Alumni win sets tone for Heritage Classic weekend: Canadiens morning report

With no NHL game for the Canadiens in the last day and a half, the spotlight this morning is squarely on Winnipeg, where the alumni have already set the stage. According to La Presse, the Canadiens alumni beat the Jets alumni 7–4 at Canada Life Centre, powered by a four-point night from Guillaume Latendresse, including two goals.

Alumni victory kicks off Winnipeg festivities

The alumni showdown, played on the eve of the NHL Heritage Classic, served as a warm-up act for fans in both markets. La Presse notes that the former Canadiens led the way for Martin St. Louis’s group by outscoring their Jets counterparts in a high-offence affair.

As Eyes on the Prize points out, the alumni game is part of a broader Heritage Classic weekend that also revisits iconic outdoor moments, from José Théodore’s famous tuque to celebrations around the NHL’s centennial.

Outdoor roots and testing the big-stage ice

La Presse paints a picture of a team wrapped in nostalgia heading into this outdoor contest. The outlet recounts, for example, how Josh Anderson’s father once flooded the basement trying to build a backyard rink, while Alexander Carrier and Juraj Slafkovský both grew up steps away from municipal outdoor rinks. Lane Hutson is described as still enjoying taking on kids on outdoor ice to this day.

Eyes on the Prize reports that the Canadiens had a session at Princess Auto Stadium to test the ice ahead of today’s Heritage Classic against the Winnipeg Jets, an important step given the unique conditions that come with playing in an open-air football venue.

Heritage Classic today and around-the-team notes

According to Eyes on the Prize, today’s Heritage Classic will see the Canadiens face the Jets in Winnipeg as part of the league’s outdoor showcase. On Sportsnet’s “32 Thoughts” podcast, host Kyle Bukauskas and Elliotte Friedman sit down with head coach Martin St. Louis to talk about the upcoming Heritage Classic, and also chat with former Jet Andrew Ladd ahead of the alumni game.

For fans wanting to brush up on outdoor-game history, La Presse offers a quiz on NHL games played outside, while Eyes on the Prize recaps the Laval Rocket’s loss to the Hamilton Hammers, Laval’s second defeat of the season. The piece notes that Alex Belzile returned from a minor injury and that Filip Mešár slid down to the second line in the rematch.

With no standings information available this morning, the focus remains firmly on Winnipeg, where the Canadiens’ outdoor showcase later today will stand as a major early-season marker, regardless of how the scoreboard ends up looking.