Sidney Crosby, Vincent Lecavalier, Henrik Lundqvist and Daniel Alfredsson will lead their teams into action overseas; the Chicago Blackhawks will host the Detroit Red Wings on New Year's Day in NHL Winter Classic 2009; and the Montreal Canadiens will celebrate their centennial season by hosting the All-Star Game and the draft.

Those are just some of the highlights of the NHL regular-season schedule for 2008-09.

Crosby and the Stanley Cup finalist Pittsburgh Penguins will face Alfredsson's Ottawa Senators in Stockholm, Sweden, as part of NHL Premiere-Stockholm 2008 -- a two-game regular-season series set for Oct. 4-5.

Lundqvist and the Rangers will square off against Lecavalier's revamped Tampa Bay Lightning in NHL Premiere-Prague 2008, also on Oct. 4-5. This marks the second consecutive season in which NHL clubs opened the schedule in Europe; last season opened with the Anaheim Ducks and Los Angeles Kings playing a two-game set in London.

The champion Detroit Red Wings, who will raise their Stanley Cup banner to the ceiling of Joe Louis Arena before their season-opening Oct. 9 faceoff against the Toronto Maple Leafs, also will participate in one of the season's most anticipated contests -- NHL Winter Classic 2009 on New Year's Day at Wrigley Field, the home of Major League Baseball's Chicago Cubs.

REASONER, THRASHERS REACH DEAL: Free-agent center Marty Reasoner agreed to a deal with the Atlanta Thrashers on Thursday after playing with the Edmonton Oilers for six seasons.

Reasoner, 31, had 11 goals and 14 assists with the Oilers last season.

The Thrashers also re-signed restricted free agent forward Brett Sterling to a multiyear contract.

BRIEFLY: The Pittsburgh Penguins acquired the rights to defenseman Danny Richmond in exchange for the rights to Tim Brent on Thursday.

* Free agent Andy Wozniewski signed with St. Louis on Thursday after spending last season with Toronto, an addition that bolsters the Blues' defense.