Toronto Raptors playing game in Vancouver against a marquee NBA team
The Toronto Raptors are heading back to Vancouver.
The NBA announced Tuesday morning that the Raptors will be hosting a preseason game in Vancouver on Monday, Oct. 6, at Rogers Arena, with the Denver Nuggets as the opponent.
The Raptors, who last visited Vancouver in 2023, have held preseason games at Rogers Arena six times before. Time and time again, the NBA has been welcomed to Vancouver with large and enthusiastic crowds.
“This will be the seventh time we’ve started our year with a preseason game in Vancouver and we’re really excited to be back to tip off 2025-26. We love the vibe, the city, the arena and especially the fans,” Raptors general manager Bobby Webster said in a media release.
“Part of the experience is seeing the players on our young team realize how much support the Raptors have across Canada. It’s awesome – the realization that they play for a country, not just a city, is an important moment. It’s also really fun. We’re looking forward to being back.”
Tickets go on sale on Aug. 27, but presale information will be released by email sign-up through NBA.com/CanadaSeries.
It’s going to be a busy few months of basketball. A third NBA team is expected to visit Vancouver this year, as the Dallas Mavericks will reportedly hold their training camp north of the border this September. The WNBA is also set to tip off in Vancouver for the first time when the Seattle Storm and Atlanta dream play at Rogers Arena on Aug. 15.
The Raptors, meanwhile, will be holding their training camp in Calgary before the trip to Vancouver.
Who’s expected to be playing for the Raptors and Nuggets?
The Raptors couldn’t have picked a team with much more success in recent seasons to play during their visit to Vancouver.
Since the beginning of the 2021-22 NBA season, only the Boston Celtics (233) have more wins than the Nuggets, with 208. Canadian guard Jamal Murray and three-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic were two of the key pillars of the Nuggets’ 2023 NBA title win, and both remain as the faces of the franchise.
“It’s always an honour and a pleasure to get to return home to play basketball in Canada,” Murray said. “I’m excited for the opportunity for myself and my team to face off against the Raptors in front of the basketball-hungry fans of Vancouver, it’s going to be a lot of fun.”
On the Toronto side of things, it could be one of the first chances Raptors fans get to see 2025 ninth overall pick Collin Murray-Boyles, who recently debuted for the team at NBA Summer League. The Raptors also currently boast two All-Stars in Scottie Barnes and Brandon Ingram, the latter of whom has yet to debut with the team after a midseason trade.
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