The Senators and Canadiens will star again in Kraft Hockeyville, and like any game in Quebec, Montreal checks in again with the heavy home advantage.
For the second straight year, the Ottawa Senators and Montreal Canadiens will play a preseason game in a non-NHL arena. But the setting will be anything but neutral. The teams will meet Monday, Sept. 21, 2026, in Trois-Rivières, Que., at Colisée Vidéotron.
Last fall, the Senators agreed to play two preseason games in Quebec City in hopes of winning over Nordiques fans who've now been without their NHL team for about 30 years.
This year's Sens visit to La Belle Province is because Saint-Boniface, a municipality about 30 km away from Trois-Rivières, was the winner of last year's Kraft Hockeyville contest. Saint-Boniface, which has just over 5,000 people, received $250,000 for upgrades to Aréna de Saint-Boniface and $10,000 worth of youth hockey equipment from NHLPA Goals & Dreams.
However, the local rink wouldn't be able to accommodate an NHL game. So instead, it will be played at Colisée Vidéotron, which seats over 4000 people and is home to the Trois-Rivières Lions, the Montreal Canadiens ECHL affiliate.
So just like last year's matchup in Quebec City, where Montreal beat the Senators 5-0, the stands will again be jammed with Canadiens fans, although snarky NHL fans might also point out that's also true for the games in Ottawa.
“In Quebec, hockey is part of everyday life—from local arenas to the pride fans have in their favourite team,” said Simon Laroche, President of Kraft Heinz Canada om. [ress release."
"This pre-season game between the Montreal Canadiens and the Ottawa Senators for the community of Saint-Boniface provides a wonderful opportunity to celebrate hockey culture in Quebec as we mark the program’s 20th anniversary.”
According to the press release, Aréna de Saint-Boniface's future was uncertain, but thanks to the upgrades, the community has a happy home for the next wave of hockey players.
GM Steve Staios says the Senators are always committed to grassroots initiatives, both in the Ottawa-Gatineau region and elsewhere in the country.
"We are proud to once again participate in Kraft Hockeyville," Staios said in the release. "Over the years, we have witnessed that hockey is part of the fabric of the communities that we visit. We look forward to the opportunity to bring Ottawa Senators hockey to these areas as a celebration of our sport and the Canadian communities that continue to grow the game."
The matchup is just four days away from the 20th anniversary of the first Kraft Hockeyville game in Salmon River, NS, which also featured these same two teams. This will be the tenth time the Senators have taken part.
Steve Warne
The Hockey News