Maple Leafs vs. Senators Opening Night 2016 live stream: Watch online

Oct 2, 2016; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews (34) before the start of their game against the Montreal Canadiens during a preseason hockey game at Air Canada Centre. The Maple Leafs beat the Canadiens 3-2 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports /

The 2016-17 NHL season kicks off with the Toronto Maple Leafs and Ottawa Senators squaring off in the Battle of Ontario. Here’s how to watch online.

After a long offseason, the NHL is back. Even though hockey fans got treated to a great spectacle with the World Cup, it’s great to have the real thing back. And there’s no better way to get the season started than a clash between two bitter rivals in the Toronto Maple Leafs and Ottawa Senators.

Ottawa’s most important player, as always, is Erik Karlsson. Even though he’s widely regarded as the league’s best defenseman, he lost the Norris Trophy to Drew Doughty last year and will want to rectify that this season. But against the Leafs, the focus will be on another Senators defenseman: Dion Phaneuf.

The Senators took on Phaneuf’s huge salary to bolster their blue line while the Leafs got a lot of much-needed assets. In a way, it helped both teams, but it was still shocking to see two divisional rivals make a deal with each other. Phaneuf didn’t play much once he arrived in Ottawa due to injury, but he already played the Leafs twice — and he’ll likely want to stick it to his old team by scoring a goal.

Meanwhile, for Toronto, the selection of Auston Matthews has ushered in a new era. While Matthews’ home debut won’t come until Saturday, there will be plenty of Leafs fans on hand. They have made the Canadian Tire Centre somewhat of a second home, and this time around, it should be no different.

This game will be televised nationally on Sportsnet in Canada. The best way for Americans to watch this game is on NHL GameCenter Live. It requires a subscription, but you’ll get to see the local feed, which means you’ll get to see Don Cherry.

Date: Wednesday, October 12
Start time: 7:00 pm ET
Location: Ottawa, Canada
Stadium: Canadian Tire Centre
TV Info: Sportsnet
Live Stream: Stream

Next: All live stream info in one place

As if getting hockey back wasn’t enough, fans will get treated to a great rivalry to start the season. Even for two teams that aren’t expected to make the playoffs, this game should be nothing short of a classic.

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