Nick Suzuki and the Montreal Canadiens are headed outdoors again, this time against the Winnipeg Jets for the 2026 Heritage Classic.
The NHL made it official this week, confirming Winnipeg as the host site for the Tim Hortons outdoor showcase.
This will be Montreal's fifth outdoor game overall, moving the Canadiens past Toronto for the most among Canadian franchises.
That is a notable line for a rivalry that rarely needs extra fuel.
Suzuki enters the event fresh off a career year. He posted 29 goals and 72 assists for 101 points over 82 games this past season.
He was even better in the playoffs, piling up 16 points over 19 games as Montreal made a deep postseason run.
Montreal beat Tampa Bay and then Buffalo, both in seven games, before Carolina finally ended the run in the third round.
Nick Suzuki and Kyle Connor headline the winter stage
Winnipeg brings its own star power to the outdoor stage in Kyle Connor.
Connor posted 39 goals and 53 assists for 92 points over 82 games, right in the middle of a Winnipeg season that finished well below .500.
The Jets closed the year 35-35-12 for 82 points and 26th overall under head coach Scott Arniel.
Montreal, by contrast, finished 48-24-10 for 106 points and sixth overall, part of why this matchup carries some real stakes beyond the novelty.
General manager Kevin Cheveldayoff gets a showcase game for a Winnipeg roster that otherwise had a quiet season on the ice.
Outdoor games tend to punch above their weight for exposure, and pairing two Canadian markets only raises that further.
The graphic the league shared lays out Montreal's full outdoor game history, stretching back over two decades.
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The date and further details are still to come, but the venue and opponent are now locked in for one of next season's marquee events.
Is Nick Suzuki now a bigger draw than Kyle Connor for this outdoor game?
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