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{{Short description|National Hockey League team in Quebec}}
The '''Montreal Canadiens''' (officially le Club de Hockey Canadien, and known as ''le Bleu-Blanc-Rouge'', ''les Glorieux'', ''les Habitants'', ''les Habs'', ''le Canadien'', ''the Flying Frenchmen'') are a ] team based in ], ], ].
{{about|the NHL hockey team|the NHA hockey team|Les Canadiens|the women's hockey team|Les Canadiennes de Montreal|Canadien people of Montreal|Canadien|and|Canadians|and|Montrealer}}
{{redirect|Habs|the early French settlers of Quebec|Habitants|other uses}}
{{good article}}
{{Use Canadian English|date=May 2016}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2024}}
{{Infobox NHL team
| CAN_eng = 1
| team_name = Montreal Canadiens<br /><small>''Canadiens de Montréal''<!--Do not revert, as per the talk page of this article. --></small>
| current = 2024–25 Montreal Canadiens season
| bg_color = background:#FFFFFF !important; border-top:#A6192E 5px solid !important; border-bottom:#001E62 5px solid !important;
| text_color = #000000
| logo_image = Montreal Canadiens.svg
| logo_alt = A small white H contained inside a large red C, all surrounded by a blue contour.
| conference = ]
| division = ]
| founded = 1909
| history = '''Montreal Canadiens'''<br />]–] (])<br />]–present (])
| arena = ''']'''
| city = ]
| uniform_image = ECA-Uniform-MTL.PNG
| uniform_image_size = 150px
| team_colors = Red, white, blue<ref>{{cite news|last=Pickens|first=Pat|title=Niagara Falls lighting up red, white and blue for Canadiens|url=https://www.nhl.com/news/short-shifts-niagara-falls-lighting-up-with-colors-of-canadiens/c-325318418|publisher=National Hockey League|date=June 13, 2021|access-date=April 28, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite press release|title=NHL and Montreal Canadiens unveil 2020 NHL Draft logo|url=https://www.nhl.com/canadiens/news/nhl-and-montreal-canadiens-unveil-2020-nhl-draft-logo/c-314877080|author=NHL Public Relations|publisher=Montreal Canadiens|via=NHL.com|date=February 10, 2020|access-date=February 12, 2020}}</ref><br />{{colour box|#A6192E}} {{colour box|#FFFFFF}} {{colour box|#001E62}}
| media_affiliates = '''English'''<br />{{unbulleted list|]|]}} '''French'''<br />{{unbulleted list|]|]}}
| owner = ] <!-- Do not remove or change this as a way to vandalize (WP:VANDALISM). Take it elsewhere. -->(majority owner)<br />(], chairman)<ref>{{cite web|title=Administration|url=https://www.nhl.com/canadiens/team/administration|publisher=Montreal Canadiens|via=NHL.com|access-date=February 12, 2020}}</ref>
| general_manager = ]<ref>{{cite web |title=Kent Hughes named Canadiens general manager |url=https://www.nhl.com/canadiens/news/kent-hughes-named-canadiens-general-manager/c-329865598|publisher=Montreal Canadiens|via=NHL.com |access-date=December 15, 2024 |date=January 18, 2022}}</ref>
| head_coach = ]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nhl.com/canadiens/news/martin-st-louis-becomes-32nd-head-coach-in-canadiens-history/c-334411286|title=Martin St-Louis becomes 32nd head coach in Canadiens history|publisher=Montreal Canadiens|via=NHL.com|date=June 1, 2022|access-date=December 15, 2024}}</ref>
| captain = ]<ref>{{cite web |title=Nick Suzuki named 31st captain in Canadiens history |url=https://www.nhl.com/canadiens/news/nick-suzuki-named-31st-captain-in-canadiens-history/c-335520346 |publisher=Montreal Canadiens|via=NHL.com |date=September 12, 2022 |access-date=December 15, 2024}}</ref>
