WINNIPEG – The Winnipeg Jets welcome Anze Kopitar and the Los Angeles Kings to Bell MTS Place October 9 as they open up the home portion of the 2018-19 regular season. The Jets will open up the season on the road in St. Louis against the Blues Oct. 4.

The NHL announced the home openers for all 31 teams on Wednesday, and will release the full NHL schedule Thursday.

The announcement comes just hours before the NHL Awards take place in Las Vegas, where three members of the Jets organization will be looking to bring home some hardware after coming off the organization’s most successful season in franchise history.

Captain Blake Wheeler is nominated for the Mark Messier Leadership Award, while Connor Hellebuyck is vying for the Vezina Trophy given to the league’s top netminder. Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff is up for the General Manager of the Year award after building the club that finished 52-20-10 in the regular season before being knocked out in the five games by Las Vegas in the Western Conference Final.

Cheveldayoff has a busy few days ahead with the NHL Entry Draft taking place this coming Friday and Saturday in Dallas. Winnipeg has six picks, with their first not coming until the second round, 60th overall, after they traded their first-round pick to St. Louis in the Paul Stastny deal.