The Avalanche will open the 2008-09 NHL season against the Boston Bruins at the Pepsi Center on Thursday, Oct. 9 or Friday, Oct. 10, the third year in a row the club will begin at home.

Avalanche and league officials were working Wednesday to finalize the opening date and the complete 82-game regular-season schedule, which will be released today.

The Bruins also were the opponent Oct. 13, 1999, when the Avalanche played its first game at the Pepsi Center - a 2-1 Colorado win - after four seasons at McNichols Sports Arena. The Avalanche began that season with five consecutive road games.

A change in the NHL schedule has reduced the number of games the Avalanche will play against each Northwest Division member from eight to six. The Avalanche will play four games against each team in the Pacific and Central Divisions and a total of 18 games against Eastern Conference clubs.

The Avalanche will play home- and-home games against three teams from the East - Atlanta, Philadelphia and Tampa Bay - and one game each against the 12 remaining teams from that conference.

The Avalanche has yet to announce its preseason schedule, but the team will play Los Angeles at home Wednesday, Sept. 24, and at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on Saturday, Sept. 27. A game at Dallas on Thursday, Sept. 25, also is on the schedule.