| minor_league_affiliates = ] (])<ref>{{cite web|date=September 8, 2016|title=Laval team to be named the Rocket|url=https://theahl.com/news/est-voluptatem-temporibus-minima-dignissimos|access-date=December 15, 2024|website=TheAHL.com}}</ref><br />] (])<ref name="3rhabs">{{Cite web |title=The Canadiens announce affiliation with the new ECHL Trois-Rivières club |url=https://www.nhl.com/canadiens/news/the-canadiens-announce-affiliation-with-the-new-echl-trois-rivieres-club/c-320456434 |access-date=December 14, 2024|date=January 19, 2021 |publisher=Montreal Canadiens|via=NHL.com}}</ref>
| stanley_cups = <!--This field is for Stanley Cups. Do not add the 1924–25 NHL title-->'''24''' (], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ]){{notetag|While the Montreal Canadiens have won 24 Stanley Cups, they have actually won 27 league championships, as the Stanley Cup predates the NHA/NHL and was an inter-league championship prior to 1926. The Canadiens won two titles with the ], winning a Stanley Cup in ] and losing in ]. The Canadiens have won 25 league titles in the ], winning 23 Stanley Cups. As NHL champion, Montreal failed to win the Stanley Cup in ], when the ] cancelled the Stanley Cup finals against the ] of ], and in ], when they lost in the Stanley Cup to the ]'s ].}}
| conf_titles = '''8''' (], ], ], ], ], ], ], ])<!-- THERE WERE NO CONFERENCES IN 2020–21 TO BE A CHAMPION OF; DO NOT RE-ADD. Also, after 1980–81, conference titles are not officially won until a team makes it to the Stanley Cup Finals per the NHL. Please do not add finishing first in conference during regular season.-->{{notetag|Though the Canadiens won the ] and advanced to the Stanley Cup Finals in ], this does not count as a conference championship. Due to restrictions brought on by the ], the ] saw a realignment of teams into new divisions, without any assigned conferences.}}
| presidents'_trophies = '''0'''{{notetag|The ] was not introduced until ]. Had the trophy existed since league inception, the Canadiens franchise would have won 21 Presidents' Trophies.}}
| division_titles = '''24''' (], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ])
| website = {{Official website| https://www.nhl.com/canadiens}}
}}
The '''Montreal Canadiens'''{{notetag|Even in English, the French spelling {{lang|fr|Canadiens}} is always used instead of ''Canadians''. The French spelling of ''Montréal'' is also sometimes used in English-speaking media.}} ({{langx|fr|link=no|Les Canadiens de Montréal}}), officially '''''{{lang|fr|le Club de hockey Canadien}}''''' ({{lit.}} The Canadian Hockey Club)<ref name="Canadiens-Privacy">{{cite web|title=Privacy Policy|url=https://www.nhl.com/canadiens/team/privacy-policy|publisher=Montreal Canadiens|via=NHL.com|access-date=April 23, 2022}}</ref> and colloquially known as the '''Habs''',{{notetag|Other nicknames for the team include ''Le Canadien'', ''Le Bleu-Blanc-Rouge'', ''La Sainte-Flanelle'', ''Le Tricolore'', ''Les Glorieux'' (or ''Nos Glorieux''), ''Le CH'', ''Le Grand Club'', ''Les Plombiers'', and ''Les ]'' (from which "Habs" is derived).}} are a professional ] team based in ]. The Canadiens compete in the ] (NHL) as a member of the ] of the ]. Since 1996, the team has played its home games at ], originally known as Molson Centre.<ref name="Renamed">{{cite news|url=http://www.cbc.ca/sports/hockey/molson-centre-renamed-bell-centre-1.323185 |title=Molson Centre renamed Bell Centre |access-date=February 14, 2007 |work=] |date=February 26, 2002 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131224160515/http://www.cbc.ca/sports/hockey/molson-centre-renamed-bell-centre-1.323185 |archive-date=December 24, 2013}}</ref> The Canadiens previously played at the ], which housed the team for seven decades and all but their first two ] championships.{{notetag|Earlier venues for the Canadiens include ], ], and ].}}


