The NHL preseason opens on Saturday, September 19, and it wastes no time delivering one of hockey’s best-known rivalries. Toronto and Montréal will face off in split-squad games at the same time, giving fans in both cities an early look at the new season.
Both matchups are set for 7 p.m. ET, with one game at Scotiabank Arena and the other at the Bell Centre. For supporters who have been waiting all summer, it is a sharp reminder that hockey is back.
Two Cities, Two Games, One Familiar Rivalry
This unusual setup is intentional, not an error in the schedule. Each team is dividing its roster so one group plays in Toronto while another group takes the ice in Montréal.
Split-squad games give coaches a chance to see more players in game action without needing extra exhibition dates. That matters even more this year because the preseason is shorter than usual.
- Toronto and Montréal both play on Saturday, September 19.
- Each game starts at 7 p.m. ET.
- One matchup is hosted by the Maple Leafs, the other by the Canadiens.
- The arrangement helps teams evaluate more players in limited preseason time.
A Shorter Preseason Carries More Weight
The league’s 2026-27 preseason runs from September 19 through September 26, and the regular season begins on September 29. With fewer exhibition games available, every appearance matters a little more for players on the bubble.
At the same time, the NHL has expanded the regular season from 82 games to 84. That change makes the preseason feel even tighter, since teams have less room to test prospects, mix up line combinations, and prepare for opening night.
For veterans, the goal is usually to get back into game rhythm. For younger players, the window to make a strong impression is much smaller.
What Toronto Fans Should Watch Closely
Preseason scorelines rarely tell the full story, so Maple Leafs fans should focus on who gets chances and where those players are used. Ice time, line assignments, and special teams work will reveal much more than the final result.
It will also be worth watching how the coaching staff experiments with power-play units and penalty-killing groups. Exhibition games provide a safe place to try different looks before the standings begin to matter.
- Young players earning extended minutes
- Line combinations with established NHL talent
- Power-play pairings and penalty-kill roles
- How quickly the team’s pace settles in
Montréal Starts With Real Confidence
The Canadiens enter the new season with more optimism than they have had in years. After a strong 2025-26 campaign, Montréal finished with 106 points and advanced to the Eastern Conference Final.
The organization has also rewarded head coach Martin St. Louis with a multi-year contract extension, removing any uncertainty about the bench leadership heading into camp. That kind of stability can matter as much as roster changes when a team is trying to build on a breakthrough season.
St. Louis Has Rewritten the Team’s Trajectory
Montréal’s rise under St. Louis has been steady and easy to track. The Canadiens moved from 68 points in 2022-23 to 76, then 91, and finally 106 last season.
That climb has changed the tone around the franchise. The Canadiens are no longer being viewed only as a rebuilding club with upside; they are now expected to compete and stay relevant deep into the spring.
Saturday’s opener is the first live test of how that next step might look.
The Rivalry Will Matter Again Very Soon
Saturday’s preseason meeting is only a preview. Toronto and Montréal will meet again when the regular season begins on September 29, turning this early exhibition into a warm-up for a much more meaningful clash.
The lineups will be different and the intensity will rise, but the appeal remains the same. Few matchups in Canadian hockey carry the history, attention, and pressure that comes with Leafs-Canadiens hockey.
For fans, this is the unofficial end of summer and the start of another season of expectations, noise, and rivalry.
