Blackhawks open season Oct. 10 in New York Home opener is Oct. 13 vs. Nashville

The Blackhawks announced Thursday the franchise's 81st regular-season schedule, which begins when the team battles the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden on Friday, Oct. 10, at 6 p.m. CDT.

The Hawks open their 41-game home slate at the United Center against the Nashville Predators on Monday, Oct. 13, at 7:30 p.m.

Twenty-five of the Blackhawks' 41 home contests will be played on the weekend, which includes 14 on Sunday. Sixteen of the Hawks' final 23 games will be at the United Center, including 15 during March, the squad's most in any month during the 2008-09 campaign.

The Blackhawks will skate against the Stanley Cup Champion Detroit Red Wings six times, including the NHL Winter Classic 2009 at Wrigley Field on New Year's Day.

The Hawks will match up against each of their other Central Division rivals (Columbus Nashville, St. Louis) six times and their remaining 10 Western Conference foes four times apiece.

The schedule also features a Feb. 27 battle against Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins at the United Center along with at least one game, home or away, against each of the 14 other Eastern Conference clubs.

All 82 Blackhawks games this season will be televised in HD on Comcast SportsNet Chicago and WGN-TV, the official television broadcasting partners of the Blackhawks.

2008-09 Blackhawks schedule

Home game opponents appear in ALL CAPS; all times Central; schedule subject to change; X-preseason

*NHL Winter Classic 2009 at Wrigley Field

X-Tue., Sept. 23 COLUMBUS 7:30 P.M.

X-Fri., Sept. 26 MINNESOTA 7:30 P.M.

X-Sun., Sept. 28 DALLAS 6:00 P.M.

X-Mon., Sept. 29 at Columbus 6:00 P.M.

X-Tue., Sept. 30 at Minnesota 7:00 P.M.

X-Thu., Oct. 2 at Dallas 7:30 P.M.

X-Fri., Oct. 3 at Colorado 8:00 P.M.

X-Sun., Oct. 5 COLORADO 6:00 P.M.

Fri., Oct. 10 at NY Rangers 6:00 P.M.

Sat., Oct. 11 at Washington 6:00 P.M.

Mon., Oct. 13 NASHVILLE 7:30 P.M.

Wed., Oct. 15 PHOENIX 7:30 P.M.

Sat., Oct. 18 at St. Louis 7:30 P.M.

Sun., Oct. 19 VANCOUVER 6:00 P.M.

Wed., Oct. 22 EDMONTON 8:00 P.M.

Sat., Oct. 25 DETROIT 7:30 P.M.

Mon., Oct. 27 at Minnesota 7:00 P.M.

Fri., Oct. 31 DALLAS 7:30 P.M.

Sat., Nov. 1 at Columbus 6:00 P.M.

Mon., Nov. 3 COLORADO 7:30 P.M.

Sun., Nov. 9 CALGARY 6:00 P.M.

Wed., Nov. 12 BOSTON 7:30 P.M.

Fri., Nov. 14 ST. LOUIS 7:30 P.M.

Sun., Nov. 16 SAN JOSE 6:00 P.M.

Tue., Nov. 18 at Phoenix 9:00 P.M.

Thu., Nov. 20 at Dallas 7:30 P.M.

Sat., Nov. 22 at Toronto 6:00 P.M.

Wed., Nov. 26 at San Jose 9:30 P.M.

Fri, Nov. 28 at Anaheim 3:00 P.M.

Sat., Nov. 29 at Los Angeles 3:00 P.M.

Wed., Dec. 3 ANAHEIM 7:30 P.M.

Sat., Dec. 6 at Detroit 6:00 P.M.

Sun., Dec. 7 PHOENIX 6:00 P.M.

Wed., Dec. 10 OTTAWA 7:30 P.M.

Fri., Dec. 12 at Colorado 8:00 P.M.

Sun., Dec. 14 COLUMBUS 6:00 P.M.

Tue., Dec. 16 at Edmonton 8:00 P.M.

Fri., Dec. 19 at Calgary 8:00 P.M.

Sat., Dec. 20 at Vancouver 9:00 P.M.

Fri., Dec. 26 PHILADELPHIA 7:30 P.M.

Sun., Dec. 28 at Minnesota 5:00 P.M.

Tue., Dec. 30 at Detroit 6:30 P.M.

Thu., Jan. 1 DETROIT* 12:00 P.M.

Sun., Jan. 4 CALGARY 6:00 P.M.

Tue., Jan. 6 at Phoenix 9:00 P.M.

Thu., Jan. 8 at Colorado 8:00 P.M.

Sat., Jan. 10 at Nashville 7:00 P.M.

Sun., Jan. 11 NASHVILLE 6:00 P.M.

Wed., Jan. 14 BUFFALO 7:30 P.M.

Fri., Jan. 16 NY RANGERS 7:30 P.M.

Sat., Jan. 17 at St. Louis 7:30 P.M.

Mon., Jan. 19 MINNESOTA 7:00 P.M.

Wed., Jan. 21 ST. LOUIS 7:30 P.M.

Wed., Jan. 28 at Anaheim 9:00 P.M.

Thu., Jan. 29 at Los Angeles 9:30 P.M.

Sat., Jan. 31 at San Jose 9:30 P.M.

Tue., Feb. 3 at Edmonton 8:00 P.M.

Thu., Feb. 5 at Calgary 8:00 P.M.

Sat., Feb. 7 at Vancouver 9:00 P.M.

Wed., Feb. 11 at Atlanta 6:00 P.M.

Fri., Feb. 13 at St. Louis 7:30 P.M.

Sat., Feb. 14 DALLAS 7:30 P.M.

Tue., Feb. 17 at Tampa Bay 6:30 P.M.

Thu., Feb. 19 at Florida 6:30 P.M.

Sat., Feb. 21 at Dallas 2:00 P.M.

Sun., Feb. 22 MINNESOTA 6:00 P.M.

Tue., Feb. 24 at Nashville 7:00 P.M.

Fri., Feb. 27 PITTSBURGH 7:30 P.M.

Sun., Mar 1 LOS ANGELES 2:00 P.M.

Tue., Mar 3 ANAHEIM 7:30 P.M.

Sat., Mar 7 at Boston 12:00 P.M.

Sun., Mar 8 COLORADO 2:00 P.M.

Wed., Mar 11 CAROLINA 7:30 P.M.

Fri., Mar 13 COLUMBUS 7:30 P.M.

Sun., Mar 15 NY ISLANDERS 2:00 P.M.

Tue., Mar 17 at New Jersey 6:00 P.M.

Wed., Mar 18 at Columbus 6:00 P.M.

Fri., Mar 20 EDMONTON 7:30 P.M.

Sun., Mar 22 LOS ANGELES 2:00 P.M.

Wed., Mar 25 SAN JOSE 7:30 P.M.

Fri., Mar 27 NEW JERSEY 7:30 P.M.

Sun., Mar 29 VANCOUVER 6:00 P.M.

Tue., Mar 31 at Montreal 6:30 P.M.

Wed., April 1 ST. LOUIS 7:30 P.M.

Fri., April 3 NASHVILLE 7:30 P.M.

Sun., April 5 at Columbus 4:00 P.M.

Tue., April 7 at Nashville 7:00 P.M.

Wed., April 8 COLUMBUS 7:30 P.M.

Sat., April 11 at Detroit 2:00 P.M.

Sun., April 12 DETROIT 4:00 P.M.