All 4 Western Canadian NHL teams kick off their 2024-25 seasons tonight

A few games have already been played, but for Western Canadian hockey fans it truly feels like the season begins tonight.

The Vancouver Canucks, Calgary Flames, Edmonton Oilers and Winnipeg Jets will all kick off their regular seasons this evening.

And they’ll do it head to head, as the Flames are in Vancouver to take on the Canucks and the Oilers will welcome the Jets to Edmonton for the opener.

For three of those four teams, expectations are high as they enter the 2024-25 season.

The Oilers are Stanley Cup favourites after getting to the final in June and coming up just one goal short in game seven.

The Canucks enjoyed some surprising success in 2023-24 and are now looking to follow that up with another impressive season with a little more pressure to be a top tier team this year.

The Jets were knocked out of the playoffs in the first round in the spring, but enter this season with a healthy roster and Vezina Trophy winning goalie Connor Hellebuyck.

It's almost showtime 🎬 ✈️ pic.twitter.com/rKKq9QC08X

— Winnipeg Jets (@NHLJets) October 9, 2024

The Flames, on the other hand, are in the middle of a rebuild and are predicted by most to miss the playoffs for a third straight year.

These four clubs aren’t the only Canadian teams in action tonight, as the Montreal Canadiens will also host the Toronto Maple Leafs in another all-Canadian matchup.

Only the Ottawa Senators are idle this evening when it comes to teams north of the 49th parallel, as the Sens will begin their campaign on Thursday.

NHL On Tap: Maple Leafs, Canadiens facing off with 3 all-Canadian games scheduled ⤵️https://t.co/IkNvdhMSuV

— NHL.com (@NHLdotcom) October 9, 2024