Ah, preseason, there’s nothing like it. Teams wearing NHL uniforms take to the ice and play something resembling AHL hockey, while the fans read way too much into the performance of the few prospects who are trying hard. But none of that matters this year because the games will have fans in the thousands for the first time since March of 2020.

New capacity limits now officially approved

The preseason schedule was originally released without times included, but now that everything is nailed down at the very last minute, this is the important information on all six games:

  • Game One: Montréal vs Toronto at Scotiabank arena on Saturday, September 25
  • Game Two: Toronto at Montréal at Centre Bell arena on Monday, September 27
  • Game Three: Toronto at Ottawa at Canadian Tire Centre on Wednesday, September 29
  • Game Four: Toronto at Ottawa at Canadian Tire Centre on Monday, October 4
  • Game Five: Montréal vs Toronto at Scotiabank arena on Tuesday, October 5
  • Game Six: Ottawa vs Toronto at Scotiabank arena on Saturday, October 9/

All games start at 7 PM, and tickets for the games are available as of this morning. Check entry policies for the individual arenas, as they all have new rules.

All games are televised on Sportsnet or TSN, and we’ll have details in the preview each day.

The Marlies have a very brief preseason with a mini-tournament all in Belleville. They play Laval on Saturday, October 9 and Bellevile on Sunday, October 10. Both games are at 4pm. Since roster cuts to NHL squads don’t have to be made until the day before the season begins on October 12, it’s possible those games will feature a lot of players on AHL contracts who will ultimately play in Newfoundland this season. They are usually not broadcast in any way.

October 18 is the real date to mark in your calendar, though. That’s the first day the Leafs play someone not dressed as the Canadiens or Senators. I can’t wait.