The 2026 NHL Heritage Classic between the Montreal Canadiens and Winnipeg Jets has finally arrived. These Canadian foes meet for the first of two games this season, and will be the must-watch game of a five-game slate in the NHL.
Princess Auto Stadium, home of the CFL’s Winnipeg Blue Bombers, will be absolutely electric for this on-ice spectacle.
Both Montreal and Winnipeg will be desperate for a win to ignite their NHL seasons as they both come into this game with middling records.
Canadiens vs. Jets betting picks and predictions
Winnipeg Jets ML (+101)
The Jets come into this one as the home team playing in front of a large crowd of Winnipeg faithful. Hosting the Heritage Classic is a big deal, and an opportunity to boost morale that they would not want to waste. The two points up for grabs is just as crucial.
The Connor Hellebuyck era has finally come to an end as of Friday night, after his offseason trade request was finally carried out in a trade to the New Jersey Devils. While Hellebuyck is an elite goaltender, this should do wonders for the team as this distraction is now behind them.
They also got an influx of pieces in the deal, led by a solid 24-year-old Dawson Mercer, who will make his Jets debut in this game.
Winnipeg owns the rest and comfort advantage, as they were able to return home after a Thursday night showdown in Dallas.
As for Montreal, the Canadiens remain on the road after a game in Chicago that only took place on Friday night.
One of the biggest factors in this one is health. While the Jets roster is missing stud defenseman Josh Morrissey, the Candiens are without captain Nick Suzuki and skilled winger Ivan Demidov. These two are massive drivers in Montreal’s game plan, making things tougher to navigate against a capable team.
Under 5.5 (+112)
The Heritage Classic will be an amazing show, but with cold temperatures and vulnerable ice quality, the offense does not look like being a big storyline in this one.
Outside game or not, Winnipeg has not been too impressive offensively. They currently has the seventh-lowest goals per game average (2.60), with a middling power play at 22.2%.
While Montreal presents a good opportunity for offense to flourish, the Jets will have lots to work out.
Montreal’s offense has been better at 3.20 per game, but a fifth-worst power play (12.5%) doesn't help. With offensive catalysts Nick Suzuki and Ivan Demidov injured for this game, goals will be even tougher to come by.
Both the Canadiens and Jets also have solid penalty kills operating above 80%.
This will be a gritty and heartfelt effort for a critical two points, and goals will be at a premium.
Cole Perfetti to score (+225)
Cole Perfetti has been a big piece in Winnipeg’s efforts. He has six goals and nine points in 10 games this season, and will need to be a factor in the Heritage Classic.
With 65 goals in 300 NHL games, Pefetti isn’t known as a goal-scoring machine, but Montreal’s wishy-washy defensive results shows there is an excellent opportunity for he and Winnipeg to flash some offense.
Perfetti currently has 28 shots (2.8 per game) which is second on the team, and nine more shots than the next guy below him on the list. He also averages the third-most time on ice for Jets forwards (18:37).
Montreal will have a heavy focus on elite stars like Kyle Connor, who has nine goals this season, and Mark Scheifele, who is closing in on 400 NHL goals. This should give Perfetti an excellent shot at being a major offensive weapon in this game.
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Canadiens vs. Jets odds
Montreal Canadiens | -121 |
Winnipeg Jets | +101 |
Puck Line | MTL Canadiens -1.5 |
Total | O/U 5.5 |
Canadiens vs. Jets player props
Anytime goalscorer
Cole Caufield (MTL Canadiens) | +130 |
Kyle Connor (WPG Jets) | +135 |
Mark Scheifele (WPG Jets) | +195 |
Juraj Slafkovsky (MTL Canadiens) | +210 |
Cole Perfetti (WPG Jets) | +225 |
Gabriel Vilardi (WPG Jets) | +250 |
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This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.
