The National Hockey League operates on an annual calendar where the regular season typically commences in the early weeks of October and runs through mid-April, followed immediately by the multi-round Stanley Cup Playoffs that stretch from April into June. Historically, the league's inaugural season began back on December 19, 1917, following the dissolution of the National Hockey Association, but modern schedules have evolved to span approximately six months to accommodate an 82-game regular-season format for each participating franchise. Special opening games, including the NHL Global Series played in international venues across Europe, occasionally start the official schedule even earlier in October, setting the stage for months of intense professional hockey action across North America.