Sharks release full 2021 schedule and game start times
January 5, 2021 by Fear The Fin Leave a Comment
Photo by Brandon Magnus/NHLI via Getty Images
Eight games against everyone in the West and 12 back-to-backs.
The NHL announced a 56-game schedule on December 23, 2020, to begin on January 13, 2021 and run through May 8, with a new divisional alignment. On Monday, the league announced all of the game start times, completing the schedule for the 2021 season, which will see intradivisional play only.
The San Jose Sharks will begin the season on the road, facing the Arizona Coyotes, St. Louis Blues, Minnesota Wild and Colorado Avalanche, each in a two-game series throughout the month of January. The hope is that they will be able to return to San Jose on February 1, to host a series against the Vegas Golden Knights.
The team will hit the road again after the Vegas series, perhaps to limit rescheduling should they not be able to return to SAP Center. Santa Clara County coronavirus regulations forced the Sharks to move their training camp to Scottsdale, Arizona.
The schedule is packed, with the Sharks playing every other night throughout January and 12 total back-to-backs, including a back-to-back series to close out the season on May 7 and May 8. The 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs will begin on May 11, with the top four teams in each division making the postseason.
You can view and download the full schedule on the Sharks' website.
Currently, the Sharks are not set to appear on NBC nationally this season. As an NHL.tv out-of-market subscriber, I won't mind the lack of blacked out games and I much prefer the Sharks' broadcasting team. On a personal level, it's fine. On a league-level, it seems a little strange, but it's not like the national match-ups have ever been that good, anyway.
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