The NHL preseason is set to begin on Saturday, September 19, and it opens with a matchup that Canadian fans know well. Toronto and Montréal will face off right away, giving the league a classic rivalry to start the new year.
This opener has a twist: both clubs are sending split squads into action, with one game in Toronto and another in Montréal at the same time. Each contest is scheduled to drop the puck at 7 p.m. ET.
The setup is designed to let both teams test more players in a single night. Instead of dressing one full roster, the Maple Leafs and Canadiens will divide their lineups and evaluate different groups in different buildings.
That means fans in both markets get live preseason hockey at once. It also gives coaches a better chance to see how prospects and depth players perform under game pressure.
The league’s calendar has shifted, and that changes how teams approach exhibition play. The regular season is moving from 82 games to 84, while the preseason has been shortened.
With fewer tune-up games available, every appearance becomes more valuable. Coaches have less time to sort through roster battles, try out line combinations, and prepare returning veterans for opening night.
For players trying to win a job, the margin for error is smaller than it used to be. One strong night can help, but there are fewer nights left to make that impression.
For the Maple Leafs, the score matters less than the details behind it. The main goal is to learn which players fit together and which younger skaters can handle tougher minutes.
Keep an eye on three areas in particular:
Preseason games are a useful lab for special teams work. Coaches can adjust entries, roles, and rotations without risking points in the standings.
The Canadiens enter the new season with plenty of momentum after a strong 2025-26 run. They finished with 106 points and pushed all the way to the Eastern Conference Final.
That progress has been matched by stability behind the bench. The club recently gave head coach Martin St. Louis a multi-year extension, removing any doubt about his future.
St. Louis has steadily reshaped expectations in Montréal. The team’s point totals climbed from 68 in 2022-23 to 76, then 91, and finally 106 last season.
Montréal is no longer being measured only by its rebuild; it is now being judged by how far it can go.
Saturday’s preseason games are only the first chapter. Toronto and Montréal will also meet when the regular season opens on September 29, making this a preview of a much bigger stage.
The lineups will be different by then, and the intensity will rise, but the same rivalry will still be driving the night. For hockey fans across Canada, that is a welcome sign that summer is officially winding down.
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