No NBA game in Montreal in 2026 and nothing announced for 2027: here is the honest picture, and how to be first to know.
Updated October 4, 2026
Montreal has been one of the great homes of the NBA Canada Series, with packed nights at the Bell Centre in 2018, 2022, 2023 and 2024. But in 2026 the NBA did not come to Montreal at all, and fans are now asking whether there will be an NBA game in Montreal in 2027. This page gives an honest answer: what is confirmed, what is not, and what the history of the series suggests.
Here is the bottom line as of October 4, 2026: no NBA game in Montreal has been announced for 2027. There was no game in Montreal in 2026, and the city's last NBA game was played on October 6, 2024, when the Toronto Raptors beat the Washington Wizards 125-98 at the Bell Centre. A return in 2027 is possible, but the NBA has said nothing about it. The 2027-28 preseason calendar is generally published around August 2027.
We prefer to say it plainly rather than fill the gap with guesses. If a website promises "NBA Montreal 2027 tickets" today, be careful: the NBA has not confirmed any game.
The good news is that the process is predictable. In recent years the NBA has announced its Canadian preseason games during the summer, opened a short registration and presale window on nbacanadagames.com, then launched the general sale a day or two later. If Montreal is part of the 2027 plan, that is probably how fans would find out, and our alert is designed to reach you on the same day.
The NBA did not explain its choice publicly, and we will not invent a reason. What we know is the outcome: in 2026, the league held only two games in Canada outside Toronto, under the names NBA Quebec City Game presented by Bell and NBA Vancouver Game presented by Bell.
In other words, the province of Quebec still had its NBA game in 2026, but in the capital rather than in Montreal. For Montreal fans, the closest options this fall were the trip to Quebec City or a game at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto. Our NBA Montreal page keeps the general information about basketball in Montreal up to date.
Montreal has never had an NBA franchise, but it has been a loyal host of preseason games. The NBA Canada Series, launched in 2012, has included Montreal regularly. Here are the Montreal games we have verified:
| Date | Venue | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Oct 10, 2018 | Bell Centre, Montreal | Toronto Raptors 118 – 91 Brooklyn Nets |
| Oct 14, 2022 | Bell Centre, Montreal | Toronto Raptors 137 – 134 Boston Celtics |
| Oct 12, 2023 | Bell Centre, Montreal | Detroit Pistons 128 – 125 Oklahoma City Thunder (no Raptors) |
| Oct 6, 2024 | Bell Centre, Montreal | Toronto Raptors 125 – 98 Washington Wizards |
A few highlights:
Montreal hosted three years in a row (2022, 2023, 2024), more than any other city in that period. That makes its absence in 2026 all the more noticeable.
What follows is an analysis based on trends. It is written in the conditional and is not an announcement.
Arguments for a return. Montreal is one of the largest markets in Canada and the Bell Centre, with about 21,000 seats, is one of the biggest arenas in the NHL. The city's recent run (2022-2023-2024) shows the NBA likes coming here. A one-year break followed by a return would fit the rotation the league often uses between cities.
Arguments for caution. The NBA has just opened a new market in Quebec City and may want to repeat the experience. Vancouver has become a near-regular stop (2023, 2025, 2026). With usually only one or two games outside Toronto each year, there is not room for every city every year.
Our reading. A Montreal comeback in 2027 is plausible, but it is not confirmed, and it would be wrong to present it as likely without official information. Compare with our NBA Quebec City 2027 and NBA Vancouver 2027 pages, and with the overview on our NBA Canada Series 2027 guide.
The Bell Centre is home to the Montreal Canadiens of the NHL. It opened in 1996 and holds about 21,000 people, which makes it one of the largest arenas in the league.
Since there was no game in Montreal in 2026, we have no 2026 price data for the city. The NBA did not publish face values for its 2026 Canadian games either; face values are set by each venue's official box office. As an indicative reference, here is what the resale market looked like for the two 2026 games, recorded on October 3, 2026. These are neither official nor guaranteed prices.
| 2026 game | Resale range observed | Listings |
|---|---|---|
| Quebec City (Raptors vs Heat), game day | about €63 to €1,020 per ticket | 53 listings |
| Vancouver (Raptors vs Clippers) | about €150 to €1,680 per ticket (roughly CA$220 to CA$2,500) | 91 listings |
A Montreal game in 2027, if announced, could follow its own pricing depending on the matchup, the size of the Bell Centre and demand. The best value is normally found through the official presale and general sale.
