The Colorado Avalanche announced their 2021-22 regular-season schedule Thursday, and the pandemic era of six-game series against single opponents has ended.

The Avalanche are due to open at home Oct. 13 against the Chicago Blackhawks. Another home game will follow on Oct. 16 against St. Louis.

With the Seattle Kraken joining the Pacific Division, the Arizona Coyotes will move to the Central. It now consists of eight teams. Colorado will face Seattle, the NHL’s newest franchise, for the first time Nov. 19 on the road.

The Colorado schedule includes a break Feb. 2 to Feb. 24 for the All-Star Game and Winter Olympics, although there’s no agreement in place regarding the NHL’s participation in the latter.

Single-game tickets go on sale Saturday at 10 a.m.

2021-22 COLORADO AVALANCHE SCHEDULE

Wed, Oct 13 VS. CHI

Sat, Oct 16 VS. STL

Tue, Oct 19 @ WSH

Thu, Oct 21 @ FLA

Sat, Oct 23 @ TBL

Tue, Oct 26 VS. VGK

Thu, Oct 28 @ STL

Sat, Oct 30 VS. MIN

Wed, Nov 3 VS. CBJ

Sat, Nov 6 @ CBJ

Thu, Nov 11 VS. VAN

Sat, Nov 13 VS. SJS

Wed, Nov 17 @ VAN

Fri, Nov 19 @ SEA

Mon, Nov 22 VS. OTT

Wed, Nov 24 VS. ANA

Fri, Nov 26 @ DAL

Sat, Nov 27 VS. NSH

Wed, Dec 1 @ TOR

Thu, Dec 2 @ MTL

Sat, Dec 4 @ OTT

Mon, Dec 6 @ PHI

Wed, Dec 8 @ NYR

Fri, Dec 10 VS. DET

Sun, Dec 12 VS. FLA

Tue, Dec 14 VS. NYR

Thu, Dec 16 @ NSH

Sat, Dec 18 VS. TBL

Mon, Dec 20 @ DET

Wed, Dec 22 @ BUF

Thu, Dec 23 @ BOS

Mon, Dec 27 @ VGK

Wed, Dec 29 VS. DAL

Fri, Dec 31 @ DAL

Sun, Jan 2 VS. ANA

Tue, Jan 4 @ CHI

Thu, Jan 6 VS. WPG

Sat, Jan 8 VS. TOR

Mon, Jan 10 VS. SEA

Tue, Jan 11 @ NSH

Fri, Jan 14 VS. ARI

Sat, Jan 15 @ ARI

Mon, Jan 17 VS. MIN

Wed, Jan 19 @ ANA

Thu, Jan 20 @ LAK

Sat, Jan 22 VS. MTL

Mon, Jan 24 VS. CHI

Wed, Jan 26 VS. BOS

Fri, Jan 28 @ CHI

Sun, Jan 30 VS. BUF

Tue, Feb 1 VS. ARI

Fri, Feb 25 VS. WPG

Sat, Feb 26 @ VGK

Tue, Mar 1 VS. NYI

Thu, Mar 3 @ ARI

Sat, Mar 5 VS. CGY

Mon, Mar 7 @ NYI

Tue, Mar 8 @ NJD

Thu, Mar 10 @ CAR

Sun, Mar 13 VS. CGY

Tue, Mar 15 @ LAK

Fri, Mar 18 @ SJS

Mon, Mar 21 VS. EDM

Wed, Mar 23 VS. VAN

Fri, Mar 25 VS. PHI

Sun, Mar 27 @ MIN

Tue, Mar 29 @ CGY

Thu, Mar 31 VS. SJS

Sat, Apr 2 VS. PIT

Tue, Apr 5 @ PIT

Fri, Apr 8 @ WPG

Sat, Apr 9 @ EDM

Wed, Apr 13 VS. LAK

Thu, Apr 14 VS. NJD

Sat, Apr 16 VS. CAR

Mon, Apr 18 VS. WSH

Wed, Apr 20 @ SEA

Fri, Apr 22 @ EDM

Sun, Apr 24 @ WPG

Tue, Apr 26 VS.

TBD VS. STL

Thu, Apr 28 VS.

TBD VS. NSH

Fri, Apr 29 @

TBD @ MIN

Click or tap here for more on the schedule.

Draft Day 1

The Avalanche have pick No. 28 in the first round of the NHL Entry Draft, which begins Friday.

In mock drafts, NHL.com’s Mike Morreale and NBC Sports’ Sean Leahy both went with Samu Tuomaala, a right winger from Karpat Jr. of the Finnish Elite League, to the Avalanche. Tuomaala’s slick skating ability is noted, usually a top Colorado priority.

With little to no recent game action to draw on across the board, this could be a hard draft to predict.

“There’s some mystery to this draft,” Avalanche director of amateur scouting Wade Klippenstein said Tuesday.

“There’s going to be some players that are selected maybe later this year that are going to be better than the ones selected before there.”

Calvert retires

Forward Matt Calvert retired from the NHL on Thursday after 11 seasons, with the most recent three in Colorado. He was set to become an unrestricted free agent next week.

The NHL Players’ Association posted a statement from the 31-year-old, adding he retired “due to a career-ending injury.” Calvert had three assists in 18 games with the Avalanche in 2020-21 but his last appearance was March 23.

Calvert scored 203 points (95 goals, 108 assists) in 566 regular-season games with the Columbus Blue Jackets, who drafted him in the fifth round in 2008, and the Avalanche. He added 17 points (seven goals, 10 assists) in 32 playoff games.

“I never played to make it to the NHL. I played to compete,” Calvert said according to the NHLPA release. “I played for my teammates. I played for the fans. I played for my family. I played because I loved to battle, and I played to win. I dreamt of becoming an accountant when I was 18 years old and three years later, I was playing in the NHL.”

He said he looked forward to skating on outdoor rinks with his two sons in retirement.

Sherwood re-signed

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