Canadiens host Hurricanes in home opener without Ivan Demidov

The Montreal Canadiens return to the Bell Centre on Tuesday night for their home opener against the Carolina Hurricanes, following a road swing that yielded three of a possible four points to start the season. The matchup is loaded with subtext, as Carolina is the club that knocked Montreal out of the playoffs in the Eastern Conference Final in five games last spring.

Revenge storyline and a key injury

Over the summer, Montreal’s front office focused on closing the gap with the Hurricanes, who went on to capture the Stanley Cup without ever facing elimination. The Canadiens targeted bigger bodies at the draft and brought in Chris Kreider to strengthen their presence around the opposing crease, while openly aiming to incorporate elements of Carolina’s effective playing style.

Montreal will be missing one of its most impactful forwards for this early rematch. Ivan Demidov is out of the lineup for an estimated two to four weeks with an injury, a significant blow with several key conference and divisional games on the upcoming schedule. Defenceman Kaiden Guhle is also unavailable, while Adam Engström and Oliver Kapanen are projected to be healthy scratches.

Demidov’s absence opens the door for Florian Xhekaj to make his season debut with the big club. His inclusion reflects the Canadiens’ push for more size and edge in their bottom six, a profile that likely helped him earn a roster spot coming out of camp.

Projected lineups for Canadiens and Hurricanes

Up front, the Canadiens are expected to lean on a top line of Cole Caufield, Nick Suzuki and Chris Kreider. Juraj Slafkovský, Alex Newhook and Kirby Dach are projected to form the second line, with Zachary Bolduc, Phillip Danault and Alexandre Texier making up another offensive trio. Florian Xhekaj is slated to skate on a fourth line with Jake Evans and Josh Anderson.

On defence, Montreal’s pairings are projected as Lane Hutson with Alexandre Carrier, Mike Matheson alongside Noah Dobson, and Jayden Struble with Arber Xhekaj. In goal, Jakub Dobeš is expected to get the start, while Samuel Montembeault backs up.

For Carolina, Sebastian Aho is set to centre the top line between William Carrier and Andrei Svechnikov. Another scoring unit features Taylor Hall, Logan Stankoven and Jackson Blake, with Nikolaj Ehlers, Jordan Staal and Jordan Martinook forming a veteran trio. Jesperi Kotkaniemi, Mark Jankowski and Eric Robinson round out the forward group in a depth role.

On the back end, the Hurricanes are projected to dress Jaccob Slavin with Jalen Chatfield, K’Andre Miller with Sean Walker, and Shayne Gostisbehere alongside Mikey Reilly. Brandon Bussi is expected to start in net, with Pyotr Kochetkov serving as the backup.

Puck drop and broadcast details

Puck drop is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. Eastern Time. In the Canadiens’ region, the game will be shown on TSN2 in English and RDS in French, with streaming options available on ESPN+, RDS and TSN+. Viewers in the Hurricanes’ market can follow the action on the team’s regional broadcast network.