The full Edmonton Oilers schedule is now out, in addition to the national TV broadcasts for the US and Canadian markets. With the team back in town for Captain’s skates that have had near perfect attendance, Oilers fans are eagerly looking forward to the start of the season.
Young Stars Classic
The first chance fans will get a chance to see the Oilers jersey in action will come Friday, when the Oilers prospects will head to Penticton for the annual Young Stars Classic. Here’s how the schedule will breakdown.
| Date | Time (MT) | Opponent | TV Network |
| Friday, September 15 | 4:45 PM | Oilers Prospects vs Winnipeg | Oilers+ |
| Saturday, September 16 | 8:15 PM | Oilers Prospects vs Calgary | Oilers+ |
| Monday, September 18 | 3:15 PM | Oilers Prospects vs Vancouver | Oilers+ |
The Oilers will play all three other Western Canadian teams, including afternoon games on Friday and Monday while they’ll have a late night date with the Calgary Flames on Saturday evening.
Preseason schedule
The first appearances for the Oilers regulars (mixed in with PTOs) will come in the preseason, where the OIlers will play the max eight games in home and home sets, starting on September 24.
| Date | Time (MT) | Opponent | TV Network |
| Sunday, September 24 | 4:00 PM | vs. Winnipeg | Oilers+* |
| Monday, September 25 | 6:00 PM | @ Winnipeg | Oilers+* |
| Wednesday, September 27 | 7:00 PM | vs. Vancouver | SN1/SN360/TVAS |
| Friday, September 29 | 7:00 PM | @ Calgary | Oilers+* |
| Saturday, September 30 | 7:00 PM | @ Vancouver | SNW/SNP/SN1 |
| Monday, October 2 | 8:00 PM | @ Seattle | Oilers+* |
| Wednesday, October 4 | 7:00 PM | vs. Calgary | Oilers+* |
| Friday, October 6 | 7:00 PM | vs. Seattle | Oilers+* |
The Oilers schedule starts with an afternoon game against the Winnipeg Jets at home, followed by a visit to Manitoba. The next six games see visits to and from Vancouver, Calgary, and Seattle. There are two games that will have national broadcasts, while the rest should be available through some sort of stream. Last year, the Oilers streamed the untelevised games on Youtube, but based on the addition of Oilers+ and the service now hosting the prospects games, I’d assume the other preseason games will also be shown there.
Regular season begins
The Oilers open their regular season on October 11 in Vancouver. Here’s the rest of the month’s schedule:
| Date | Time | Opponent | TV Network |
| Wednesday, October 11 | 8:00 PM | @ Vancouver | SN |
| Saturday, October 14 | 8:00 PM | vs. Vancouver | SN/HNIC |
| Tuesday, October 17 | 6:00 PM | @ Nashville | SNW |
| Thursday, October 19 | 5:30 PM | @ Philadelphia | SNW/ESPN+/Hulu |
| Saturday, October 21 | 8:00 PM | vs. Winnipeg | SN/HNIC/TVAS |
| Tuesday, October 24 | 7:00 PM | @ Minnesota | SNW |
| Thursday, October 26 | 7:00 PM | vs. New York Rangers | SNW/TVAS |
| Sunday, October 29* | 5:00 PM | vs. Calgary | HNIC/SN/TVAS |
October sees two Hockey Night in Canada games at home against Canadian opponents. The Oilers also have some early starts when they venture east, including a US nationally televised game against the Philadelphia Flyers, where Edmonton products Stuart Skinner and Carter Hart will go head-to-head. The month is capped by the Heritage Classic against Calgary, where puck drop will be determined by the outdoor conditions at Commonwealth Stadium.
What to expect until the end of 2023
November has three matinees: two on Saturdays along with one on Black Friday. The Oilers have some rare 6:30 home starts against the New York Islanders and Seattle Kraken mid-month during national broadcasts.
