NHL fans south of the 4th parallel will get an extra added benefit on Monday.
The 2016 Stanley Cup Final will begin on Memorial Day.
The 2015 Stanley Cup Finals began on Wednesday June 3.
The earlier the Stanley Cup Finals begin, the sooner the NHL's new champion will be crowned.
We are assured to have new blood in this year's Cup Finals for the first time since 2011. The Western champ will come from St. Louis, who hasn't played in a Cup Final since 1970, or, San Jose, who have never played in the Cup finals in their 25 year existence. Tampa lost in the 2015 Cup finals to the Chicago Blackhawks. The Pittsburgh Penguins win the Stanley Cup in 2009.
Which city will be hosting Game 1 of the 2016 Stanley Cup Finals remains to be seen.
Plan your holiday weekend BBQ accordingly.
Per the NHL:
The National Hockey League today announced the schedule of dates for the 2016 Stanley Cup Final, which will begin on Monday, May 30. Additionally, Stanley Cup Final Media Day will be Sunday, May 29, in the host city for Game 1.
The Stanley Cup Final will match the winner of the Eastern Conference Final, either the Pittsburgh Penguins or Tampa Bay Lightning, against the winner of the Western Conference Final, either the St. Louis Blues or San Jose Sharks.
The club which earned the greater number of points in the 2015-16 regular season standings will have home-ice advantage in the Stanley Cup Final and will host Games 1, 2 and, if necessary, Games 5 and 7. The other club will host Games 3 and 4 and, if necessary, Game 6. The Blues collected 107 points during the regular season, most among the remaining teams, followed by the Penguins (104), Sharks (98) and Lightning (97).
The start time for all Stanley Cup Final games will be 8 p.m. ET. NBC Sports Group has exclusive coverage of the Final in the U.S., while CBC and TVA Sports have exclusive coverage throughout Canada.
2016 STANLEY CUP FINAL SCHEDULE (all start times 8 p.m., ET)
Game 1 Monday, May 30 Game 2 Wednesday, June 1 Game 3 Saturday, June 4 Game 4 Monday, June 6 Game 5* Thursday, June 9 Game 6* Sunday, June 12 Game 7* Wednesday, June 15
This marks the first time the Stanley Cup Final will begin in the month of May since 2012. That is when Jonathon Quick and L.A. Kings and New Jersey Devils dropped the puck on Game 1 of the Cup Finals. That series also began on May 30.
Quick and the Kings won the Cup in five games in 2012.