NHL Morning Skate for Saturday, October 24, 2026

October 24, 2026

* The Jets completed a blockbuster trade Friday and are set to practice at Princess Auto Stadium tonight before facing the Canadiens in the 2026 Tim Hortons NHL Heritage Classic on Sunday (7 p.m. ET on SN, TVAS, TNT, truTV, HBO Max). Montreal will also practice outdoors after defeating Chicago on Friday.

* Having trouble keeping up with the #NHLStats around Connor McDavid‘s start to the 2026-27 NHL season? We’ve got you covered before he faces fellow No. 1 picks Auston Matthews and Gavin McKenna in one of three Saturday Night Hockey games on Sportsnet programming.

* Nathan MacKinnon forged four points as the Avalanche logged a victory versus the Lightning in the finale of Friday’s two-game slate. Click here to read more notes from the wins by Montreal and Colorado.

JETS MAKE BIG SPLASH WITH HERITAGE CLASSIC DAYS AWAY

Princess Auto Stadium, home of the CFL’s Winnipeg Blue Bombers, is starting to look like a rustic Canadian cabin with the Jets gearing up to host the Canadiens for the 2026 Tim Hortons NHL Heritage Classic on Sunday (7 p.m. ET on SN, TVAS, TNT, truTV, HBO Max). However, the Jets had one last piece of business to finish up before heading outdoors for the weekend, finalizing a blockbuster trade on Friday that sent Hart Trophy winner and three-time Vezina Trophy recipient Connor Hellebuyck to the Devils for a package that included forwards Dawson Mercer and Nick Bjugstad, goaltender Nico Daws, prospect Alexander Command (who was selected 12th overall in the 2026 NHL Draft) and a pair of draft picks.

* The Jets (4 p.m. CDT/5 p.m. ET) and Canadiens (6 p.m. CDT/7 p.m. ET) will both take their first steps on the outdoor ice on Saturday with practice and a family skate on the eve of Sunday’s outdoor game. Both practices will be available live on the NHL’s YouTube page: Winnipeg at this link and Montreal on this stream.

* The Jets are also set to host the Canadiens in an alumni game Saturday at Canada Life Centre (6:30 p.m. CDT/7:30 p.m. ET) with Blake Wheeler, Dustin Byfuglien, Andrei Markov and Jaroslav Halak among those slated to take part.

Saturday Night Hockey has McDavid and his 260-point pace playing Matthews

Connor McDavid (8-23—31 in 10 GP), the third different player in NHL history with 31 points through 10 contests in a season and fifth to record that many over any 10-game span, can add to his League-leading totals when the Oilers host fellow No. 1 picks Auston Matthews, Gavin McKenna and the Maple Leafs during one of three Saturday Night Hockey matches on Sportsnet programming.

* McDavid’s 3.10 points-per-game rate has him on pace to conclude the campaign with 260, which would be 45 more than the single-season NHL record held by Wayne Gretzky (215 in 1985-86). Gretzky is the only player in League history with a 200-point season and achieved the feat four times (also 212 in 1981-82, 208 in 1984-85 & 205 in 1983-84).

* Matthews needs two points for 800 in his career and can become the fastest player in franchise history as well as the NHL’s third quickest American skater to reach the milestone. Matthews (13-10—23 in 31 GP; 14-5-2 record) has more goals and wins through his previous 31 games against McDavid (10-22—32 in 31 GP; 7-12-2 record), while McKenna is set to face the Oilers captain for the first time in his career.

* More highlights from the 12-game slate include Kirill Kaprizov aiming to add to his League-leading 11 goals through 11 games this season; Sidney Crosby needing one assist to tie Ray Bourque (1,111 w/ BOS) for the most with one franchise in NHL history; as well as Jack Hughes and the Devils playing their first game since acquiring his Team USA teammate Connor Hellebuyck in a blockbuster trade Friday.

Canadiens head to Winnipeg on winning note; MacKinnon hits 1,300 total points
Jake Evans (2-1—3) and Nathan MacKinnon (1-3—4) had a game-high three and four points, respectively, to help their teams tally triumphs Friday:

* Evans tied his single-game career high for points and Jacob Fowler (20 saves) improved to 4-1-0 through five appearances this season (1.94 GAA, .910 SV%, 1 SO) as the Canadiens clipped the Blackhawks in their last game before the 2026 Tim Hortons NHL Heritage Classic on Sunday (7 p.m. ET on SN, TVAS, TNT, truTV, HBO Max). Evans, who is set to make his NHL outdoor game debut, had a hat trick for the Ontario Junior Hockey League’s St. Michael’s Buzzers in their 5-4 win against the Buffalo Jr. Sabres during Frozen Frontier at Frontier Field in Rochester on Dec. 15, 2013.

* MacKinnon recorded his 45th career three-assist game to tie Joe Sakic for third place on the franchise’s all-time list and vault the Avalanche to victory versus the Lightning. MacKinnon became the eighth active player to reach 1,300 total points (regular season & playoffs combined) and the fourth fastest among that group to reach the milestone.

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