The Montreal Canadiens will dress a largely familiar group in Trois-Rivières on Monday night for the Kraft Hockeyville edition against the Ottawa Senators, handing local fans a close look at many players expected to figure into the NHL club’s opening-night plans while also creating opportunities for those still fighting for roster spots.
Who made the trip
According to the club, numerous regular forwards and defencemen travelled to the Mauricie region. Among the forwards listed as being in uniform are Cole Caufield, Nick Suzuki, Juraj Slafkovský, Ivan Demidov, Kirill Katchan (as reported in game coverage), and other central pieces expected to anchor the offence this season. The game also includes additional forwards who figure into the mix for the first three lines.
- Forwards in uniform highlighted by the team: Caufield, Suzuki, Slafkovský, Demidov, Kapanen, Newhook.
- Additional forwards travelling to Trois-Rivières: Texier, Dach, Bolduc.
- Young depth and AHL call-up options: Florian Xhekaj, Brett Berard, Sacha Pastujov — each expected to get looks.
Defence and goaltending
On the back end the club lists Noah Dobson, Lane Hutson, David Reinbacher, Jayden Struble and Arber Xhekaj among the travellers. That grouping opens the door to seeing a top pairing that could resemble regular-season plans, with Dobson and Hutson projected as a likely top pair in pre-game coverage.
In net, the Canadiens are expected to split duties between Jakub Dobeš and Samuel Montembeault. For Montembeault the night will carry a local feel: he maintains a home near the rink in the Mauricie region.
Notable absences and roster implications
Several veteran regulars were left off the trip, giving younger players and borderline roster candidates more ice time and a chance to impress the coaching staff. Not travelling are veterans Chris Kreider, Phillip Danault, Josh Anderson, Mike Matheson and others who often factor into opening-night rotations.
"Veterans are not subject to this game counting towards the two-game maximum," the club noted in pre-game context, meaning the coaching staff can manage workloads without affecting veteran preseason limits.
Those absences create openings on both forward and defence units. The club could test different centre assignments — a particular focus will be whether players such as Florian Xhekaj receive centre minutes, a position he has logged in the AHL — and whether the Slafkovský–Kapanen–Demidov line that found chemistry in recent camp action stays together.
| Group | Notable names |
|---|---|
| Forwards | Caufield, Suzuki, Slafkovský, Demidov, Kapanen, Texier, Newhook |
| Defence | Dobson, Hutson, Reinbacher, Struble, Arber Xhekaj |
| Goal | Samuel Montembeault, Jakub Dobeš |
Local atmosphere and what it means for Trois-Rivières
For Trois-Rivières, hosting a preseason Kraft Hockeyville game brings more than a marquee opponent. The presence of regular NHL players gives fans a rare chance to see top-level talent in a smaller-market arena and shines a spotlight on the region’s hockey community. With a number of veterans resting, the game doubles as a showcase for players trying to cement spots on the opening-night roster — and for locals it is a closer, more intimate look at who might be in the lineup when the regular season begins.
Coaches will use the non-counting nature of the event to experiment with combinations and conserve the ice time of long-minute players, while contenders on the roster bubble will seize the platform to push their case. For many in the stands, the priority is simple: enjoy high-level hockey in Trois-Rivières and cheer on a hometown atmosphere during a widely anticipated preseason matchup.
The Canadiens have two more preseason games scheduled after tonight, meaning performances in Trois-Rivières could be decisive for players on the cusp of the final roster.
