The National Hockey League yesterday released the Penguins' regular-season schedule for 2008-09, which opens with a trip to Stockholm, Sweden, and two games Oct. 4-5 against Ottawa.

The schedule includes an eight-game late-season home-stand that could be crucial to the team's playoff chances.

After the trip to Sweden, the defending Eastern Conference champion Penguins will play their home opener Oct. 11 at Mellon Arena against the New Jersey Devils. That game opens a four-game homestand Oct. 14-18 that includes Philadelphia, Washington and Toronto.

The Penguins will play six games each against Atlantic Division rivals Philadelphia, the New York Rangers, New Jersey and the New York Islanders -- three at home, three on the road. They will play four games each against the other 10 teams in the Eastern Conference -- two at home, two on the road.

Of the 82 regular-season games, the Penguins will play 64 against Eastern Conference teams and 18 against Western Conference representatives.

For the first time since a lockout canceled the 2004-05 NHL season, the schedule will have Eastern Conference teams playing each Western Conference team at least once.

The Penguins will play Western Conference teams Detroit -- which beat them in the Stanley Cup final -- San Jose and Columbus twice this season, once at home and once on the road.

The Penguins will make a Nov. 11 trip to Joe Louis Arena; the Red Wings visit Feb. 8.

The Penguins' longest road swing is a five-game trip between Feb. 27-March 8. They will play in Chicago, Dallas, Tampa Bay, Florida and Washington.

The eight-game late-season homestand will be March 14-April 1. Ottawa, Boston, Atlanta, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Calgary, the New York Rangers and New Jersey will visit Mellon Arena.

The regular season ends April 11 with a trip to Montreal.

The Penguins also announced that 99 percent of season tickets for the upcoming season have been renewed. Fans who are at the top of the season ticket waiting list will have the opportunity to purchase the limited number of season tickets that have become available.

"This is another tribute to the passion and loyalty of Pittsburgh Penguins fans and, especially, our season ticket holders," team president David Morehouse said in a news release. "It also gives us an opportunity to reward some of the fans who have been on our season ticket waiting list with the chance to buy Penguins season tickets. The waiting list is at more than 2,100 right now, and it is growing every week."

Seating capacity at Mellon Arena is 16,940, but the organization said the number of full-season ticket equivalents is capped at 14,000.

"We think it is important to cap the number of full- and half-season tickets so that Penguins tickets continue to be available to a wider range of fans," Morehouse said.

Six-game miniplans will go on sale Sept. 4 only to those on the waiting list. Individual game tickets will go on sale to the public Sept. 20.

The Penguins have sold out 67 consecutive games at Mellon Arena and sold out every home game last season for the first time in franchise history.

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NOTE -- The Penguins yesterday acquired the rights to defenseman Danny Richmond in exchange for the rights to forward Tim Brent. Richmond, 23, appeared in seven games for Chicago last season, playing 40 games with the Rockford IceHogs of the American Hockey League. Brent played in one game for the Penguins last year and 74 for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.

• Oct. 11: Home opener at Mellon Arena vs. the New Jersey Devils.

• Nov. 11: Penguins visit Stanley Cup champion Detroit Red Wings at Joe Louis Arena.

• Feb. 8: The Red Wings return to Mellon Arena.

• March 14-April 1: The eight-game late-season homestand could be vital to the Penguins' playoff chances