The 2026 Heritage Classic between the Winnipeg Jets and Montreal Canadiens delivered the kind of outdoor-night drama that sticks with you, and the final minutes were the loudest proof. With the Jets pressing for an equalizer and the crowd hanging on every shift, Montreal’s penalty killers shut the door late to preserve a 2-1 win at sold-out Princess Auto Stadium on Sunday evening.
That finish capped a game that had been building toward a tense ending all night. Winnipeg had spent much of the first two periods chasing the game, and the home side’s best opening appeared to come only after Isak Rosen finally broke through late in the third. Rosen blasted a one-timer past Jacob Fowler off a Gabriel Vilardi feed, cutting the Canadiens’ lead to 2-1 and jolting the stadium to life.
The Jets kept leaning after that. Viggo Bjorck nearly tied it on a wraparound shortly after Rosen’s goal, and the pressure only grew once Josh Anderson was whistled for tripping Mark Scheifele with 1:28 left.
Winnipeg took a timeout, then pulled Stuart Skinner for the extra attacker after getting set up in the offensive zone, turning the power play into a six-on-four push. The chants were rolling, but Montreal had already killed three penalties by that point and managed a pair of crucial clears to finish the job.
Adam Lowry praised the effort from the Canadiens afterward, calling it “a spectacular spectacle,” and added, “It takes you back to youth hockey, it takes you back to growing up when you fell in love with the game. Obviously a disappointing result, but I thought the NHL and Winnipeg fans did a great job making it another great event.”
Rosen’s goal mattered not just because it cut the deficit, but because of what it meant for the Jets’ night. Lowry said, “It’s nice to see him get rewarded,” and pointed to the work Rosen does away from the puck.
“He does a lot of things away from the scoring areas that don’t necessarily show up on the scoresheet. For a guy that you look at as an offensive guy he’s done a real good job with his defensive reads, playing away from the puck.
But what he’s going to be known for is his offensive chops, and you saw that.”
Earlier in the game, Montreal had finally cracked the scoreless deadlock at 7:19 of the second period. After the Canadiens hemmed Winnipeg in its own zone and moved the puck cleanly, Lane Hutson finished a sharp cross-ice pass from Noah Dobson by beating Skinner cleanly. Less than four minutes later, Kaiden Guhle added another, giving Montreal the cushion it needed.
The other big moment from the weekend came before the puck even dropped on Sunday. The alumni game at Canada Life Centre on Saturday gave Jets fans a chance to see former favorites like Dustin Byfuglien, Andrew Ladd, Bryan Little, and Blake Wheeler back on the ice, along with others from the early years of the Jets 2.0 era.
Montreal’s alumni won 7-4, but the result barely mattered. The stands were full, the mood was loose, and the event felt like a celebration of those seasons.
Wheeler said before the game, “It means everything,” and went on to describe the connection between the team and the city. “You know these people mean so much to obviously this organization. I think all the guys that had the privilege of playing here know what it feels like and it’s one of the more special and unique environments in pro sports. the people are just so encouraging and behind us. anytime you get the chance to experience it, it’s great to get back into it.”
Montreal’s Jacob Fowler handled the stage well, making 33 saves and soaking in the setting after the horn. “It’s so fun to be out there,” Fowler said.
“The two of us (he and Hutson), we’ve been talking about it. We wish we can play more of these.
It’s so fun, it’s such a great environment, the ice was pretty good, so it’s just a lot of fun, I definitely took in my fair share of the moment there.”
In Other News...
Jets Trade Looks Even More Telling After Hellebuycks Latest Hint
The Canadiens are still working the phones as they look into a possible trade for Dylan Larkin, and the wrinkle is as familiar as it is significant: Detroit would have to be persuaded before anything else can really move. Larkins no-trade clause gives him the final say, which means Montreal would need to assemble an offer strong enough to get the Red Wings to even broach the subject with their captain.
From Montreals side, that is the real challenge, not just identifying a player who could fit. The interest is there, but the path is a lot more complicated than a simple deadline rumor, especially with the kind of leverage Larkin holds and the reality that he is not exactly a comfortable destination fit at the moment. [Read more 🡒]
Nick Suzukis Absence Suddenly Looks Bigger Than Canadiens Fans Hoped
Nick Suzukis absence has already stretched beyond the kind of brief scare Canadiens fans were hoping for, and now the captain will head back to Montreal after the Heritage Classic instead of staying with the club on its road trip. He is dealing with an upper-body injury and is working through recovery with the teams medical staff, a reminder that even as the Canadiens keep stacking wins without him, the lineup still feels different without their top center.
The timing makes the situation more uneasy because Suzukis latest setback does not appear to be a day-to-day issue, and the early signs suggest the Canadiens may need to manage without him for a while. His value to the team goes well beyond points, from puck management to faceoffs to the steady presence he provides in key moments, so Montreals ability to keep rolling will be tested if this absence extends into a longer stretch. [Read more 🡒]
Cole Caufield Just Gave Canadiens Fans A New Reason To Brag
Cole Caufield has already given Canadiens fans plenty to enjoy this season, and his latest postgame comment only added to the buzz. Coming out of the Heritage Classic, the young winger has been producing at a strong clip with 10 points in 11 games, and he also recently picked up the teams player of the game award. For a Montreal club trying to build momentum, Caufield has been one of the clearest bright spots.
The comment that really set things off came when Caufield described the Canadiens as Canadas favorite team, a line that quickly made the rounds on social media and even drew attention from ESPNs Greg Wyshynski. It was the kind of offhand remark that travels fast in Montreal, especially when the schedule is about to tighten again with games against the Blues and Stars on deck, and it left plenty of people reading a little deeper into what he meant. [Read more 🡒]