The 2026-27 Montreal Canadiens schedule kicks off on the road against the Maple Leafs on Tuesday, September 29 — a date that lines up exactly with the same early-opener pattern already flagged on the Panthers, Bruins, Hurricanes, and Blackhawks releases in this series. Real Game 1 or preseason filler dressed up as one, it’s the first of four meetings this season between two Original Six rivals who’ve been playing this exact fixture for over a century.
2026-27 Montreal Canadiens Schedule
| Date | Opponent | Time (ET) |
|---|---|---|
| Tue, Sep 29 | AT Toronto | 7:00 PM |
| Sat, Oct 3 | AT Pittsburgh | 7:00 PM |
| Tue, Oct 6 | Carolina | 7:00 PM |
| Thu, Oct 8 | Nashville | 7:00 PM |
| Sat, Oct 10 | Detroit | 7:00 PM |
| Tue, Oct 13 | Buffalo | 6:30 PM |
| Wed, Oct 14 | AT Washington | 7:30 PM |
| Sat, Oct 17 | Buffalo | 7:00 PM |
| Tue, Oct 20 | San Jose | 7:00 PM |
| Fri, Oct 23 | AT Chicago | 7:00 PM |
| Sun, Oct 25 | AT Winnipeg | 6:00 PM |
| Tue, Oct 27 | AT St. Louis | 7:00 PM |
| Thu, Oct 29 | AT Dallas | 7:00 PM |
| Sat, Oct 31 | Pittsburgh | 7:00 PM |
| Tue, Nov 3 | Winnipeg | 7:00 PM |
| Thu, Nov 5 | Utah | 7:00 PM |
| Sat, Nov 7 | AT Toronto | 7:00 PM |
| Tue, Nov 10 | Minnesota | 7:00 PM |
| Thu, Nov 12 | AT Boston | 7:00 PM |
| Sat, Nov 14 | Colorado | 7:00 PM |
| Mon, Nov 16 | AT N.Y. Rangers | 7:30 PM |
| Wed, Nov 18 | AT New Jersey | 7:30 PM |
| Thu, Nov 19 | AT Carolina | 7:00 PM |
| Sat, Nov 21 | Philadelphia | 7:00 PM |
| Mon, Nov 23 | Los Angeles | 7:30 PM |
| Wed, Nov 25 | AT Colorado | 7:30 PM |
| Sat, Nov 28 | AT Vegas | 1:00 PM |
| Mon, Nov 30 | AT Utah | 7:30 PM |
| Wed, Dec 2 | Tampa Bay | 7:30 PM |
| Sat, Dec 5 | Florida | 1:00 PM |
| Sun, Dec 6 | Ottawa | 7:00 PM |
| Tue, Dec 8 | Vegas | 7:00 PM |
| Thu, Dec 10 | Anaheim | 7:00 PM |
| Sat, Dec 12 | AT Columbus | 1:00 PM |
| Mon, Dec 14 | Edmonton | 7:30 PM |
| Fri, Dec 18 | AT Buffalo | 7:00 PM |
| Sat, Dec 19 | AT Minnesota | 6:00 PM |
| Tue, Dec 22 | AT Columbus | 7:00 PM |
| Sat, Dec 26 | Toronto | 7:00 PM |
| Sun, Dec 27 | Dallas | 7:00 PM |
| Tue, Dec 29 | Columbus | 7:00 PM |
| Thu, Dec 31 | AT Tampa Bay | 2:00 PM |
| Sat, Jan 2 | AT Florida | 4:00 PM |
| Mon, Jan 4 | Chicago | 7:30 PM |
| Wed, Jan 6 | Boston | 7:30 PM |
| Sat, Jan 9 | Pittsburgh | 7:00 PM |
| Wed, Jan 13 | New Jersey | 7:00 PM |
| Thu, Jan 14 | AT Nashville | 7:00 PM |
| Sat, Jan 16 | AT Philadelphia | 7:00 PM |
| Mon, Jan 18 | AT Buffalo | 1:00 PM |
| Tue, Jan 19 | AT Washington | 7:00 PM |
| Thu, Jan 21 | St. Louis | 7:00 PM |
| Sat, Jan 23 | Calgary | 7:00 PM |
| Tue, Jan 26 | Carolina | 7:00 PM |
| Thu, Jan 28 | AT Calgary | 7:00 PM |
| Sat, Jan 30 | AT Edmonton | 6:00 PM |
| Mon, Feb 1 | AT Vancouver | 6:30 PM |
| Wed, Feb 3 | AT Seattle | 6:40 PM |
| Sat, Feb 13 | Washington | 1:00 PM |
| Sun, Feb 14 | N.Y. Rangers | 1:00 PM |
| Thu, Feb 18 | AT Detroit | 7:00 PM |
| Sat, Feb 20 | N.Y. Islanders | 7:00 PM |
| Mon, Feb 22 | AT Philadelphia | 1:00 PM |
| Wed, Feb 24 | AT Los Angeles | 7:00 PM |
| Sat, Feb 27 | AT Anaheim | 4:00 PM |
| Mon, Mar 1 | AT San Jose | 7:00 PM |
| Thu, Mar 4 | Seattle | 7:00 PM |
| Sat, Mar 6 | Vancouver | 7:00 PM |
| Tue, Mar 9 | AT N.Y. Islanders | 7:00 PM |
| Wed, Mar 10 | Boston | 7:30 PM |
| Sat, Mar 13 | AT Ottawa | 7:00 PM |
| Tue, Mar 16 | Florida | 7:00 PM |
