Calgary Flames fans entered the season with low expectations, knowing that the team was still undergoing a rebuild. And while the initial weeks made for a terrible watch, the team has shown signs of life in the last few weeks of October.
Given how poorly the year began for the Flames, it’s only natural that most fans are still concerned about the first month of action. But as the 2026-27 season heads into November, how does the mood in Calgary compare to the other six Canadian teams?
Oilers, Senators and Maple Leafs going strong
Begrudgingly for Flames fans, Edmonton was regarded as the nation’s best hope of lifting the Stanley Cup, and little has happened to change that landscape so far. The Oilers have positioned themselves as the team to beat in the Pacific, battling it out for top spot against Vegas once again, although Calgary will hope to dent that optimism.
Across the border in Ontario, though, both the Senators and Maple Leafs are going steady. Ottawa are keeping pace with Boston, in no small part due to Linus Ullmark’s performances in net, with the goaltender boasting an elite .945 save percentage and 1.33 GAA.
Meanwhile, Toronto’s offence has been excellent, with Auston Matthews and William Nylander both in the league’s top 10 for points after one month of play, sitting on 20 and 19 points respectively. That output is drawing attention to both men in player props betting markets, which sports betting Ontario coverage focuses on when comparing operators.
Canadiens and Flames showing promise
At various points in the last month, both of these teams had serious concerns. The Canadiens looked to have significant goaltending trouble with Jakub Dobeš, while the Flames were 0-5 to start the year. Both, however, have since shown promise.
Jacob Fowler is now starting for Montréal in net and has helped the team to several valuable victories, while the Flames have recorded impressive results against the Hurricanes and Minnesota Wild. That run has seen Joel Farabee and Matt Coronato hit form, with both managing points in every game since the 2-6 loss to the Golden Knights, right up to the 5-2 victory over Toronto.
Scepticism regarding how long this run might last is only natural, considering that it was only a matter of weeks ago when fans of both Calgary and Montréal were reflecting on awful performances. But as October comes to an end, there are encouraging signs to latch onto.
Jets and Canucks have cause for concern
It’s not about how you start, but how you finish. And as November hockey gets started, neither the Jets nor the Canucks have much to shout about.
Vancouver being in the early stages of a rebuild meant that the year was always likely to be a learning curve under rookie head coach Manny Malhotra. Although Elias Pettersson’s performances have at least offered some encouragement, being among the worst performers in the league is likely to be the norm this year.
For Winnipeg, though, positive early-season performances against the Penguins, Avalanche and Wild gave way to a five-game losing streak. Inconsistency has been the theme so far, and fans will hope to form a more accurate picture about what this Jets team will look like for the remainder of the season in November.
