The Montreal Canadiens have given fans their first look at the jersey they’ll wear for the 2026 NHL Heritage Classic, and the team clearly went for a throwback feel.
Posted on X this morning with the message, “It's here!”, the reveal shows a red sweater with a broad blue stripe across the chest, cream-coloured collar and cuffs, and the CH logo front and center. The collar also carries the words “Les Habitants”. In the photos, the jersey is staged in a wooden setting next to old hockey sticks and a pair of vintage skates, which fits the old-school look the Canadiens were clearly chasing.
A second image zooms in on the logo, with the stitching around the CH visible in detail. It’s the kind of close-up that makes the design feel even more classic.
The jersey reveal comes with the Heritage Classic still several games away. Montreal will face Winnipeg on October 25, and the Canadiens have seven games to play before then. They’re 1-1-1 to begin the season, while the Jets are 2-0-1 and giving up 2.7 goals per game.
That matchup is arriving at a time when Montreal’s defensive play still needs work. The Canadiens are allowing 4.7 goals per game after a 6-4 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes last night. If that keeps up, the focus before October 25 won’t be on the uniform - it’ll be on tightening up in their own end.
There are encouraging signs on the other side of the puck, though. Montreal is scoring 4.0 goals per game, and Zachary Bolduc already has three goals in three games.
Nick Suzuki, who leads the club with six points in three games, is another player to keep an eye on. Lane Hutson is worth watching too, especially after logging more than 29 minutes last night.
The road record also gives Montreal something to build on. The Canadiens are 1-0-1 away from home, which matters with the Heritage Classic coming in Winnipeg.
The schedule offers a chance to settle things down, too. Five of Montreal’s next seven games are at home, with only trips to Washington and Chicago. The next two are at home as well, starting tomorrow night against the Nashville Predators and then Saturday against the Detroit Red Wings.
Winnipeg has also been handling business away from home, winning its last two road games by identical 3-2 scores. So while the jersey may be the eye-catching part of this story, the game itself is shaping up as a real test.
Puck drop in Winnipeg is set for October 25.
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Jacob Fowler is the name that naturally enters the conversation if Montreal needs help from Laval, where the young netminder has already made a strong impression in limited looks at both the NHL and AHL levels. If Montembeault is sidelined, the Canadiens could be looking at more than a short-term patch, with a possible extended evaluation in the crease depending on how Dobe holds up in the meantime. [Read more 🡒]