To understand Montreal's chances, it helps to look at the whole NBA Canada Series. Since 2012, the series has visited six Canadian cities: Montreal, Vancouver, Winnipeg, Calgary, Edmonton and Ottawa, with Quebec City joining in 2026. There was no series in 2017, when the NBA moved its regular-season start earlier, and no games in 2020 and 2021 because of health and travel restrictions.
In the editions we have verified since 2018, Montreal and Vancouver stand out as the two pillars. Montreal hosted in 2018, 2022, 2023 and 2024; Vancouver in 2018, 2019, 2023, 2025 and 2026. Edmonton had a game in 2022, and Quebec City its first in 2026. The NBA clearly likes to alternate and to test new markets from time to time, which is why a single year without Montreal does not necessarily mean a long absence. It does mean, however, that nothing should be taken for granted.
For those who have never been: an NBA preseason game in Montreal feels very much like a regular-season night. The arena goes all out with music, player introductions and entertainment during breaks, and the crowd is famously loud. The games do not count in the standings, and teams use them to test rotations and give minutes to newer players, so playing time can be spread differently than in the regular season.
That has never stopped Montreal fans from making the most of it. The 137-134 Raptors win over Boston in 2022 and the 128-125 Detroit win over Oklahoma City in 2023 were both close, exciting games. For families and first-time NBA fans, a preseason game at the Bell Centre is a great way to discover the league without travelling to Toronto.
We will tell you which scenario comes true as soon as the NBA announces its plans.
For Montreal fans, the simplest way to see the NBA live this season is a trip to Toronto. The Raptors host the New York Knicks on October 13 in preseason, then open the regular season against the Chicago Bulls on October 21, 2026, at Scotiabank Arena. Find all the dates on our October 2026 NBA Canada schedule, the full Raptors and NBA Canada 2026-2027 schedule, and practical information on our Toronto Raptors page. The train between Montreal and Toronto makes a basketball weekend very doable.
There was no NBA game in Montreal in 2026, and none has been announced for 2027. The last one was on October 6, 2024, a 125-98 Raptors win over Washington at the Bell Centre. Montreal's history (2018, 2022, 2023, 2024) makes a return possible, but the NBA has not confirmed anything, and the 2027-28 preseason calendar is generally published around August 2027. Sign up for our alert and we will let you know the moment Montreal is back, or not.
Not announced. As of October 4, 2026, the NBA has not confirmed any game in Montreal for 2027, nor any date or matchup. The 2027-28 preseason calendar is generally published around August 2027. A return is possible given Montreal's history in the series, but it is only a hypothesis for now.
No. In 2026 the NBA played only two games in Canada outside Toronto: in Quebec City on October 3 (Miami Heat 129-105 Toronto Raptors) and in Vancouver on October 10 (Raptors vs LA Clippers at Rogers Arena). Montreal was not part of the 2026 schedule.
On October 6, 2024, at the Bell Centre. The Toronto Raptors beat the Washington Wizards 125-98. It is the last NBA game played in Montreal to date. Before that, the city hosted games in 2018, 2022 and 2023, including a 137-134 Raptors win over Boston in 2022.
No, Montreal has never had an NBA franchise. The city's NBA experience comes from preseason games, mainly through the NBA Canada Series launched in 2012. Those games have consistently drawn big crowds to the Bell Centre, one of the largest arenas in the NHL with about 21,000 seats.
There is no date, because no game has been announced. As a reference, in 2026 registered fans on nbacanadagames.com had a presale on August 18 or 19 and the general sale opened on August 20. If a Montreal game is announced for 2027, a similar timeline is possible but not certain.
There is no 2026 data for Montreal since no game was played there. For reference, an indicative look at the resale market on October 3, 2026, showed about €63 to €1,020 per ticket for Quebec City and about €150 to €1,680 for Vancouver. These are not official prices.
The Bell Centre is downtown and served by the Lucien-L'Allier and Bonaventure metro stations, both a short walk away. On event nights, the metro is far easier than driving. Arrive early to allow time for security, and check the arena's bag policy before you go.
Yes, in Toronto. The Raptors host the New York Knicks in preseason on October 13 and open the regular season against the Chicago Bulls on October 21, 2026, at Scotiabank Arena. The Quebec City game on October 3 has already been played.
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