Predictions for the new NHL season, including an all-Canadian Stanley Cup final

The NHL season begins in Prague, makes a stop in Finland in November and there are more than 1,200 games to be played around North America.

The Florida Panthers raise their first Stanley Cup championship banner and the Utah Hockey Club plays its first game since moving from Arizona as part of a tripleheader to truly debut the season on Oct. 8. Not long after, San Jose hopes to see the debut of No. 1 pick Macklin Celebrini.

What follows is a six-month dash to the playoffs until the final day of the regular season on April 17. Alex Ovechkin is 42 goals away from breaking Wayne Gretzky's career record, while Connor McDavid, Nathan MacKinnon and Auston Matthews are again expected to be in the MVP race.

The Stanley Cup could be handed out as late as June 23. The Panthers and Edmonton Oilers, who lost by one goal in Game 7 of the final, are among the favourites.

Here's what you need to know going into hockey season, as AP Hockey Writers John Wawrow and Stephen Whyno predict the NHL's playoff-bound teams, finalists, Cup champion and award winners.

Wawrow: A driven new owner who has opened the purse strings, coupled with high expectations in Salt Lake City, place the focus on coach Andre Tourigny to get Utah off to a good start after years of slogging through the season in Arizona.

Whyno: Mike Sullivan is undoubtedly one of the best coaches in hockey, but it has been seven years since the second of Pittsburgh's back-to-back titles. Penguins ownership wants to fight father time and keep winning, and second-year president of hockey operations Kyle Dubas only has so many levers to pull with an aging core after missing the playoffs in consecutive seasons. A new voice behind the bench is one of them.

Hart Trophy (MVP)

Wawrow: