Montreal Canadiens kick off season at home against Seattle Kraken

Montreal Canadiens' Juraj Slafkovsky (20) and Seattle Kraken's Will Borgen (3) battle during first period NHL hockey action in Montreal on Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2024. (Christinne Muschi/The Canadian Press)

The Montreal Canadiens are set to kick off their season at home on Oct. 14 by hosting the Seattle Kraken, the team announced on Wednesday morning.

The full schedule for the 2025-26 NHL season is slated to be unveiled at 1 p.m.

Commissioner Gary Bettman had already indicated that the 2025-26 season would kick off on Oct. 7 with a tripleheader.

The first game of the season is set to take place at Amerant Bank Arena, with the Florida Panthers, two-time defending Stanley Cup champions, hosting the Chicago Blackhawks.

The second matchup will see the New York Rangers host Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins at Madison Square Garden.

Mike Sullivan, who coached the Penguins for the last 10 seasons, will make his debut as head coach of the Rangers as they play his former team.

The evening will conclude with Norris Trophy winner Cale Makar and the Colorado Avalanche visiting Anze Kopitar and the Los Angeles Kings at Crypto.com Arena.

For its part, the Habs already unveiled their preseason schedule on June 25, which will include six games during upcoming training camp.

Martin St-Louis’ squad will play four home games: Sept. 22 against the Pittsburgh Penguins, Sept. 23 against the Philadelphia Flyers, Sept. 25 against the Toronto Maple Leafs and Oct. 4 against the Ottawa Senators.

The Habs will also travel to Toronto on Sept. 27 before heading to Quebec City to face the Senators on Sept. 30.

The Canadiens narrowly qualified for the Stanley Cup playoffs last spring, finishing fifth in the Atlantic Division with a 40-31-11 record and 91 points.

The Bleu-blanc-rouge lost in five games to the Washington Capitals in the first round of the east.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on July 16, 2025.