Finally, the day I (and a few others) have been waiting for has arrived…the unveiling of the 2013-14 AHL schedule. Before I go more into details, let’s start with the full slate of games for the Devils coming up in the fall…and winter…and into early spring.
OCTOBER
6 at Hartford 3PM
12 UTICA 5 PM
14 ADIRONDACK 2 PM
18 at Norfolk 7:30 PM
19 at Norfolk 7:15 PM
23 at Utica 7:35 PM
25 HARTFORD 7 PM
26 PORTLAND 5 PM
30 SYRACUSE 7 PM
NOVEMBER
1 NORFOLK 7 PM
2 at Adirondack 7 PM
5 at Bridgeport 11 AM
8 at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton 7:05 PM
9 ADIRONDACK 5 PM
11 BRIDGEPORT 2 PM
15 at Hartford 7 PM
16 at Syracuse 7 PM
20 HARTFORD 7 PM
22 at Springfield 7 PM
23 at Adirondack 7 PM
29 ADIRONDACK 7 PM
30 BRIDGEPORT 5 PM
DECEMBER
4 SPRINGFIELD 7 PM
7 at Binghamton 7:05 PM
13 BRIDGEPORT 7 PM
14 HARTFORD 5 PM
21 at Binghamton 7:05 PM
22 at Bridgeport 3 PM
27 ADIRONDACK 7 PM
28 PORTLAND 5 PM
29 at Bridgeport 3 PM
JANUARY
3 SPRINGFIELD 7 PM
4 at Adirondack 7 PM
7 SPRINGFIELD 7 PM
10 at Springfield 7 PM
11 MANCHESTER 5 PM
12 HERSHEY 4 PM*
17 at Utica 7 PM
18 at Adirondack 7 PM
19 at Hershey 5 PM
24 at Binghamton 7:05 PM
25 ADIRONDACK 2 PM
26 BINGHAMTON 3 PM
31 BRIDGEPORT 7 PM
FEBRUARY
1 at Hartford 7 PM
4 at Springfield 7 PM
8 at Bridgeport 7 PM
9 at Manchester 3 PM
14 HERSHEY 7 PM*
15 ADIRONDACK 5 PM
16 at Bridgeport 3 PM
21 at Adirondack 7 PM
22 NORFOLK 5 PM
23 UTICA 3 PM
MARCH
1 WILKES-BARRE/SCRANTON 7 PM*
2 at Providence 3:05 PM
7 at Portland 7 PM
8 at Hartford 7 PM
9 at Worcester 3 PM
14 at Springfield 7 PM
15 HARTFORD 5 PM
16 SYRACUSE 5 PM
19 BINGHAMTON 7 PM
22 at Syracuse 7 PM
23 WILKES-BARRE/SCRANTON 4 PM*
28 at Hershey 7 PM
29 WORCESTER 5 PM
30 BINGHAMTON 3 PM
APRIL
4 at Syracuse 7 PM
5 at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton 7:05 PM
6 at Adirondack 3 PM
11 BRIDGEPORT 7 PM
12 PROVIDENCE 5 PM
13 SYRACUSE 5 PM
18 at Portland 7 PM
19 SPRINGFIELD 5 PM
(Home games in CAPS)
*-at Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City
Now for a closer look at what’s to come:
Only 14 opponents on the schedule for this year, with Rochester and St. John’s going off the list and Utica coming in. Utica is also the only Western Conference team the Devils will face, with just four matchups. No crossing the Canadian border at all this season (boo, I wanted to hear Oh Canada at least once!).
Exactly half of the schedule–38 games–will be played within the Northeast Division: 8 games each with Hartford and Springfield (finally, more with the Ranger affiliate!), 10 with Bridgeport, and the usual 12 with Adirondack.
24 games against East Division opponents: 6 each with Binghamton and Syracuse, and 4 each with Norfolk, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, and Hershey. The remaining 10 come against the Atlantic Division: 4 with Portland, and 2 each with Manchester, Providence, and Worcester.
Breakdown by days of the week: Saturday leads the way with 28, followed by Friday with 22 (not a surprise). 16 on Sunday, 2 on Monday, 3 on Tuesday (?!), and 5 on Wednesday.
Once again, 4 home games will be played in Atlantic City’s Boardwalk Hall, something once again I wasn’t aware of. For those in Jersey interested in seeing the A-Devils up close, they will be there January 12th (Sunday afternoon), February 14th (Friday night), March 1st (Saturday night), and March 23rd (Sunday afternoon). Hershey and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton are the opponents, meaning the Bears and Penguins will not set foot in the Times Union Center at all unless a playoff miracle happens. At least no Adirondack games there so half of Philadelphia takes over the building…
Speaking of our friends to the north: April 6th will be the final matchup between the two teams. Since it is in Glens Falls, I suggest the Albany faithful keep this song handy, just incase you feel the need to troll.
Some other dates of note:
The Devils get 2 Monday holiday games at home: Columbus Day (Adirondack) and Veterans Day (Bridgeport).
One of the rare Tuesday games is in Bridgeport on November 5th, and it’s a school day 11:05 AM start. Bring the earplugs!
Only one Wednesday road game: first trip to Utica on October 23rd. But there are two Tuesday road trips, the aforementioned morning game in Bridgeport and on February 4th in Springfield.
As for me…the road schedule is very favorable. It appears I will be making almost all of my usual trips (as always, weather or work schedule permitting), maybe even try for one of the Atlantic City games.
And now the countdown to October 6th in Hartford begins…
Thoughts Inside The Box 