THE PRESEASON
While preseason exhibition games have been played since before the formal creation of the NHL, mandated preseason games between teams were not instituted until after the league expansion in 1967. They have since met off and on over the past half century, typically in a home-and-home series, with a few instances of games at neutral sites like Halifax, Ottawa or St. John’s. While these games do not count for formal standings or statistics, these give the opportunity for new stars to crack their squad’s roster, or to introduce new acquisitions to the team dynamic, and many featured exhibition players have gone on to successful NHL careers.
jump to: 1967 · 1969 · 1970 · 1971 · 1972 · 1976 · 1977 · 1978 · 1979 · 1980 · 1981 · 1982 · 1983 · 1993 · 1994 · 1995 · 1996 · 1997 · 1998 · 2001 · 2003 · 2005 · 2006 · 2015 · 2016 · 2017 · 2018 · 2019 · 2020 · 2021 · 2022 · 2023
| # | Date | Location | Winner | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1967 preseason preseason series tied 1-1 all-time series tied 1-1 |
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| PR01. | Oct. 4 | Toronto | Maple Leafs | 5-1 |
| PR02. | Oct. 7 | Montréal | Canadiens | 5-4 |
| 1969 preseason preseason series tied 0-0-1 all-time series tied 1-1-1 |
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| PR03. | Oct. 1 | Toronto | tie | 3-3 |
| 1970 preseason Canadiens win preseason series 1-0-1 Canadiens lead all-time series 2-1-2 |
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| PR04. | Sep. 30 | Toronto | Canadiens | 4-3 |
| PR05. | Oct. 2 | Halifax | tie | 1-1 |
| 1971 preseason Canadiens win preseason series 1-0-1 Canadiens lead all-time series 3-1-3 |
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| PR06. | Sep. 25 | Toronto | tie | 2-2 |
| PR07. | Sep. 28 | Halifax | Canadiens | 5-3 |
| 1972 preseason preseason series tied 1-1 Canadiens lead all-time series 4-2-3 |
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| PR08. | Sep. 23 | Toronto | Maple Leafs | 5-0 |
| PR09. | Oct. 4 | Montréal | Canadiens | 5-4 |
| 1976 preseason Canadiens win preseason series 1-0-1 Canadiens lead all-time series 5-2-4 |
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| PR10. | Oct. 1 | Toronto | Canadiens | 6-4 |
| PR11. | Oct. 2 | Toronto | tie | 3-3 |
| 1977 preseason Canadiens win preseason series 2-0 Canadiens lead all-time series 7-2-4 |
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| PR12. | Sep. 28 | Toronto | Canadiens | 3-0 |
| PR13. | Oct. 3 | Toronto | Canadiens | 4-2 |
| 1978 preseason Canadiens win preseason series 1-0-1 Canadiens lead all-time series 8-2-5 |
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| PR14. | Sep. 27 | Toronto | Canadiens | 9-3 |
| PR15. | Oct. 7 | Toronto | tie | 2-2 |
| 1979 preseason preseason series tied 1-1 Canadiens lead all-time series 9-3-5 |
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| PR16. | Sep. 26 | Toronto | Canadiens | 5-3 |
| PR17. | Oct. 6 | Toronto | Maple Leafs | 3-1 |
| 1980 preseason Maple Leafs win preseason series 2-0 Canadiens lead all-time series 9-5-5 |
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| PR18. | Sep. 20 | Toronto | Maple Leafs | 5-3 |
| PR19. | Sep. 24 | Montréal | Maple Leafs | 5-1 |
| 1981 preseason preseason series tied 1-1 Canadiens lead all-time series 10-6-5 |
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| PR20. | Sep. 23 | Toronto | Maple Leafs | 4-3 |
| PR21. | Oct. 3 | Toronto | Canadiens | 3-1 |
| 1982 preseason Canadiens win preseason series 3-0 Canadiens lead all-time series 13-6-5 |
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| PR22. | Sep. 18 | Toronto | Canadiens | 5-4 |
| PR23. | Sep. 19 | Ottawa | Canadiens | 5-3 |
| PR24. | Sep. 22 | Toronto | Canadiens | 6-3 |
| 1983 preseason Canadiens win preseason series 2-0 Canadiens lead all-time series 15-6-5 |
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| PR25. | Sep. 28 | Toronto | Canadiens | 4-3 |
| PR26. | Oct. 1 | Toronto | Canadiens | 5-3 |
| 1993 preseason preseason series tied 1-1 Canadiens lead all-time series 16-7-5 |
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| PR27. | Sep. 17 | Toronto | Maple Leafs | 6-2 |
| PR28. | Sep. 26 | Montréal | Canadiens | 4-2 |
| 1994 preseason preseason series tied 1-1 Canadiens lead all-time series 17-8-5 |
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| PR29. | Sep. 12 | Toronto | Maple Leafs | 4-2 |
| PR30. | Sep. 21 | Montréal | Canadiens | 5-3 |
| 1995 preseason preseason series tied 1-1 Canadiens lead all-time series 18-9-5 |
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| PR31. | Sep. 22 | Toronto | Maple Leafs | 6-0 |
