Canadiens and Senators Clash in Trois-Rivières as Shortened NHL Preseason Opens

The NHL preseason opens today, but the runway is shorter than ever. Thanks to the newly expanded 84-game regular season, the exhibition window has been slashed to a breathless eight-day, 65-game sprint. Every shift matters, and the stakes are already real in Quebec.[4][6]

On Monday, September 21, the Ottawa Senators and Montreal Canadiens will clash in Trois-Rivières for the 20th anniversary Kraft Hockeyville game. The matchup brings an NHL spotlight to the 5,100-person town of Saint-Boniface, located roughly 30 kilometers away, which won the nationwide contest to save its local rink.[2][3]

The community rallied to secure $250,000 in arena upgrades and $10,000 worth of youth hockey equipment from the NHLPA Goals & Dreams fund. Built entirely by volunteers in 1999, the Aréna de Saint-Boniface was facing costly renovations that threatened its future.[3][7]

“This program isn't just about building better arenas; it's about building strong Canadian communities,” said Simon Laroche, President of Kraft Heinz Canada. The victory marks only the second time in the program's 19-year history that a Quebec town has taken the top prize, the last being Roberval in 2008.[3][7]

Because the local rink cannot accommodate an NHL broadcast, the game shifts to the 4,000-seat Colisée Vidéotron, home to Montreal's ECHL affiliate, the Trois-Rivières Lions. The building will be packed with a heavy Canadiens home-ice advantage, mirroring last year's preseason dynamic when Montreal shut out Ottawa 5-0 in Quebec City.[2]

For the Senators, the game is a critical early test. Ottawa ended a seven-year playoff drought in 2024-25 and followed it up with a 44-27-11 record last season, only to be swept by the Carolina Hurricanes in the opening round.[1]

“Keep building,” Senators defenseman Jake Sanderson said on Friday when asked about the team's mindset heading into the shortened camp. “We got to be more consistent, and we got to leave it all out there. We got to score more goals. Last year was tough, for sure, but a lot to build on and a lot to be excited for this year.”[1]

The Senators wasted no time setting a serious tone, bringing in official referees for their first intrasquad scrimmage. With newly acquired 33-year-old goaltender Linus Ullmark anchoring the crease, Ottawa is desperate to prove they belong in the Eastern Conference's upper echelon.[1]

Montreal, meanwhile, is leaning into the historical resonance of the moment. This marks the Canadiens' sixth Kraft Hockeyville appearance and Ottawa's tenth. Fittingly, the two Atlantic Division rivals faced off in the very first Hockeyville game two decades ago in Salmon River, Nova Scotia.[2]

The eight-day preseason window closes on September 26, leaving coaches with precious little time to finalize their rosters. The puck drops on the 84-game regular-season marathon on Tuesday, September 29, with an opening-night tripleheader.[4][5]