| Date | Time (MT) | Opponent | TV Network |
| Thursday, November 2 | 7:00 PM | vs. Dallas | SNW |
| Saturday, November 4 | 1:00 PM | vs. Nashville | SNW |
| Monday, November 6 | 8:00 PM | @ Vancouver | SNW/TVAS |
| Thursday, November 9 | 8:30 PM | @ San Jose | SNW/ESPN+/Hulu |
| Saturday, November 11 | 8:00 PM | @ Seattle | SN/HNIC/TVAS |
| Monday, November 13 | 6:30 PM | vs. New York Islanders | SN/TVAS |
| Wednesday, November 15 | 6:30 PM | vs. Seattle | SN |
| Saturday, November 18 | 2:00 PM | @ Tampa Bay | SNW |
| Monday, November 20 | 5:00 PM | @ Florida | SN |
| Wednesday, November 22 | 5:00 PM | @ Carolina | SN |
| Friday, November 24 | 1:00 PM | @ Washington | SNW |
| Sunday, November 26 | 7:00 PM | vs. Anaheim | SNW |
| Tuesday, November 28 | 7:00 PM | vs. Las Vegas | SNW/TVAS |
| Thursday, November 30 | 6:00 PM | @ Winnipeg | SNW |
The Oilers play 12 games in the final month of 2023. Hers’s how the December schedule breaks out:
| Date | Time | Opponent | Network |
| Wednesday, December 6 | 7:30 PM | vs. Carolina | SNW/TVAS/TNT |
| Friday, December 8 | 7:00 PM | vs. Minnesota | SNW/TVAS |
| Sunday, December 10 | 2:00 PM | vs. New Jersey | SNW/TVAS |
| Tuesday, December 12 | 8:00 PM | vs. Chicago | SNW/TVAS/ESPN |
| Thursday, December 14 | 7:00 PM | vs. Tampa Bay | SNW |
| Saturday, December 16 | 8:00 PM | vs. Florida | SN/HNIC/TVAS2 |
| Tuesday, December 19 | 5:30 PM | @ New York Islanders | SNW/ESPN+/Hulu |
| Thursday, December 21 | 5:30 PM | @ New Jersey | SNW/ESPN+/Hulu |
| Friday, December 22 | 5:30 PM | @ New York Rangers | SNW/TVAS/ESPN+/Hulu |
| Thursday, December 28 | 8:30 PM | @ San Jose | SNW |
| Saturday, December 30 | 8:00 PM | @ Los Angeles | SN/HNIC/TVAS |
| Sunday, December 31 | 6:00 PM | @Anaheim | SNW |
The Oilers start December with a six-game homestand, followed by a trip to the New York area that come with early start times. They then finish the year on a California swing, that ends on New Year’s Eve in Anaheim. The month also also features four US national broadcasts, including a Tuesday match up between Connor McDavid and Connor Bedard.
The start of 2024
January is a bit more brief, with the All-Star break coming at the end of the month. There’s a mix of early starts from east road games along with a home matinee to wrap up the month against Nashville. There’s only one national US broadcast in the month, seeing the McDavid versus Bedard battle once again.
| Date | Time | Opponent | TV Network |
| Tuesday, January 2 | 7:00 PM | vs. Philadelphia | SNW |
| Saturday, January 6 | 8:00 PM | vs. Ottawa | SN/HNIC/TVAS |
| Tuesday, January 9 | 6:30 PM | @ Chicago | SNW/ESPN+/Hulu |
| Thursday, January 11 | 5:00 PM | @ Detroit | SNW |
| Saturday, January 13 | 5:00 PM | @ Montreal | SN/HNIC/TVAS |
| Tuesday, January 16 | 7:00 PM | vs. Toronto | SNW/TVAS |
| Thursday, January 18 | 7:00 PM | vs. Seattle | SNW |
| Saturday, January 20 | 8:00 PM | @ Calgary | SN/HNIC |
| Tuesday, January 23 | 7:00 PM | vs. Columbus | SNW/TVAS |
| Thursday, January 25 | 7:00 PM | vs. Chicago | SNW/TVAS |
| Saturday, January 27 | 2:00 PM | vs. Nashville | SNW |
February is a high exposure month of the Oilers, with four national broadcasts with game against Vegas, Dallas, Boston, and St. Louis. The Oilers also play two matinees over family day weekend, and see another 6:30 PM home start in the St. Louis game.
