Montreal Canadiens games are always must-see television, at least in Montreal during the long cold winter. However, some games stand out more than others, with the NHL having just released its 2025-26 regular-season schedule.
Excluding the Canadiens’ regular-season and home openers, which are kind of obvious must-see games anyway, here are the top 10, in chronological order:
Detroit Red Wings on the Road (Thursday, Oct. 9)
While the Canadiens’ openers are excluded from this list, no one said anything about the openers of other teams. And, with it being the Detroit Red Wings’ centennial season, the fact that the Habs visit them for their first game of the season makes this game a worthwhile watch. That they’re an Original Six rival to boot is pure gravy.
Boston Bruins at Home (Saturday, Nov. 15)
Not all rivals are created equal, though. Excluding the Canadiens’ first game of the season against the Toronto Maple Leafs, the visiting Boston Bruins on Nov. 15 represent the first time they’ll face off against a legitimate current rival, and arguably their biggest, bar none, both currently and historically speaking. It’s also going to be at home on a Saturday night. So, it’s safe to say the Bell Centre is going to be rocking.
Washington Capitals at Home (Thursday, Nov. 20)
This game marks the first time the Canadiens will play the Washington Capitals since they eliminated the Habs in five games in Round 1. So, it will be a good test to see how far the Habs have come following an already frantic offseason of activity on the part of general manager Kent Hughes to improve an already promising team on the undeniable rise.
The narrative is such that the Capitals outmuscled the Canadiens. And, while that was true in certain instances, the Habs still outhit them overall and were in every game in the series with exception to Game 5. So, any suggestion that Hughes needed to revamp the roster of the youngest-ever team to make the Stanley Cup Playoffs, according to some sources, when the Habs were going to experience organic offseason growth on their own, is unfounded.
Regardless, drastically improve the team Hughes did, at least on paper. So, considering the Capitals placed first in the Eastern Conference last season, it will be interesting to see how the Canadiens stack up against them, with this almost amazingly being the first game of the season in which they’ll play an Eastern Conference team who had home ice this past spring (again excluding the regular-season opener).
Maple Leafs at Home (Saturday, Nov. 22)
There’s no avoiding it. Everyone wants to see the Canadiens play the Maple Leafs, especially on a Saturday. Excluding that first game of the season in Toronto, this game is the first time the two teams will face off against one another. Whereas the Habs undeniably improved this offseason, the Leafs arguably took a significant step back following the departure of leading-scorer Mitch Marner. They remain a worthy opponent in principle, though. Even if they didn’t, this game would still be circled on the calendars of fans (of each team).
St. Louis Blues at Home (Sunday, Dec. 7)
One of the ways Hughes improved the team this summer was by trading for Zachary Bolduc. He may have had to give up a decent defensive prospect in Logan Mailloux, but Bolduc is coming off a season in which he scored an impressive 19 goals as a rookie with the St. Louis Blues.
Related: Canadiens Impressively Turn Mailloux Into Bolduc With Another Key Trade
In comparison, Mailloux was a long shot at best to stick with the Canadiens out of this coming training camp. He’ll objectively have an easier time making the Blues, who only feature a single defenseman who played regularly last season under 30 years of age (Philip Broberg). In that sense, everyone won this trade. So, assuming everything plays out as it should, this game will see Bolduc and Mailloux square off. It will also see a single winner for a nice change of pace.
Edmonton Oilers at Home (Sunday, Dec. 14)
Everyone wants a chance to see Connor McDavid, who’s widely considered the best player in the game right now. This is Habs fans’ chance to see him, in person. Full disclosure: The Canadiens do play the Edmonton Oilers earlier than this, on Oct. 23. However, that would be in Edmonton, with a late start time.
On top of that, it would be the second half in a set of back-to-back games for the Canadiens (Calgary Flames). The Oilers would be more well-rested, only having played two nights before. In this case, both teams will have played the previous night. So, it will be more of a fair fight for the Habs, against a team many still see as a Stanley Cup contender (despite their two consecutive defeats in the Final).
Florida Panthers on the Road (Tuesday, Dec. 30)
This list seriously just worked out this way and this entry is in no way intended to rub it in the faces of Oilers fans, with the Florida Panthers obviously being the team that defeated them in the Final each of the last two years. In that sense, they make for intriguing opponents for the Canadiens. Keep in mind, though: The Habs actually swept their regular-season series against the Panthers last season. So, this game may not actually reveal much at all.
Of note, this is the last game of the Canadiens’ calendar year. It will mark the first time since 2021 that they don’t play on New Year’s Eve, whatever that’s worth. What’s more significant is this game is part of the team’s annual holiday road trip, during which, with exception to last season, the Habs traditionally screw the pooch. That’s maybe the real test, here.
Ottawa Senators on the Road (Saturday, Jan. 17)
The Ottawa Senators are obviously Atlantic Division (and Canadian) rivals. However, this game more so makes the list simply because it falls on Scotiabank Hockey Day in Canada.
Canadiens fans are generally watching Hockey Night in Canada every Saturday anyway. The additional festivities make it must-see television to an even greater extent, saying nothing of the fact the Sens and Habs finished above one another in the standings last season as the Eastern Conference’s two wild-card teams. Who’s closer to contending?
Tune in and get a slightly better idea. Maybe.
New York Islanders at Home (Thursday, Feb. 26)
The Canadiens’ acquisition of top-pairing-defenseman Noah Dobson from the New York Islanders set the tone of the Habs’ offseason so far. They not only replaced a retiring David Savard on the right side on defense (and then some). They set in motion a chain of events that sparked the Mailloux trade described above.
Rather than give an unproven Mailloux the opportunity to compete for the job in training camp, the Canadiens went with a veteran with a 70-point season under his belt (at just 25 years of age). That makes a serious statement, namely that the Habs are serious about contending as soon as possible.
This game pits Dobson against his former team, with Islanders fans probably having circled it as well. From the Canadiens’ perspective, they may not seem as upper-echelon opponents, especially with the departure of a player of Dobson’s calibre. It’s clear the Islanders’ new administration is looking to start fresh. However, it will also be the two teams’ first game back following the Olympic break. So, there’s little risk of anyone playing down to the competition. Everyone should be up for it, especially the fans.
New Jersey Devils at Home (Sunday, April 5)
This game coincides with the back half of a home-and-home series with the New Jersey Devils and the start of the Canadiens’ final homestand. There will presumably be a lot at stake, especially taking into consideration the propensity for both teams to be close to one another in the standings, based on how their previous seasons ended (both with 91 points).
Last season, it took the Canadiens 82 games to clinch a playoff berth. While it may be wishful thinking to believe they can do it with a victory here, in Game 77, they have serious potential to be a significantly better team in 2025-26 than they were in 2024-25. And they found themselves in prime position to clinch after Game 78 this past April against the Red Wings, only to somewhat choke with three straight losses, before they successfully, finally punched their ticket. All that to say, this can end up being the biggest game of the season.
If there aren’t at least some playoff ramifications surrounding its outcome, 2025-26 will have ended as a huge disappointment. However, taking into account the linear year-over-year growth the Canadiens have enjoyed each season since 2022 and how vastly improved they seem to be relative to last season, it’s easier to imagine Games 78 and beyond not meaning nearly as much (for all the right reasons) instead.
Excluding the playoffs, of course. Everyone will be watching every one of those.
