(Photo Credit: Boston Bruins)

By: Evan Michael | Follow me on Twitter @00EvanMichael

Do you remember… the 24th night of September? Doesn’t have the same ring to it as the Earth, Wind & Fire greatest hit from a few days earlier.

But for the 2022-23 Boston Bruins, it marks remembering the start of preseason hockey — always a hit because the B’s will be back on the ice gearing up for some meaningful games again soon.

To continue with the lyrical parallels that would certainly please the late great Maurice White, this time of the year is when the Black N’ Gold, and the fans, hope to see some new “Shining Stars” on the ice for Boston. And based on the two preseason weeks slated, they’ll have six games to do it!

So without further ado, it’s once again time to Mark Your Bruins Calendar ahead of this Fall’s preseason games, broken down below for your scheduling pleasure:

  • Saturday, Sept. 24 at Philadelphia Flyers (7 p.m.)
  • Tuesday, Sept. 27 vs. New York Rangers (7 p.m.)
  • Saturday, Oct. 1 vs. Philadelphia Flyers (1 p.m.)
  • Monday, Oct. 3 at New Jersey Devils (3 p.m.)
  • Wednesday, Oct. 5 at New York Rangers (7 p.m.)
  • Saturday, Oct. 8 vs. New Jersey Devils (7 p.m.)

That’s three games at home at TD Garden and three games on the road, with ALL games coming against the Metropolitan Division. Bring it on, Philadelphia Flyers, New Jersey Devils and New York Rangers!

Speaking of which, with the Flyers and Devils in rebuild/retool mode and the Rangers coming off a near Stanley Cup Finals berth, the Bruins will see both sides of the spectrum in terms of competition: two teams looking to prove the youth movement is the right way to go and another one hoping to prove the previous playoff run wasn’t a fluke.

Factor in the B’s fluky offseason surgery schedule (Brad Marchand, Charlie McAvoy, Mike Reilly and Matt Grzelcyk all needing “fixes”) and the still uncertain scheduling plans of Patrice Bergeron (reports have it, he’ll be back in Boston for another year) and you’ve got multiple fluid storylines to start the Fall, as well as Boston’s internal desire to prove the extension of General Manager Don Sweeney and the firing of Head Coach Bruce Cassidy were the right moves (reports are also out on this, not to mention who the Bruins brass will hire next).

So, the next time you see the bespoked-B skating around TD Garden ice, you may not recognize many of the faces in the lineup or behind the bench. Then again, isn’t that what preseason hockey is for? All the fine-tuning, line-shuffling, roster-rearranging fun — maddening as it may be!?

Well, there’ll be six chances to enjoy it before it all starts counting again. And you can count on team BN’G to preview all parts of the upcoming ’22-’23 NHL schedule for your beloved B’s thanks to our annual Mark Your Bruins Calendar series!

As Phillip Bailey would harmoniously say: “Come to see, victory.” Not a bad Fantasy for next year’s Boston Bruins!