Canadiens Face Maple Leafs in Season Opener Tonight

TORONTO, Canada – The Montreal Canadiens begin their 116th NHL season tonight as they visit the Toronto Maple Leafs at Scotiabank Arena at 7 p.m. ET.

This matchup marks the kickoff of the new season for both teams. The Canadiens are still stinging from last year’s slow start and are determined to begin the 2025-26 campaign with a win.

Montreal’s last win against Toronto in the regular season came in 2021, and they are eager to change that statistic. The team has made several key roster changes, adding players such as Zachary Bolduc, Ivan Demidov, and Noah Dobson. Healthy Patrik Laine will also be in the lineup after missing the early part of last season.

The Maple Leafs, on the other hand, face a notable absence with Mitch Marner‘s recent move to the Vegas Golden Knights. To compensate, Toronto has brought in Nicolas Roy, Matias Maccelli, and Dakota Joshua, along with top prospect Easton Cowan making his NHL debut.

In terms of firepower, Toronto ranked second in the NHL last season, led by stars like Auston Matthews and William Nylander. Canadiens’ coach Martin St-Louis emphasized the need to contain that offensive strength, recalling their successful strategy in last year’s opener where goaltender Samuel Montembeault secured a 1-0 win.

Tonight’s game features a prominent clash between captains Nick Suzuki and Auston Matthews. Suzuki is fresh off a career-high 89 points last season and looks to continue his leadership role. Matthews, despite battling injuries last season, scored 33 goals and is now expected to shoulder more offensive responsibility without Marner.

Official statistics reflect a tight rivalry: last season’s records show the Canadiens at 40-31-11 while the Maple Leafs finished at 52-26-4. Special teams were also key, with Toronto boasting a power play efficiency of 24.8% compared to Montreal’s 20.1%. The Canadiens, however, improved their penalty kill to 80.9% against Toronto’s 77.9%.

Goalie Samuel Montembeault is slated to start for Montreal, while the complete lineup will be confirmed closer to puck drop. Fans can catch the action on Sportsnet and TVA Sports or listen to the radio broadcast on TSN 690 and 98.5 FM.

This season opener promises to set the tone for both teams as they vie for an early advantage in the Eastern Conference.