The NHL is set to announce the 2026-27 schedule next week, with the Opening Night games to be announced on July 15th, then the remainder of the schedule the following day. Last season, the Canadiens showed they are one of the top teams in the NHL, and it would be smart for the NHL to showcase them as much as possible.
That should start on Opening Night and the question then becomes who they should play. When looking around the league, these are three teams that make the most sense to start the season off with a must-see game.
Carolina Hurricanes
The Carolina Hurricanes are the Stanley Cup winners and will be a part of one of the three games on the first night of the new season. While the NHL might want to go with a Stanley Cup rematch, an Eastern Conference Final rematch would be exciting to watch as well.
In the playoff series, the Canadiens were able to steal Game 1, but the Hurricanes bounced back quickly and would win four straight to advance. The Canadiens talked after that series about how it was clear they made improvements, but still have a long way to go.
Right now, that improvement is going to have to come from individual development of some of the younger players, like Lane Hutson and Ivan Demidov. They may make a trade before the season begins, but it could be a good benchmark to see just how close they are with the roster they currently have.
Toronto Maple Leafs
For the past six seasons, the Canadiens have begun the season against the Toronto Maple Leafs and this is probably the most likely matchup again this season. Among those six games, the record is even at 2-2-2.
While it may not be new for the Canadiens beginning the season against the Maple Leafs, this game could have a different feel. This offseason, the Maple Leafs saw major changes with a new general manager, coaching staff, and being active in free agency with the additions of Darren Raddysh and Sergei Bobrovsky.
On top of all that, they also added Gavin McKenna with the first overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft. While it isn't a guarantee that McKenna will be on the Maple Leafs roster to begin the season, the chances seem pretty good.
It may end up being the seventh straight season these two teams open up against each other, but the game could have a very different feel.
Boston Bruins
The final team that would be a great opening game for the Montreal Canadiens next season would be the Boston Bruins. This is one of the best rivalries in the NHL, and the Canadiens have played the Bruins the second-most games in their franchise history, after the Maple Leafs.
Last season, the Bruins were a surprise as they made the playoffs before being eliminated in the first round against the Buffalo Sabres. They will certainly be looking to prove that last season was not a one-time thing and a meeting between two playoff teams and division rivals would be a great start to the season.
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