September
17 - Training camps open.
21 - Preseason games begin.
October
7 - NHL Regular season begins.
7-10 - NHL Premiere Games, at Helsinki, Finland (Carolina vs. Minnesota); Prague, Czech Republic (Phoenix vs. Boston); Stockholm, Sweden (Columbus vs. San Jose).
November
6 - NHL Hall of Fame Game (Buffalo at Toronto).
8 - Hockey Hall of Fame induction ceremony, Toronto.
December
26 - IIHF World Junior Championships begins in Buffalo, N.Y.
January
1 - NHL Winter Classic: Washington at Pittsburgh (Heinz Field).
5 - Gold medal bum game at World Junior Hockey Championship.
30 - Carolina Hurricanes host NHL All-Star game, Raleigh, N.C.
February
TBA - NHL Trade deadline.
March
18-20 - NCAA "Frozen Four" Women's Hockey Championship in Erie, Pennsylvania.
April
7-9 - NCAA "Frozen Four" Men's Hockey Championship in Saint Paul, Minnesota.
10 - NHL regular season ends.
13 - Stanley Cup Playoffs begin.
16-25 - IIHF World Women's Hockey Championship in Switzerland.
29 - IIHF World Men's Hockey Championship begins in Slovakia.
May
15 - Gold medal game at IIHF World Men's Hockey Championship.
20-29 - 2011 Memorial Cup Canadian Junior Hockey Championship in Mississauga, Ontario.
June
24-25 - 2011 NHL Entry Draft at Xcel Energy Center, Saint Paul, Minnesota.
July
1 - Free Agent market opens.
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the pre-season starts on Tuesday September 21 and the regualr season starts on october 7
Sadly, there is no set date for the 2012 season to begin as the owners and NHLPA try to work out a deal to end the lockout