The Montreal Canadiens (5-3-2) will face the Winnipeg Jets (4-3-3) on Sunday night, with puck drop set for 7 p.m. ET.

This is no ordinary game. The Canadiens and Jets will take part in the 2026 NHL Heritage Classic at Princess Auto Stadium in Winnipeg, Manitoba.

The contest is more spectacle than pure sporting event, a reality veteran Chris Kreider captured perfectly. While it remains a relatively big occasion, set to draw roughly 30,000 fans, the growing frequency of outdoor games has dulled some of the concept’s lustre. These games also typically feature low-quality ice that produces poor hockey, and the views, from both the stands and the official broadcast, leave something to be desired.

However, crucial points are still on the line. While it’s far too early to panic over Montreal’s slow start, maintaining momentum without captain Nick Suzuki remains essential.

The team’s offence continues to impress, but defensive struggles have produced a string of blown leads and piled extra pressure on one of the NHL’s youngest clubs.

That said, the Habs made a surprising debut without their most valuable player, handily beating Connor Bedard and the Chicago Blackhawks 4-1 on Friday night in a morale-boosting win. More importantly, the Canadiens finally protected a two-goal lead for the first time this season. They closed out the game with aplomb, limiting the Blackhawks to just two high-danger scoring chances in the third period.

Jake Evans scored twice for his first points of the season. No one can fully replace Suzuki, but if other veterans follow Evans’ example, the Canadiens have a reasonable chance of staying afloat during this stretch—especially if they can rein in their discipline issues.

The Canadiens will face a Jets team that can breathe a little easier after trading discontented goaltender Connor Hellebuyck to the New Jersey Devils. The return was a sum-of-the-parts deal: the Devils acquired one of the league’s best netminders, while Winnipeg received a handful of mediocre assets plus prospect Alexandre Command.

Seeing as there’s no media availability until much later in the day, we’ll have to wait to confirm any potential lineup changes for either team.

Montreal Canadiens Projected Lineup

Cole Caufield – Oliver Kapanen – Juraj Slafkovsky

Chris Kreider- Alex Newhook – Josh Anderson

Zach Bolduc – Phillip Danault – Alexandre Texier

Kirby Dach – Jake Evans – Owen Beck

Lane Hutson – Noah Dobson

Kaiden Guhle – Alexandre Carrier

Arber Xhekaj – Mike Matheson

Jacob Fowler

Winnipeg Jets Projected Lineup

Kyle Connor — Mark Scheifele — Cole Perfetti

Alex Iafallo — Viggo Bjorck — Gabriel Vilardi

Isak Rosen — Adam Lowry — Brayden Yager

Nino Niederreiter — Morgan Barron — Brad Lambert

Dylan Samberg — Neal Pionk

Mario Ferraro — Dylan DeMelo

Haydn Fleury — Tyrel Bauer

Stuart Skinner

Canadiens vs. Jets – How To Watch

The Montreal Canadiens versus the Winnipeg Jets, Sunday, October 25, will be aired on Sportsnet and TVA Sports (Canada). It will also be on American broadcasts, via TNT and HBO Max. An instant recap complete with highlights will be immediately available on Sportsnaut once the final whistle blows.