Hours seem like days: Home opener / Weekend look-in

The season has only been over for a week. It feels like a month. Anyway. At least now we know when we’ll all reconvene at Harbor Yard. Oct. 21 is the home opener, the team announced this afternoon: 180 days to the home opener, then.

Interesting: The 21st is two weeks into the season. (Hartford’s opener is Oct. 6.) Harbor Yard has Part II* of the home show on that Oct. 7-8 weekend, surely needing the Friday for setup. (This upcoming weekend’s Part I* might’ve complicated the playoff schedule, had Bridgeport made it.) Not sure about the second weekend.

Anyway, the 21st starts four consecutive home Saturdays for the Sound Tigers, according to the guaranteed dates, which included two other Saturdays and a Nov. 8 Cool Fun 101.

The Islanders’ first transaction of the summer: re-upping Dennis Seidenberg for another year. That’s 37 contracts for next year, 12 of them defensemen.

Things look bleak in Allentown. Not only have the Phantoms lost heartbreakingly in their first two playoff games, but they’re down a couple of goalies at least for the rest of the first round. Anthony Stolarz was out already, and now it’s ex-Yalie Alex Lyon down. That series goes to Hershey with a chance for the Bears to finish the job Wednesday.

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton salvaged a split at Providence on Sunday with a 6-5 overtime win. The rest of the series is at WBS, with Thursday and Friday guaranteed.

The North Division series are both 1-1, as are the Pacific Division series. Charlotte grabbed a 2-1 lead on Chicago on Sunday with a chance to move on Tuesday. Grand Rapids leads Milwaukee 2-0.

John Stevens — you know, John Stevens’ dad — is the new coach in L.A.

The United States won the Under-18 World Championships, continuing a pretty nice run for USA Hockey.

Mark Arcobello and SC Bern won a championship earlier this week in Switzerland.

And RIP, Erin Moran and Robert W. Taylor.

*-Not remotely part of the official name of the event

Michael Fornabaio