Montréal Canadiens @ Toronto Maple Leafs & Toronto Maple Leafs @ Montréal Canadiens
7:00 PM @ Scotiabank and Centre BellWatch on: TSN 2, 4 & RDSI for the home game, SN1, NHLN and RDS for the away game

The Leafs and the Habs, a match made in broadcaster heaven, opens the preseason. Things I don’t know: is that TSN coverage national or regional? The fact it’s on two channels implies it is regional and won’t be available outside the Leafs and Canadiens region. The Sportsnet game will be national, and in theory the TSN game should be on SN+ Premium outside the Leafs region.

Note: if you get your TV package through Rogers or Shaw (owned by Rogers), and you have SN on that package, you get SN+ Premium free, otherwise you have to pay extra for it.

Rosters

Rather than play a distinct NHL and AHL split in this first game, they’ve mixed things up a little.

The home team:

The Leafs top six, starter Sergei Bobrovsky and two NHL defence pairs, including Darren Raddysh are at home (the TSN game). Tinus Luc Koblar and Ben Danford get this opportunity to show what they’ve got.

The road team:

The bottom six and the other NHL defenders lineup in front of Artur Akhtyamov (presumed as there’s no point in playing anyone else). The AHLers here are full-on AHL. This is the SN game, also on NHLN.

I’ll add actual lines and pairs if they do a morning skate a little later.

The Game(s):

I’m having a hard time deciding which to watch, so I might dual wield. I want to see all the new players! Raddysh is most important, though.

Updates

Much confusion from in the moment reporting on the PP units as they were rotating players in and out, but…

Jim Hiller said Jack Roslovic being a right shot gave him the opportunity to get this early look at being on the first power play unit for the Leafs https://t.co/R85fjuWtkC

— Anna Dua (@AnnaNoelleDua) September 19, 2026

That might be the most common one, although McKenna at least rotated in on PP1.

#Leafs group playing at SBA:
Knies-Matthews-Roslovic
McKenna-Tavares-Nylander
Lorentz-Quillan-MacEwan
Groulx-Koblar-Nansi

McCabe-Tanev
Rifai-Raddysh
Andrae-Danford

Bobrovsky
Stolarz

— Terry Koshan 🇺🇦 (@koshtorontosun) September 19, 2026

Of note, Bob did not skate, but was named as the starter. I think Bob prepares how Bob wants to prepare.

And we have the coach for the Away game:

Alfie, head coach for the Leafs in Montreal tonight, runs the morning skate before travelling. pic.twitter.com/jNkMlbjcaY

— Lance Hornby 🇺🇦🇨🇦 (@sunhornby) September 19, 2026

There is supposed to be a tribute to long-time Leafs equipment manager and friend of Mats Sundin, Brian Papineau, I think in Montréal, so watch for that. This new Leafs actually has a more comfortable relationship with the past than the Shanahan era had.

Group B’s morning skate lines. This #Habs group will play in Toronto tonight on @TSNHockey :

Newhook – Evans – Berard
Bolduc – Dach – Texier
F. Xhekaj – Danault – Anderson
Poulin – McKown – Mesar

Matheson – Dobson
Engström – Reinbacher
Szuber – Walsh
McCallum – Hache…

— Kenzie Lalonde (@KenzieTSN) September 19, 2026

Group A’s morning skate lines. This group will play at the Bell Centre tonight:

Caufield-Suzuki-Kreider
Slafkovsky-Kapanen-Demidov
Davidson-Beck- Pastujov
Thorpe-Condotta-Belzile

Hutson-Carrier
Struble-A. Xhekaj
Mittelstadt-Samson
Protz-Dubinsky

Dobes
Fowler#Habs

— Kenzie Lalonde (@KenzieTSN) September 19, 2026