7 games Canadiens fans must mark on their calendars for the 2024-25 season

The Montreal Canadiens released their schedule a few days back, and wow, there are quite a few awesome games and many more than the seven we’re about to briefly discuss. But for this article, I selected quite a few season series openers against some of the Canadiens geographic rivals, new franchises, and the best teams the NHL has to offer or may have to offer this season. 

Most of these games take place within the first two months of the 2024-25 season, so one game in particular that went unmentioned is the Habs February 4th game against Macklin Celebrini and the San Jose Sharks. So, which seven contests stood out more than any other? Let’s start with what will be a highly anticipated matchup early in the season against an ultra-familiar rival. 

October 9th vs. Toronto Maple Leafs

The Maple Leafs aren’t just the Canadiens biggest rivals; they will also provide an outstanding measuring stick game for this young team in what will be the home opener. If the Habs find a way to gain a season-opening upset win over Toronto, perhaps they’ll set the stage for a better 2024-25 season than many of us are currently anticipating. 

October 22nd at New York Rangers

As mentioned in the intro, this article will be full of early season measuring stick games, and there is nobody better for such a contest than the New York Rangers, a team that finished with the highest points total in the NHL last season. As with the Toronto game, if the Habs play the Rangers tough or, ideally, beat them, they’ll continue to build some momentum in the season’s first month. 

October 31st at Washington Capitals

Before free agency began, this game wouldn’t have been more than a blip on the Habs schedule. But if they can haunt the Washington Capitals on Halloween, doing so could set the stage for an epic November, especially if they can win those first two games mentioned in this piece. 

November 18th vs. Edmonton Oilers

Everyone looks forward to facing one of the NHL’s two Conference Champions, and it will feature a Canadiens team laden with young talent going up against an Oilers team laden with established talent. If Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield, and Juraj Slafkovsky have collected some momentum at this point, Connor McDavid and Company cannot underestimate them. 

November 26th vs. Utah Hockey Club

The Canadiens will have a chance to kick things off correctly against the newest team in the NHL, but the Utah Hockey Club looks as though they’ve taken some strides. Early-season matchups will ultimately depend on where these two high-potential teams will stand in late November, but if they both built momentum, it will be the battle between two groups who would be busy surprising critics. 

December 5th vs. Nashville Predators

As with the Capitals game listed above, this one wouldn’t have been high on my radar. But Steven Stamkos, Juuse Saros (signed extension), Jonathan Marchessault, and Brady Skjei changed that, and there are no limits on what the Preds are capable of this season. So perhaps the Canadiens would be all too happy to sneak up and be that surprise obstacle?

December 28th at Florida Panthers

And finally, we can’t forget about the Florida Panthers, as this will mark one of a few opportunities for the Canadiens to upset what may still be the NHL’s best team. There isn’t a single organization or accompanying fanbase that won’t have every game they play against Florida marked on their respective schedules, and the Habs are no different.