Okay, mark your calendars for real this time: Oct. 4, 2017. And then Oct. 7, 2017. That’s when the Flames are back, for real.

Following their final preseason game on Sept. 30 during which they host the Winnipeg Jets, it appears the Flames will have three days in between games. Then it’ll be up to Edmonton to partake in their home opener on Oct. 4, and back home by Oct. 7 to host the Jets again, but in an actually meaningful contest.

The Flames are starting the season in Edmonton for the second season in a row. We can probably realistically hope for a better outcome this time around, if only by the virtue of Glen Gulutzan’s group actually knowing him and his style now (and hopefully no defencemen of Nicklas Grossmann’s caliber to give the puck away like a minute into the year).

A change from last year, though, is they will not be facing the Oilers immediately after. The Flames played against Edmonton in two quick bunches in 2016-17 – first to start the season, and then twice a week apart in January – but there is some hope their matchups might be a bit more spread out this go around.

Instead, to open the season at home the Flames will host another western Canadian team: the Winnipeg Jets, in what is probably the first Battle of Atlanta of the year. It’s unclear at present time if the Flames will start off their 2017-18 with any back-to-backs, or if they’ll have two days off between games, though I’d bet the latter.

The full schedule is expected to be released tomorrow.