Jets, Canadiens to face off in Heritage Classic seeking ‘important two points’

WINNIPEG -- The Winnipeg Jets and Montreal Canadiens are each looking to get on a roll.

What better way to do it than with a win in the NHL’s first tentpole event of the season, the 2026 Tim Hortons NHL Heritage Classic at Princess Auto Stadium on Sunday (7 p.m. ET; TVAS, SN, TNT, truTV, HBO MAX)?

“We got off to a good start and kind of hit a skid here,” Jets captain Adam Lowry said after Winnipeg practiced at the stadium Saturday. “There are areas of our game that we need to clean up and there is no better time to do it than the Heritage Classic, a big spectacle. We are all excited.”

It’s been a wild week for the Jets.

They moved a franchise goaltender Friday, granting the months-old trade request by Connor Hellebuyck by sending him to the New Jersey Devils for forwards Dawson Mercer and Nick Bjugstad, goalie Nico Daws, the rights to forward prospect Alexander Command and two draft picks.

On Saturday, many of the former Jets who were building blocks for the current team returned for a game against Canadiens alumni. On Friday, the Winnipeg alumni attended a fundraising gala. It was a reminder of past success.

For Jets coach Scott Arniel, a former Winnipeg player, it served as a reminder of the recent glory days. He watched from coaching benches across the NHL as Jets teams had success in the regular season and the Stanley Cup Playoffs, reaching the Western Conference Final in 2018. Two seasons ago, in Arniel’s first season as coach, Winnipeg won the Presidents’ Trophy for having the best record in the League.

“Seeing the (alumni) today downtown, it's part of the history,” he said Saturday. “Seeing those guys that have been a part and then us going into these outdoor games, just carrying on that tradition of that Winnipeg Jet style of play. How we go about in this province, in this city, representing.

“These games, they're awesome in the sense of being able to have your family here today, and being out on the ice, being a part of watching what we do and being around the guys in the room. Tomorrow, though, is about two points.”

The two points are vital with each team 10 games deep into the season.

Winnipeg (4-3-3) has lost four straight (0-2-2), each by a goal, and wants to get its game in order before the behemoths in the Central Division and the Western Conference pull too far away. 

“You know, we're in a real tough division,” Arniel said. “Once that puck drops, it's life, and it's not an exhibition anymore, it's real hockey. They're an important two points and that pretty much will be the message to the guys.”

Montreal was dealt a tough blow during the week when forward Nick Suzuki sustained a lower-body injury in a 4-3 overtime loss to the San Jose Sharks on Tuesday. The Canadiens captain did not play in a 4-1 win at the Chicago Blackhawks on Friday, the first game he has missed in his NHL career, ending a a streak of 546 games.

The Canadiens (5-3-2) are 2-1-1 in their past four and will be without their No. 1 center for 2-4 weeks. If they aren’t careful, things could go sideways quickly for a team that had big expectations this season.

They would like to bank these two points, considering the stage and the growing losses to the roster. The Canadiens were already without forward Ivan Demidov because of a lower-body injury.

Plus, it’s just cool to win on the big stage, especially away from home, forward Juraj Slafkovsky said.

“We want to win every game and that’s the goal every time,” Slafkovsky said. “But I feel if you win games like this, it’s a little more fun, you enjoy the win a little bit more because it’s something special that you don’t get to do every year.”

Despite the pressure each team feels to get right on the scoreboard, Saturday was about having fun on a perfect day in the Canadian prairies. The whipping winds from earlier in the day had subsided. The rain abated and the temperature hovered around 50 degrees Fahrenheit.

Montreal coach Martin St. Louis told his team to enjoy its practice time and enjoy the family skate afterward.

It is a philosophy he has often imparted to his players, stressing that they be fully invested in whatever they do.  

“For me, (when) they’re with their family, be 100 percent there with them,” St. Louis said. “They’re here, they’re taking the time, enjoy that. We have to play tomorrow, so find the pockets where you can enjoy your family and be with them. These people are a big part of their lives, they’re supportive.”

That ends Sunday, a few hours before puck drop, the coach cautioned. 

“When the game starts, you have to be 100 percent there,” he said.

Winnipeg center Mark Scheifele is playing in his third NHL outdoor game, but he still loves the experience.

“It's one of those moments that you remember for a lifetime,” he said. “I remember the one in 2016, the one in 2019, and this one will be the same. It'll be another amazing experience to get to go and do, and honestly I feel very, very blessed to be able to be in this league for this long and playing in my third outdoor game.”

It was all about the romance shared by hockey and the great outdoors. It was a return to the roots of the game, the reason so many players fell in love with the sport as a child.

It won’t be forgotten, even with each team putting so much meaning into a game in late October. 

“Playing outdoor hockey, it’s hockey in its purest form,” Lowry said. “We all grew up envisioning playing in the NHL while playing on the outdoor rinks or the frozen ponds. It’s where you spent countless hours with your friends. 

“To get to do it outside and do it at home ... it’s such a big event, such a great venue, it’s exciting.”

But on Sunday, the two points will be paramount.