The wait is over, as the Canucks prepare to kick off the 2025-26 season at home against the Flames, with new faces, a new coach and maybe a bit of hope?

Vancouver Canucks (0-0-0) vs. Calgary Flames (1-0-0)

7:00 pm PST; 10:00 pm EST

TV: Sportsnet Pacific, Sportsnet West

Radio: Sportsnet 650

The start of a new hockey season is always a special time. A chance for us as fans to enjoy the return of the team, welcome new players into the fold, and watch some hockey before the crushing weight of the misery this team has inflicted upon its fan base takes hold yet again.

Okay, so maybe that's a little bleak, but it's been a long time since we had genuine hope that the oldest run of never winning the Cup would finally be snapped. And while it's unlikely that it happens this season, there should be at least a glimmer of hope that this team can make it to the post season after missing yet again last time around. With a new head coach in Adam Foote, some new additions to try and fill holes from departures over the summer, and starting the season healthy (save for a couple guys, most notably Nils Hoglander), the Canucks should have what it takes to battle for a Western Conference playoff spot this season. And they'll likely have to fight off tonight's opponent to snag it.

The Calgary Flames appear to be in a pretty similar situation as the Canucks. Trying to rebuild after high expectations and disappointing results. They may not have all the pieces to get this done though, because like the Canucks, a lot of things will have to go right in order for that to happen. Both teams also have a teenage draft pick who'll be starting the season with the club after turning heads in training camp in the preseason.

The Flames got their 2025-26 off to a great start, coming back from three goals down to defeat the Edmonton Oilers 4-3 in a shootout. They got goals from former Kamloops Blazer Connor Zary, and 19 year old rookie Matvei Gridin en route to the win, Was it pretty? Good lord, no. But that will be a confident Flames team coming in tonight looking to start their year with back to back wins, and the Canucks need to be ready.

With the Canucks, the focus should be on three main areas tonight. First, the play of Braeden Cootes, the eighteen year old first round pick from this past June, who is full value for his opening night roster spot. He's looked very ready for prime time, and if his play continues to be strong, could see himself remain with the team past the nine game trial for players that can be sent back to major junior. Second, all eyes will be on Elias Pettersson and his play on a nightly basis. It's not gonna take long for the doubters to be out in full force if he's not making an impact out of the gate. Let's hope for sanity's sake that he's good to go after a decent enough showing in the preseason. And third, is Thatcher Demko going to be able to give the Canucks a full season? So much of this team's fate lies in the hands of their goaltending, and while Kevin Lankinen was good in his first season as a Canuck, but if they want to get to the postseason, and potentially further, it's going to have to be Demko that does it.

LINEUPS

Thanks to someone at the ol' nhl dot com thingy, we have a somewhat educated guess as to the lineups these teams will ice tonight:

Flames projected lineup

Joel Farabee -- Nazem Kadri -- Adam Klapka

Matvei Gridin -- Morgan Frost -- Matt Coronato

Connor Zary -- Mikael Backlund -- Blake Coleman

Ryan Lomberg -- Justin Kirkland -- Yegor Sharangovich

Joel Hanley -- MacKenzie Weegar

Kevin Bahl -- Rasmus Andersson

Jake Bean -- Brayden Pachal

Dustin Wolf

Devin Cooley

Scratched: Samuel Honzek, Daniil Miromanov, Zayne Parekh

Injured: Jonathan Huberdeau (undisclosed), Martin Pospisil (undisclosed)

Canucks projected lineup

Jake DeBrusk -- Elias Pettersson -- Brock Boeser

Arshdeep Bains -- Filip Chytil -- Conor Garland

Evander Kane -- Braeden Cootes -- Jonathan Lekkerimaki

Drew O'Connor -- Aatu Raty -- Kiefer Sherwood

Quinn Hughes -- Filip Hronek

Marcus Pettersson -- Tyler Myers

Derek Forbort -- Elias Nils Pettersson

Thatcher Demko

Kevin Lankinen

Scratched: Victor Mancini, Linus Karlsson

Injured: Nils Hoglander (lower body), Teddy Blueger (undisclosed), P.O Joseph (lower body)

Cootes on a line with Evander Kane and Jonathan Lekkerimaki will be one to watch, as well as the second line of Filip Chytil centering Conor Garland and Arshdeep Bains. Not sure I like Tyler Myers on the second defensive pairing, but we'll have to see how this plays out.

GAME DAY CHATTER

GAME DAY BATTLE HYMN

Going back to 1993 today, in the heady heydays of Earache Records, as they started branching out from grindcore and death metal to bring the world bands like PITCHSHIFTER. These UK industrial metallers would make a decent enough impact in the latter part of the decade, and put together some pretty solid releases. From their third album 'Desensitized', this is 'Triad'.

Well, maybe it'll be different this time. Try and enjoy it. Fuck fascism. Go Canucks Go!