Wild visit Canucks at Rogers Arena: Sunday night preview
Web StoryWatch this story in 15 seconds →Key takeaways
- The Minnesota Wild visit the Vancouver Canucks on Sunday, October 25, 2026.
- The puck drops at 7:00 pm PT at Rogers Arena in Vancouver.
- Vancouver has gone nine games without a win, with a record of 0-8-1 in that run.
The Minnesota Wild visit the Vancouver Canucks on Sunday night. The game starts at 7:00 pm PT at Rogers Arena in Vancouver. That is 10:00 pm ET on Sunday, and 7:00 am PKT on Monday.
Vancouver needs a win badly. The Canucks have gone nine games without a win. Minnesota arrives in much better shape, with a 7-3-2 record this season.
This preview covers the start time, the form of both teams, and the players to watch. It also covers the projected lines and what comes next for Vancouver.
When and where to watch
The game takes place at Rogers Arena in Vancouver, British Columbia. It is the first meeting between the two teams this season. The teams will meet again on November 21 in Vancouver, and on January 26 in Minnesota.
Sportsnet will show the game in Canada, according to the Canucks game notes. The notes also list Wild+ as a TV option.
ESPN+ is listed as a TV option in the United States. KiSS West Coast will carry the game on radio.
Fans in Pakistan can follow the game on Monday morning. The puck drops at 7:00 am PKT. Live scores will update through the morning as the game goes on.
Why this game matters for Vancouver
Vancouver sits at 2-9-1 this season, according to the preview from The Canadian Press. The Canucks are 1-4-0 at home. Their last 10 games read 1-8-1.
The winless run covers October 4 to October 22, the Canucks notes say. Vancouver went 0-8-1 in those nine games. The last loss came on October 22, a 5-2 defeat at home to Detroit.
The numbers show where the trouble lies. Vancouver allows 4.67 goals per game, the worst mark in the league. The Canucks score only 2.92 goals per game, which ranks 19th.
The penalty kill is also last in the league at 65.0 percent. A penalty kill is when a team defends while short a player.
Vancouver has scored three goals or fewer in nine games this season. The record in those games is 0-8-1.
One win would not fix every problem. It would still end a long and painful run. It would also give the home crowd something to cheer at last.
Minnesota arrives in strong form
Minnesota sits at 7-3-2 this season, according to the same preview. The Wild are 2-3-2 on the road. Their last 10 games read 5-3-2.
The Wild score 3.08 goals per game, which ranks 16th. They allow only 2.33 goals per game, which ranks fourth. Their power play runs at 24.3 percent, which ranks ninth.
A power play is when a team attacks with an extra player. Minnesota kills penalties at 80.0 percent, which ranks 17th. Those numbers point to a solid team at both ends of the ice.
Minnesota won its last game 5-1 at Seattle on October 24. Blake Coleman scored two goals in that win. Matthew Boldy added one goal and one assist in the same game.
Coleman has four goals this season, according to Bleacher Nation. He has taken 25 shots, and 16.0 percent of them have gone in. This is his first game against Vancouver this season.
Players to watch
Elias Pettersson leads the Canucks attack. He has four goals and eight assists this season, the preview says. He also leads active Canucks players against Minnesota.
Pettersson has 13 points in 18 career games against the Wild. That total splits into seven goals and six assists. Jake DeBrusk has 12 points in 16 games against Minnesota.
Brock Boeser has 11 points in 22 games against the Wild. Linus Karlsson has three goals and four assists in his last 10 games. Those four players must drive the Vancouver attack tonight.
Kirill Kaprizov leads Minnesota with 12 goals and seven assists. Matthew Boldy has five goals and five assists in his last 10 games. Boldy opened the scoring in the last meeting between the teams.
That last meeting came on April 2, 2026, in Minnesota. The Wild won that game 5-2. Boldy scored twice in the game, including once in the first period.
Quinn Hughes is another name to watch. Hughes is the former captain of the Canucks. The Hockey News says this is his first game in Vancouver since he was traded last December.
Projected lines and goalie news
The Hockey News projects Leevi Meriläinen to start in goal for Vancouver. Kevin Lankinen played the last game, on October 22 against Detroit. Meriläinen last started on October 20 against Carolina, when he stopped 38 of 43 shots.
Meriläinen has a strong record against Minnesota. He has played three games against the Wild, with two wins and one loss. His goals-against average in those games is 1.34, with a save percentage of .944.
A save percentage shows how many shots a goalie stops. A mark of .944 means he stopped 94.4 percent of shots faced. Meriläinen also has one shutout against Minnesota, a game with no goals allowed.
The projected Vancouver lines pair Elias Pettersson with Brock Boeser. Jake DeBrusk skates with Marco Rossi and Brendan Gallagher. Liam Öhgren joins Filip Chytil and Jonathan Lekkerimäki on the third line.
On defence, Elias Pettersson pairs with Filip Hronek. Zeev Buium skates with Tom Willander on the second pair. Paul Cotter, Victor Mancini, and Jamie Oleksiak look set to sit out as healthy scratches.
Injuries hit both teams before this game. Vancouver goalie Thatcher Demko is out with a hip injury, the preview says. Minnesota goalie Filip Gustavsson is also out with a hip injury.
Head-to-head history
Vancouver holds the edge in the all-time series. The Canucks are 50-40-5-14 against Minnesota in all games. At home, Vancouver is 28-14-3-8 against the Wild.
Recent games have been split. Vancouver is 3-4-3 in its last 10 games against Minnesota. In the last five meetings, Minnesota has won three and Vancouver has won two.
Minnesota won the last meeting 5-2 on April 2, 2026. Vancouver won the meeting before that, 4-2 at home on December 6, 2025. Minnesota also won 5-2 on November 1, 2025, and 3-2 in overtime on April 12, 2025.
Vancouver won 3-1 on March 7, 2025, at home. The Canucks have also won once before on October 25 against Minnesota. That win came in 2005, by a score of 3-1.
For more hockey previews, read our Red Wings vs Canucks preview. Our Canadiens vs Jets Heritage Classic guide covers another big outdoor game. You can also check the early NHL standings for full context.
What happens next
A Vancouver win would end the nine-game winless run at home. It would also give the Canucks their third win of the season. A loss would stretch the run to 10 games, and raise more questions.
Vancouver does not get much rest after this game. The Canucks visit Anaheim on Tuesday, October 27, at 7:00 pm PT. They then visit San Jose on Thursday, October 29, at the same time.
Vancouver hosts Toronto on Saturday, October 31, at 4:00 pm PT. That stretch will test the Canucks fast. Three games in five days leave little room to fix problems.
Minnesota will look to build on its strong start. A road win in Vancouver would lift the Wild to 8-3-2. It would also keep the pressure on the top teams in the Central Division.
The puck drops at 7:00 pm PT on Sunday. Vancouver needs a win, and Minnesota wants to keep rolling. Rogers Arena should be loud for a game that means a lot to the home team.
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