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The 2025-26 season is different from previous NHL seasons: there will be no games played between February 6 and 25 inclusive. In fact, the NHL will be off for about three weeks during the Olympic tournament (February 11 to 22).
Remembering that the 2025-26 season is one of Olympic hockey helps when you think: “That's three weeks in a row with the Habs playing four games. My girlfriend is starting to think I'm not home enough in the evenings.”
But it's not just the regular NHL schedule that's been turned upside down this year: the transaction calendar is too.
Two or even three trade deadlines
As you know, in the NHL, teams have until a certain date to complete transactions and dress the player(s) they acquire for the playoffs.
This year, the trade deadline is Friday, March 6 at 3:00 p.m. (Eastern Time).
However, another trade deadline will also apply in the near future. NHL teams have until February 4 (again at 3:00 p.m.) to complete a transaction. Otherwise, they'll have to wait until February 23 at 12:01 a.m. In short, certain teams wishing to sell some of their players will certainly try to conclude a deal by February 4.
Note that NHL teams will not be able to officially practice between February 6 and 16 inclusive. It's safe to assume, however, that many players will be putting on their skates informally every morning in Brossard, as they do during the summer.
Olympic Notes:
-Trade Freeze starts at 3 p.m. ET on Feb. 4…to 11:59 p.m. ET on Feb. 22
-Teams cannot practice from February 6-16
-Teams can have full practices after 2 pm local on Feb 17
-Olympic Tournament is Feb 11-22
-NHL Schedule resumes Feb 25
– John Shannon (@JShannonhl) January 21, 2026
Back to the transactions…
Kent Hughes and Jeff Gorton will be stuck with a surplus of players in a few days. In fact, as soon as they have to take Patrik Laine's name off the injured list, there will be one player too many.
Blais on waivers? Veleno on waivers? Bolduc to Laval? Another player on the injured list?
If Kent Hughes decides that the solution is to ship a guy elsewhere, he'll have until the afternoon of February 4 to do so. Otherwise, it'll have to wait until the 23rd..
Knowing that the Kings felt the pressure to trade Phillip Danault (to the Canadiens) before the holiday trade freeze, the Habs could feel the same way before the Olympic trade freeze.
That gives Habs management a dozen days to make a move.
The sooner they do, the more room Kent Hughes will have under the salary cap come March. For the time being, the use of the LTIR prevents the Habs from accumulating extra space every day in preparation for the deadline.
Extension
– With the transactions completed before the holiday freeze and those currently completed before the Olympic freeze , I wonder what the RDS guys will be talking about when they go on the air early in the morning at the trade deadline.
– Reminder: teams will have to comply with the salary cap even in the playoffs this year. That complicates things.
– Do you think the Habs will make a move before the Olympics?