| PR32. | Sep. 23 | Montréal | Canadiens | 7-6 (OT) |
| 1996 preseason Canadiens win preseason series 2-0 Canadiens lead all-time series 20-9-5 |
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| PR33. | Sep. 22 | Montréal | Canadiens | 8-3 |
| PR34. | Sep. 26 | Toronto | Canadiens | 6-4 |
| 1997 preseason Canadiens win preseason series 1-0-1 Canadiens lead all-time series 21-9-6 |
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| PR35. | Sep. 13 | Montréal | tie | 5-5 |
| PR36. | Sep. 16 | Toronto | Canadiens | 2-1 (OT) |
| 1998 preseason Maple Leafs win preseason series 2-0 Canadiens lead all-time series 21-11-6 |
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| PR37. | Sep. 26 | Montréal | Maple Leafs | 2-1 |
| PR38. | Sep. 30 | Toronto | Maple Leafs | 4-3 (OT) |
| 2001 preseason Canadiens win preseason series 2-0 Canadiens lead all-time series 23-11-6 |
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| PR39. | Sep. 17 | St. John’s | Canadiens | 3-0 |
| PR40. | Sep. 18 | Montréal | Canadiens | 2-1 |
| 2003 preseason Maple Leafs win preseason series 2-0 Canadiens lead all-time series 23-13-6 |
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| PR41. | Sep. 23 | Montréal | Maple Leafs | 2-1 |
| PR42. | Sep. 29 | Toronto | Maple Leafs | 3-1 |
| 2005 preseason preseason series tied 1-1 Canadiens lead all-time series 24-14-6 |
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| PR43. | Sep. 22 | Toronto | Maple Leafs | 4-3 |
| PR44. | Sep. 24 | Montréal | Canadiens | 3-2 |
| 2006 preseason Maple Leafs win preseason series 2-0 Canadiens lead all-time series 24-16-6 |
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| PR45. | Sep. 22 | Toronto | Maple Leafs | 5-1 |
| PR46. | Sep. 23 | Montréal | Maple Leafs | 4-3 |
| 2015 preseason preseason series tied 1-1 Canadiens lead all-time series 25-17-6 |
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| PR47. | Sep. 22 | Montréal | Maple Leafs | 2-1 (OT) |
| PR48. | Sep. 26 | Toronto | Canadiens | 1-0 |
| 2016 preseason preseason series tied at 1-1 Canadiens lead all-time series 26-18-6 |
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| PR49. | Oct. 2 | Toronto | Maple Leafs | 3-2 (OT) |
| PR50. | Oct. 6 | Montréal | Canadiens | 6-1 |
| 2017 preseason Maple Leafs win preseason series 2-0 Canadiens lead all-time series 26-20-6 |
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| PR51. | Sep. 25 | Toronto | Maple Leafs | 5-1 |
| PR52. | Sep. 27 | Québec | Maple Leafs | 4-2 |
| 2018 preseason season series tied 1-1 Canadiens lead all-time series 27-21-6 |
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| PR53. | Sep. 24 | Toronto | Canadiens | 5-1 |
| PR54. | Sep. 26 | Montréal | Maple Leafs | 5-3 |
| 2019 preseason Maple Leafs win preseason series 2-0 Canadiens lead all-time series 27-23-6 |
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| PR55. | Sep. 23 | Montréal | Maple Leafs | 3-0 |
| PR56. | Sep. 25 | Toronto | Maple Leafs | 3-0 |
| 2020 Return To Play preseason Maple Leafs win preseason series 1-0 Canadiens lead all-time series 27-24-6 |
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| PR57. | Jul. 28 | Toronto | Maple Leafs | 4-2 |
| 2021 preseason Maple Leafs win preseason series 2-1 Canadiens lead all-time series 28-26-6 |
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| PR58. | Sep. 25 | Toronto | Maple Leafs | 4-1 |
| PR59. | Sep. 27 | Montréal | Canadiens | 5-2 |
| PR60. | Oct. 5 | Toronto | Maple Leafs | 6-2 |
| 2022 preseason Maple Leafs win preseason series 2-0 all-time series tied 28-28-6 |
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| PR61. | Sep. 28 | Toronto | Maple Leafs | 3-0 |
| PR62. | Oct. 3 | Montréal | Maple Leafs | 5-1 |
| 2023 preseason Maple Leafs win preseason series 2-1 Maple Leafs lead all-time series 30-29-6 |
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| PR63. | Sep. 29 | Montréal | Maple Leafs | 2-1 |
| PR64. | Sep. 30 | Montréal | Maple Leafs | 3-1 |
| PR65. | Oct. 2 | Toronto | Canadiens | 5-4 (OT) |
| THE PRESEASON, BY THE NUMBERS Total Games Played: 65 All-Time Record: Toronto leads 30-29-6 All-Time Record, Overtime Wins: series tied 3-3 Longest Montréal Undefeated Streak: 8 games (Oct. 4, 1972 – Sep. 26, 1979) Longest Toronto Undefeated Streak: 5 games (2 times, latest Oct. 5, 2021 – Sep. 30, 2023) Largest Montréal Victory: 8-3 (Sep. 22, 1996) Largest Toronto Victory: 6-0 (Sep. 22, 1995) Most Goals, Game, Montréal: 9 (Sep. 27, 1978) Most Goals, Game, Toronto: 6 (3 times, latest Oct. 5, 2021) Most Goals, Game, Combined: 13 (Sep. 23, 1995) Least Goals, Game, Combined: 1 (Sep. 26, 2015) |
Two Solitudes 