(Reuters) - A delayed start to a NHL game between the Boston Bruins and Tampa Bay Lightning was among a flurry of changes to the weekend's sporting schedule as the northeastern United States braced for a major blizzard on Friday.

The game, originally scheduled for 1 p.m. ET (1800 GMT) on Saturday, will now start at 7 p.m., the Bruins and National Hockey League (NHL) said in a statement.

The Boston area is expected to be one of the hardest hit by the weather, with some meteorologists forecasting 24 inches to 30 inches of snow by the time the storm ends on Saturday morning.

From New York to Maine officials have urged residents to stay home, rather than risk getting stuck in deep drifts when the storm kicks up later on Friday.

The NHL's New Jersey Devils currently have a 1 p.m. ET game schedule for Saturday against the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Organizers of the country's championship sledding race, that was scheduled to get begin in Camden, Maine, on Saturday, postponed the event by one day.

Live horse racing in New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania was also canceled while a slew of collegiate events in the affected areas were postponed.

With the worst of the storm yet to come, the governors of Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut declared states of emergency and issued bans on driving by early Friday afternoon.

(Reporting by Steve Keating in Toronto; Editing by Frank Pingue)