| Thu, Mar 18 | Tampa Bay | 7:00 PM |
| Sat, Mar 20 | AT Detroit | 1:00 PM |
| Mon, Mar 22 | Toronto | 7:30 PM |
| Wed, Mar 24 | Ottawa | 7:30 PM |
| Sat, Mar 27 | New Jersey | 7:00 PM |
| Sun, Mar 28 | Detroit | 7:00 PM |
| Tue, Mar 30 | AT Boston | 7:00 PM |
| Thu, Apr 1 | N.Y. Rangers | 7:00 PM |
| Sun, Apr 4 | AT N.Y. Islanders | 7:30 PM |
| Tue, Apr 6 | AT Florida | 7:00 PM |
| Thu, Apr 8 | AT Tampa Bay | 7:00 PM |
| Sat, Apr 10 | AT Ottawa | 7:00 PM |
Canadiens vs Maple Leafs 2026-27 Happens Four Times
Canadiens vs Maple Leafs 2026-27 is spread almost evenly across the calendar — the Sep 29 road opener, a return trip to Toronto November 7, a home date December 26, and one final meeting at the Bell Centre March 22. Four games against the Original Six rival two provinces over is never just another line on the schedule in Montreal, and having one land the week after Christmas only raises the stakes on that particular date.
A Front-Loaded November on the Road
Between November 12 and November 25, Montreal plays five of seven games away from the Bell Centre — Boston, the Rangers, New Jersey, Carolina, and Colorado all show up in a stretch that also includes a rare home-and-home against the Avalanche just eleven days apart (Nov 14 at home, Nov 25 on the road). That’s a lot of travel packed into two weeks for a team still figuring out its identity this early in the year.
Closing on the Road, Four Times in the Final Six
The finish isn’t kind. Of the last six games, four are away from home — the Islanders, Florida, Tampa Bay, and a season-ending trip to Ottawa on April 10. A closing stretch that light on home dates puts extra weight on everything Montreal builds in March, since there’s little cushion left to lean on once the calendar flips to April.
The Bottom Line
Eighty-four games as released, likely 83 once the Sep 29 opener is confirmed one way or the other. The Montreal Canadiens road trip 2026-27 through Boston, the Rangers, New Jersey, and Carolina in mid-to-late November is the stretch to watch early, but the real storyline running through this whole schedule is Toronto — four meetings, evenly spaced, book-ending the year on both ends.
FAQ
Q: When does the Montreal Canadiens 2026-27 season open?
A: The release lists Tuesday, September 29, on the road against Toronto as Game 1 — a date that matches the same early-opener pattern flagged on other 2026-27 team schedules in this release series, likely making it a preseason game rather than the true regular-season opener.
Q: How many times do the Canadiens play the Maple Leafs in 2026-27?
A: Canadiens vs Maple Leafs 2026-27 happens four times — the Sep 29 road opener, a road game November 7, a home date December 26, and a final home meeting March 22.
Q: What is Montreal’s toughest road stretch in 2026-27?
A: The Montreal Canadiens road trip 2026-27 through Boston, the N.Y. Rangers, New Jersey, and Carolina between mid- and late November — five road games in seven — is the most demanding early-season stretch.
Q: How many home games do the Canadiens play in 2026-27?
A: Based on the released schedule, Montreal Canadiens home games 2026-27 total 42 dates at the Bell Centre against 42 road games, for 84 games listed overall — one more than the standard 82-game season if the Sep 29 game is preseason as suspected.