There are 2 kinds of NHL fans: those who count the seconds until preseason and the others who are like, "September already?"
The NHL preseason schedule is that sign that real hockey games are coming quite soon.
Good news for the the people of Twillingate, Newfoundland and Labrador, and Elsipogtog First Nation, New Brunswick, winners of Kraft Hockeyville in 2020 and 2021, respectively. These communities will finally get their preseason game.
Both communities will get the Montréal Canadiens and Ottawa Senators. The teams will face off in nearby communities: Gander, NF at the Steele Community Centre on October 6 and nearby Bouctouche, NB at the J.K. Irving Centre on October 8.
The games are on TVA Sports. Rogers Sportsnet isn't carrying the games.
The Canadian teams generally play each other with the grand exception of the Seattle Kraken, a random Habs home game with New Jersey, Vancouver hosting Gary Bettman's second favourite desert team, and a home-and-home with Toronto and Detroit.
There will be preseason games in non-NHL cities: CAA Arena in Belleville, ON with the Battle of Ontario on September 30 and Abbotsford Centre in Abbotsford, BC with Edmonton and Vancouver on October 5.
Montréal played a preseason game at the Centre Videotron in Québec City in the before (COVID-19) time. That tradition has not returned.
2021 NHL preseason schedule
2019 NHL preseason schedule
September 24
Ottawa @ Toronto, 1p/7p+
September 25
Winnipeg @ Edmonton, 6p
Calgary @ Vancouver, 7p+
Vancouver @ Calgary, 8p+
September 26
New Jersey @ Montréal, 7p
Edmonton @ Seattle, 10p
September 27
Ottawa @ Winnipeg, 8p
Calgary @ Seattle, 10p
September 28
Montréal @ Toronto, 7p
Edmonton @ Calgary, 9p
September 29
Winnipeg @ Montréal, 7p
Seattle @ Vancouver, 9:30p
September 30
Toronto @ Ottawa, 7p (Belleville, ON)
Calgary @ Edmonton, 9p
October 1
Montréal @ Ottawa, 7p
Edmonton @ Winnipeg, 8p
Vancouver @ Seattle, 9:30p
October 3
Toronto @ Montréal, 7p
Seattle @ Calgary, 9p
Vancouver @ Edmonton, 9p
October 4
Ottawa @ Montréal, 7p
October 5
Calgary @ Winnipeg, 8p
Edmonton @ Vancouver, 10p (Abbotsford, BC)
October 6
Ottawa @ Montréal, 6p (Gander, NL)
October 7
Toronto @ Detroit, 7:30p
Winnipeg @ Calgary, 9p
Seattle @ Edmonton, 9p
Arizona @ Vancouver, 10p
October 8
Montréal @ Ottawa, 6:30p (Bouctouche, NB)
Detroit @ Toronto, 7p
+ split squad games; All times EDT.
Rogers Sportsnet may or may not have posted a full preseason schedule. They have to consider Toronto Blue Jays potential postseason games. Will update as needed.
September 24 Ottawa @ Toronto, 1p/7p+
September 25 Calgary @ Vancouver, 7p+
September 28 Montréal @ Toronto, 7p
September 29 Seattle @ Vancouver, 9:30p
September 30 Toronto @ Ottawa, 7p (Belleville, ON)
October 1 Vancouver @ Seattle, 9:30p
October 3 Vancouver @ Edmonton, 9p
TSN issued its full preseason schedule.
September 25 Winnipeg @ Edmonton, 6p (TSN3)
September 26 New Jersey @ Montréal, 7p (TSN2)
September 27 Ottawa @ Winnipeg, 8p (TSN3, TSN5)
September 29 Winnipeg @ Montréal, 7p (TSN2, TSN3)
October 1 Montréal @ Ottawa, 7p (TSN5); Edmonton @ Winnipeg, 8p (TSN3)
October 3 Toronto @ Montréal, 7p (TSN2, TSN4)
October 4 Ottawa @ Montréal, 7p (TSN2)
October 7 Toronto @ Detroit, 7:30p (TSN4)
October 8 Detroit @ Toronto, 7p (TSN4)
The NHL Network will have preseason games involving Canadian teams. Most of that coverage will be tape delayed. The above feeds will indicate whether a Canadian feed could be used. ESPN+ will also have select NHL preseason games.
There will be a new Winnipeg Jets TV voice to replace Dennis Beyak.
We will update TV schedules as needed.
2022 NHL Stanley Cup notebook: Edmonton Oilers out in 4
2022 NHL Stanley Cup playoffs scoreboard
CanadianCrossing.com NHL coverage
The regular season for Canadian NHL teams starts on October 12 with Toronto at Montréal followed by Vancouver at Edmonton on Rogers Sportsnet.
photo credit: Kraft Hockeyville/NHL
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