p.m.
3 -- WINNIPEG, 6 p.m.
6 -- MONTREAL, 7 p.m.
8 -- at N.Y. Islanders, 6 p.m.
9 -- at New Jersey, 6:30 p.m.
11 -- at Minnesota, 5 p.m.
13 -- at Nashville, 7 p.m.
15 -- NEW JERSEY, 7 p.m.
17 -- CHICAGO, 7 p.m.
19 -- EDMONTON, 7 p.m.
20 -- at Dallas, 7:30 p.m.
22 -- at Tampa Bay, 6:30 p.m.
28 -- PHILADELPHIA, 7 p.m.
30 -- NASHVILLE, 7 p.m.
JANUARY
2 -- CHICAGO, noon
5 -- CAROLINA, 7 p.m.
7 -- DALLAS, 7 p.m.
10 -- BOSTON, 7 p.m.
12 -- at Los Angeles, 9:30 p.m.
14 -- at San Jose, 9:30 p.m.
15 -- at Anaheim, 8 p.m.
17 -- OTTAWA, 7 p.m.
19 -- WASHINGTON, 7 p.m.
21 -- at Winnipeg, 2 p.m.
24 -- at Pittsburgh, 6 p.m.
26 -- at Minnesota, 7 p.m.
31 -- WINNIPEG, 7 p.m.
FEBRUARY
2 -- TORONTO, 7 p.m.
4 -- PITTSBURGH, 7 p.m.
6 -- at Philadelphia, 6 p.m.
7 -- at Ottawa, 6:30 p.m.
9 -- at Toronto, 6:30 p.m.
11 -- at Montreal, 6 p.m.
15 -- at Detroit, 7 p.m.
16 -- VANCOUVER, 7 p.m.
18 -- at Buffalo, noon
20 -- FLORIDA, 7 p.m.
26 -- at Chicago, 6:30 p.m.
28 -- EDMONTON, 7 p.m.
MARCH
3 -- at Winnipeg, 7 p.m.
5 -- at Colorado, 7 p.m.
7 -- at Minnesota, 7 p.m.
10 -- ANAHEIM, 7 p.m.
11 -- N.Y. ISLANDERS, 7 p.m.
13 -- at Los Angeles, 9 p.m.
15 -- at Anaheim, 9 p.m.
16 -- at San Jose, 9:30 p.m.
18 -- at Arizona, 8 p.m.
21 -- at Colorado, 8 p.m.
25 -- CALGARY, 6 p.m.
27 -- ARIZONA, 7 p.m.
29 -- at Arizona, 9:30 p.m.
31 -- at Colorado, 8 p.m.
APRIL 
2 -- NASHVILLE, 5 p.m.
4 -- WINNIPEG, 7 p.m.
6 -- at Florida, 6:30 p.m.
8 -- at Carolina, 6 p.m.
9 -- COLORADO, 5 p.m.