The Montreal Canadiens are headed outside again, and this one comes with all the pageantry of the Heritage Classic and the simple reality of a regular-season game that still counts for two points.
Montreal arrives in Manitoba on the heels of a 4-1 win over the Chicago Blackhawks on Friday night, ready to meet the Winnipeg Jets on Sunday night in what will be the fifth outdoor game in franchise history. For the Canadiens, it’s their first outdoor appearance since the NHL 100 Classic in Ottawa, and for a number of their younger players, the spotlight will make this feel a little different.
Noah Dobson has only played in one outdoor game with the New York Islanders, but he enters as Montreal’s top scorer in those settings with three points. Still, the Canadiens will have to treat the occasion like any other night on the schedule. The stage is bigger, but the task stays the same.
This will be the first meeting between Montreal and Winnipeg this season, but the Canadiens already handled the Jets twice last year. They won 3-2 in December on a Cole Caufield shootout winner, then followed that up with a 5-1 result in February, a game in which Brendan Gallagher and Josh Anderson each collected three points.
Winnipeg, though, is not the same group Montreal saw last season. Jonathan Toews, Gustav Nyquist, Eric Comrie, Colin Miller, and Jacob Bryson all left over the offseason, while Noah Gregor, Mario Ferraro, and Stuart Skinner came in.
Then came another major shakeup just days ago, when the Jets sent Connor Hellebuck to the New Jersey Devils and received Nico Daws, Dawson Mercer, Nick Bjugstad, and prospect Alexander Command in return. Sunday’s Heritage Classic will be Winnipeg’s first game since that blockbuster deal.
The Canadiens also have a goaltending decision hanging over the event. Jakub Dobes looked like the obvious choice after his playoff performance, but Jacob Fowler has since pushed his way into the conversation and is carrying the hotter hand right now.
Fowler has won his last four starts and was nearly spotless against Chicago on Friday, though he has never faced the Jets. Dobes, meanwhile, has already had success against Winnipeg, going 1-0-0 with two goals allowed on 32 shots for a .938 save percentage and a 1.85 goals-against average.
On the other side, Stuart Skinner appears set to get the start for Winnipeg. He has gone 4-2-0 against Montreal with a 2.82 goals-against average and an .892 save percentage. Daws also has a track record against the Canadiens, posting a 2-1-0 mark with a 2.68 GAA and a .901 save percentage.
Up front, Phillip Danault has been the Canadiens’ most productive player against the Jets, piling up 24 points in 31 games. Josh Anderson follows with 17 points in 25 games, while Chris Kreider has 16 in 26. Captain Nick Suzuki also has 17 points in 21 games against Winnipeg, but he will not dress for this one.
That absence matters, but Montreal still has a player with plenty of motivation. Cole Caufield has never scored against the Jets, the only team that has managed to keep him off the board, and he said as much to the media last week. At the same time, he has scored in four games against Skinner, which could tilt the odds in his favor.
For Winnipeg, Kyle Connor has done major damage against Montreal, racking up 29 points in 24 games. Mark Scheifele follows with 26 points in 32 games, and Nino Niederreiter has added 18 in 31.
The two teams have each taken five of the last 10 meetings, but this matchup carries a couple of firsts within that stretch: it’s the first game without Hellebuyck on the Jets’ side and the first without Suzuki for Montreal.
Puck drop is set for 7:00 PM, with TVA Sports carrying the game in French and Sportsnet handling the English broadcast. Kyle Rehman and Furman South are the referees, and Scott Cherrey and Bevan Mills will work as the linesmen.
In Other News...
Canadiens Suddenly Have Real Reason To Watch Dylan Larkin
Nick Suzukis injury has left the Canadiens looking for center help, and that search has naturally pushed Dylan Larkin into the conversation. Chris Johnston reported that Montreals interest is real and that general manager Kent Hughes has already prepared an offer, which gives the rumor more weight than a typical deadline-day whisper. For a team trying to stabilize its middle down the stretch, even the possibility of landing a legitimate top-six center is enough to keep the spotlight on a player of Larkins caliber.
Johnston also noted there is at least some optimism around Larkin being open to thinking about Montreal, even if a move does not appear close right now. His no-trade list reportedly does not include Canadian clubs, which keeps the Canadiens in the frame as they look for a way to address their depth issues without waiting for the market to solve itself. For now, it is more a reason to watch than a reason to expect action, but it is still a notable shift for a team that badly needs answers at center. [Read more 🡒]
Canadiens Fans May Not Like What Dobson Means For Edvinsson
The Noah Dobson trade already gave Canadiens fans a clear measuring stick for what a top-end young defenseman can cost in todays market. Montreal paid Emil Heineman and two 2025 first-round picks to land Dobson, a price that immediately framed how expensive it is to pry away a player who can anchor a blue line for years.
Pierre LeBruns comparison only sharpens that reality when Simon Edvinsson enters the conversation. The young Detroit defenseman is viewed as a top-four piece with plenty of upside, and any trade for him would require a major haul, the kind that makes Montreals Dobson package look less like an outlier and more like the starting point for a bigger discussion. [Read more 🡒]
Canadiens Suddenly Have A Center Decision After Suzuki Injury
Nick Suzukis injury has left Montreal with a center question it did not expect to be dealing with this soon, and the waiver wire has quickly become part of the conversation. Georgii Merkulov is among the names available, along with Jack Ahcan and Kurtis MacDermid, while recent claims on Daemon Hunt and Jack St. Ivany have already shown that teams are willing to move on these players before the market tightens further.
For the Canadiens, Merkulov stands out as a possible fit because of his strong AHL production and the need for another option down the middle. The timing adds another layer of interest, with Winnipeg also dealing with a defenseman absence ahead of its meeting with Montreal, but the real question for Kent Hughes is whether the waiver process will even give the Canadiens a clean shot at addressing Suzukis absence the way they want. [Read more 🡒]