| Date | Time | Opponent | TV Network |
| Tuesday, February 6 | 8:00 PM | @ Vegas | SNW/TVAS/ESPN+/Hulu |
| Friday, February 9 | 8:00 PM | @ Anaheim | SNW/TVAS |
| Saturday, February 10 | 8:00 PM | @ Los Angeles | SN/HNIC/TVAS |
| Tuesday, February 13 | 7:00 PM | vs. Detroit | SNW/TVAS |
| Thursday, February 15 | 6:00 PM | @ St. Louis | SNW |
| Saturday, February 17 | 1:00 PM | @ Dallas | SNW/ABC/ESPN+ |
| Monday, February 19 | 2:00 PM | @ Arizona | SNW |
| Wednesday, February 21 | 8:00 PM | vs. Boston | SNW/TVAS/TNT |
| Friday, February 23 | 7:00 PM | vs. Minnesota | SNW/TVAS |
| Saturday, February 24 | 8:00 PM | vs. Calgary | SN/HNIC/TVAS |
| Monday, February 26 | 7:30 PM | vs. Los Angeles | SNW/TVAS |
| Wednesday, February 28 | 6:30 PM | vs. St Louis | SN/TVAS/TNT |
Heading towards the end of the season
The Oilers play another four games in front of US audiences in March, highlighted by matchups with Sidney Crosby, Alex Ovechkin, in addition to the Bruins and Sabres. The eastern swings see early start times while the Oilers have a matinee in Seattle and one at home against the Habs.
| Date | Time | Opponent | TV Network |
| Saturday, March 2 | 2:00 PM | @ Seattle | SNW |
| Sunday, March 3 | 7:00 PM | vs. Pittsburgh | SNW/TVAS |
| Tuesday, March 5 | 5:30 PM | @ Boston | SNW/TVAS/ESPN+/Hulu |
| Thursday, March 7 | 5:00 PM | @ Columbus | SNW |
| Saturday, March 9 | 10:30 AM | @ Buffalo | SNW/ESPN+/Hulu |
| Sunday, March 10 | 11:00 AM | @ Pittsburgh | SNW/TVAS/TNT |
| Wednesday, March 13 | 8:00 PM | vs. Washington | SNW/TVAS/TNT |
| Saturday, March 16 | 8:00 PM | vs. Colorado | SN/HNIC/TVAS2 |
| Tuesday, March 19 | 7:00 PM | vs. Montreal | SNW |
| Thursday, March 21 | 7:00 PM | vs. Buffalo | SNW |
| Saturday, March 23 | 5:00 PM | @ Toronto | SN/HNIC |
| Sunday, March 24 | 4:00 PM | @ Ottawa | SNW/TSN5/TVAS |
| Tuesday, March 26 | 6:00 PM | @ Winnipeg | SNW |
| Thursday, March 28 | 7:00 PM | vs. Los Angeles | SNW |
| Saturday, March 30 | 2:00 PM | vs. Anaheim | SNW |
The Oilers’ regular season ends with a date on ESPN with the Colorado Avalanche. April also includes a TNT matchup with the Vegas Golden Knights with a 6:30 PM start. Overall, the month keeps the Oilers in the west leading to regular game times and pretty standard network viewings heading into the playoffs.
| Date | Time | Opponent | TV Network |
| Monday, April 1 | 7:00 PM | @ St. Louis | SNW |
| Wednesday, April 3 | 7:00 PM | @ Dallas | SNW |
| Friday, April 5 | 7:00 PM | vs. Colorado | SNW/TVAS |
| Saturday, April 6 | 8:00 PM | @ Calgary | SN/HNIC/TVAS2 |
| Wednesday, April 10 | 6:30 PM | vs. Vegas | SN/TNT |
| Friday, April 12 | 7:00 PM | vs. Arizona | SNW |
| Saturday, April 13 | 8:00 PM | vs. Vancouver | SN/HNIC |
| Monday, April 15 | 7:30 PM | vs. San Jose | SNW/TVAS |
| Wednesday, April 17 | 8:00 PM | @ Arizona | SNW/TVAS |
| Thursday, April 18 | 7:30 PM | @ Colorado | SNW/TVAS/ESPN |
The Oilers play 16 games on US National TV, the most of any team in the NHL. Even as a Canadian franchise, the excitement that comes from watching a McDavid and Draisaitl powered offence will provide entertainment value for non-local audiences with key match ups being feature. The Oilers also play their fair share of matinees and see some early local start times, as the league tries to expose it’s best player to more audiences during Primetime hours in the Eastern time zone.
Photo by Curtis Comeau/Icon Sportswire
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