Each and every year, hockey fans anticipate a pair of key dates on the calendar. One of these dates is the start of free agency, typically on July 1st. The other date is the trade deadline, which typically occurs in mid-late February or early March.
With the start of the season now officially less than a month away, the NHL has reportedly decided on the official date for the 2024 trade deadline. The league has also set up the schedule to allow teams to put their full focus on the deadline without having to worry about crossing the t's and dotting the i's with limited time before puck drop.
Per the league's official announcement, the deadline has landed on Friday, March 8th, 2024. The cutoff time remains the same, at 3:00 PM ET. The NHL schedule is set so that only four games take place on that day, but all will start at 9:00 PM ET or later, leaving plenty of time in between the get everything sorted out.
If you'll recall, this past deadline was a particularly busy day around the league, with 12 games on the schedule. That meant that 24 teams faced significant off-ice distractions on game day. It's nice to see the NHL take this into consideration for the upcoming season. It could even lead to more action on deadline day than we're typically used to seeing. Make sure you have March 8th circled on your calendar, folks!
