Detroit Red Wings

Red Wings Will Face Lightning In 2023-24 NHL Home Opener

Tampa Bay will be Detroit’s home opener opponent for second time in three seasons

Published

10 months ago

June 27, 2023

Bob Duff

Red Wings coach Derek Lalonde will be facing his old team the Tampa Bay Lightning in Detroit's home opener.

When it comes to categorizing the arch rival of the Detroit Red Wings, it’s easy to make a case for the Tampa Bay Lightning as the current villains in any scenario involving Detroit. The Lightning were the last team to oppose the Red Wings in a playoff series.

Adding further fuel to the fire, the Lightning are the former team of current Red Wings coach Derek Lalonde and the current team of former Detroit coach Jeff Blashill, now an assistant on the Tampa Bay staff.

Oh yes we did.

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— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) June 27, 2023

So perhaps it’s only appropriate that the first opponent that the Red Wings will be facing at Little Caesars Arena during the 2023-24 NHL regular season will be those same Lightning on Oct. 14. It’s the second time in three seasons that Tampa Bay are providing the opposition for Detroit’s home opener. In 2021-22, the Lightning outscored the Wings 7-6 in a thrilling overtime affair.

Last season, Detroit would post the club’s first road win at New Jersey. The Wings will be presented with a chance to repeat that history when the will be facing the Devils at the Prudential Center in their season opener on Oct. 12.

Five Of First Eight Red Wings Games At LCA

Following that road opener, Detroit gets five of the next seven and nine of the first 15 games of the 2023-24 campaign on home ice at LCA.

The 82-game slate includes 26 contests against Atlantic Division rivals. There’s also three games each facing the eight teams in the Eastern Conference’s Metropolitan Division (24 games) and two games apiece against all 16 Western Conference foes (32 games).

In November, the Red Wings travel to Sweden to participate in the 2023 NHL Global Series. They will face the Ottawa Senators (Thursday, Nov. 16) and Toronto Maple Leafs (Friday, Nov. 17) at Avicii Arena in Stockholm.

Returning to North America, the Wings will host the team’s annual Thanksgiving Eve (Wednesday, Nov. 22) game at Little Caesars Arena against the Devils. Anticipated first overall draftee Connor Bedard and the Chicago Blackhawks will visit Detroit on Nov. 30. The Red Wings will play host to their annual New Year’s Eve game at Little Caesars Arena against the Boston Bruins at 5 p.m.

The Stanley Cup champion Vegas Golden Knights will be making their only visit to LCA on Saturday, Jan. 27, part of a five-game Detroit homestand.