Mark your calendars — the Islanders’ 2024-25 schedule was released Tuesday afternoon.
The 82-game odyssey will start Oct. 10 at home against Utah and finish April 17 in Columbus as the Isles look to improve on their first-round playoff exit a season ago.
The Post hits on four takeaways from the schedule.
Roy’s return
Montreal’s tribute to Patrick Roy was one of the highlights of last season, but the Islanders’ head coach has yet to return to Colorado, the place in which he won multiple Stanley Cups as a player, and the state he last coached in the NHL.
It won’t take long for him to do so this season as the Islanders go to Denver on Oct. 14 in the third game of the season.
There will be just one chance for Roy to coach in Montreal this year, on Dec. 3, which will surely be worth circling on the calendar, as well.
New stop on the tour
With the Arizona Coyotes moving to Utah, there will be intrigue around the team’s first trip to Salt Lake City.
That won’t come until Jan. 11 as the Islanders finish out a road trip that will take them to Boston and Las Vegas before making their final stop in Utah.
The Islanders will, however, see the Utah Hockey Club right away, as they open the season at home against the new-look club.
After a busy few days in which general manager Bill Armstrong shored up his defense by trading for Mikhail Sergachev and John Marino, Utah figures to be tougher opposition than the Coyotes of yesteryear.
Road-heavy start
After a front-loaded home schedule last season, it’s the opposite for the Islanders in 2024-25.
They open the season at home, then immediately go west to Dallas, Colorado and St. Louis.
There’s also a five-game trip in November during which the Islanders will cross the border four times as they go through Seattle, western Canada and Detroit.
All in all, the Islanders will have seven road trips of three or more games this season, six of which will come before February’s Four Nations Tournament.
Not many home afternoons
For the third season of four at UBS Arena, there appears to be almost no emphasis on afternoon games.
There are just three afternoon home games on the schedule, and none until March 1 against the Predators, which is a 12:30 start.
March 22 against Calgary (4 p.m.) and April 6 against the Capitals (12:30) are the others.
