Housley joined the Sabres after he served as an assistant with the Nashville Predators for the past four seasons.
"The excitement that's come from our training camp, we finally get to play the first meaningful game of the season against a division opponent, it's exciting for our guys," Housley said. "I'll be a little nervous until the game gets going. I'm excited, too."
Center Jack Eichel will play his first game after he signed an eight-year, $80 million contract extension with Buffalo on Tuesday. The contract, which has an average annual value of $10 million, takes effect next season.
"Not really too much time to celebrate with a game here today," Eichel said. "More than anything I'm excited just to play a hockey game tonight. I'm just looking forward to playing in front of our home crowd. … I'm just excited to get playing hockey again."
The Canadiens open the season with a several new faces, led by center Jonathan Drouin, who will make his Montreal debut after he was acquired in a trade with the Tampa Bay Lightning on June 15.
"I think the fact that he's got so much skill, he's excited a lot of players around him as well," Canadiens coach Claude Julien said. "Not just his linemates, but his teammates. He's been a breath of fresh air for our group. He's shown that he's extremely skilled with the puck and can make a lot of things happen. We're happy to have him."
Rookie defenseman Victor Mete will make his NHL debut on Montreal's first pair with Shea Weber, and rookie forward Charles Hudon will play left wing on the Canadiens second line.
