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NHL Notebook: Jets to host the 2026 Heritage Classic
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Photo credit: Resolute [CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)]
Ryley Delaney
Dec 8, 2025, 17:00 ESTUpdated: Dec 8, 2025, 16:46 EST
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On Saturday, the National Hockey League announced the first outdoor game of the 2026-27 season.
The Heritage Classic returns for the first time since 2023-24, as the Winnipeg Jets will host the Montréal Canadiens on Oct. 25, 2026. It’s the third Heritage Classic the Jets have hosted, hosting the Calgary Flames (in Regina) during the 2019-20 season and the Edmonton Oilers in 2016-17.
This will be the third Heritage Classic for both the Canadiens and Jets, tying both the Flames and Oilers for the most among the Canadian teams. The Ottawa Senators, Vancouver Cancuks, and Toronto Maple Leafs have all played in one Heritage Classic, with the Leafs taking on the Buffalo Sabres in 2021-22, the lone American team to participate in a Heritage Classic.
Later this season, the Florida Panthers will host the New York Rangers for the annual Winter Classic. That game is scheduled for January 2 at LoanDepot Park in Miami. The Stadium Series comes a month later, as the Tampa Bay Lightning host the Boston Bruins at Raymond James Stadium, home of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
There are just two teams yet to appear in an outdoor game. While the Panthers are one of the two teams that’ll change in a few months, just leaving the Utah Mammoth as the lone team with an outdoor appearance. The Mammoth’s predecessor, the Arizona Coyotes, never participated in an outdoor game either.

Hockey Canada releases World Junior camp roster

The holidays are just around the corner, which means the annual World Junior Classic is ramping up.
This year, it’ll be hosted in the twin cities of Minnesota: Minneapolis and Saint Paul. The United States are looking for their first three-peat in tournament history, but standing in its way will be a stacked Team Canada.
On Monday, Team Canada released their camp roster, and they’re the immediate favourites. It features seven top 10 picks, including Calgary Flames defenceman Zayne Parekh and San Jose Sharks forward Micheal Misa. Not only that, but the consensus first overall pick in the 2026 draft, Gavin McKenna, will more than likely make the team for the second consecutive tournament.
In total, Team Canada has 20 players picked in the first round in their camp, along with four players who’ll be picked in 2026, likely in the first round.
The tournament begins on Dec. 26, with Team Canada opening their tournament with a matchup against Team Czechia.

Lightning extend Ryan McDonagh

On Thursday, the Tampa Bay Lightning announced that they’ve extended defenceman Ryan McDonagh to a three-year deal worth $4.1 million.
McDonagh was selected 12th overall by the Montréal Canadiens in 2007, but was traded to the New York Rangers for Scott Gomez before making his NHL debut. The left-shot defenceman played parts of eight seasons with the Original Six team before being traded alongside J.T. Miller before the 2018 trade deadline.
After a few strong seasons and a disappointing sweep at the hands of the eighth-seeded Columbus Blue Jackets in 2019, the Lightning and McDonagh won back-to-back Stanley Cups in 2020 and 2021, as well as falling as the runner-up in the 2022 Stanley Cup Final. At the conclusion of the 2021-22 season, McDonagh was traded to the Nashville Predators.
He only spent two seasons with the Predators before the Lightning decided to reacquire the veteran before the 2024-25 season. In the first season of his second stint, McDonagh scored four goals and 31 points in 82 games as a 35-year-old. Through 15 games this season, McDonagh has three goals and six points in 15 games.
Ryley Delaney is a Nation Network writer for FlamesNation, Oilersnation, and Blue Jays Nation. She can be followed on Twitter @Ryley__Delaney.
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