Founded in 1909, the Canadiens are the oldest continuously operating professional ice hockey team worldwide, and the only existing NHL club to predate the ]. One of the earliest ], the Canadiens' history predates that of every other Canadian franchise outside the ]'s ], as well as every American franchise outside ] and the ]'s ]. The franchise is one of the "]", the teams that made up the NHL from 1942 until the ]. The team's championship season in ] marked the last time a Canadian team won the Stanley Cup.<ref name="CanadaCup">{{cite news|url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/hockey/its-been-18-years-since-last-canadian-stanley-cup-winner/article582983/ |title=It's been 18 years since last Canadian Stanley Cup |work=] |access-date=February 14, 2012 |date=June 12, 2011 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141129222802/http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/hockey/its-been-18-years-since-last-canadian-stanley-cup-winner/article582983/ |archive-date=November 29, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nhl.com/news/canada-s-30-year-stanley-cup-drought-a-surprise-to-guy-carbonneau-344409124|title= Canada's 30-year Stanley Cup drought a surprise to Carbonneau|author=Stubbs, Dave|publisher=National Hockey League|date=May 15, 2023|access-date=December 16, 2024}}</ref>
:Founded: ]-]
:Arena: ] (capacity 21,273). Formerly known as ].
:Uniform colors: red, white and blue
:Logo design: a C with an H in the centre (for ''Club de Hockey Canadien'')


The Canadiens have won the Stanley Cup more times than any other franchise, having earned 24 championships, with 23 victories since the founding of the NHL, and 22 since 1927, when NHL teams became the only ones to compete for the Stanley Cup.<ref name="MostCups">{{cite web|url=http://www.nhl.com/ice/page.htm?id=25426 |title=Stanley Cup All-time Champions and Finalists |publisher=National Hockey League |access-date=June 24, 2014 |year=2014 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140719073110/http://www.nhl.com/ice/page.htm?id=25426 |archive-date=July 19, 2014}}</ref> The Canadiens also had the most championships by a team of any of the ] until the ] won their 25th ] title in ].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://archive.nytimes.com/www.nytimes.com/library/sports/baseball/102999bba-yanks-titles.html|title= In Another Sport in Another Country, a Similar Success|author=Lapointe, Joe|work=]|date=October 29, 1999|access-date=December 16, 2024}}</ref>
:Motto: ''To you from failing hands we throw the torch. Be yours to hold it high.''


==History==
:]
{{Main|History of the Montreal Canadiens}}
The Canadiens were founded by ] on December 4, 1909, as a charter member of the ] (NHA),<ref>{{Harvnb|Jenish|2008|pp=9–13}}</ref><ref name="Gazette-OlympicStadiumNegotiations">{{Cite news |last=Stubbs |first=Dave |title=Canadiens toy with game at Olympic Stadium |work=]|page=C2 |date=September 4, 2008 |url=http://www.canada.com/montrealgazette/news/sports/story.html?id=80701a02-5dd4-4624-89fd-6b6de145f41c |access-date=September 4, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080906200059/http://www.canada.com/montrealgazette/news/sports/story.html?id=80701a02-5dd4-4624-89fd-6b6de145f41c |archive-date =September 6, 2008}}</ref> the forerunner to the ]. It was to be the team of the ] community in Montreal, composed of francophone players, and under francophone ownership as soon as possible.<ref>{{harvnb|Jenish|2008|pages=10–11}}</ref> The founders named the team "Les Canadiens," a term identified at the time with French speakers.<ref>{{Cite web|date=June 27, 2017|title=The Strange History of 'O Canada'|url=https://thewalrus.ca/the-strange-history-of-o-canada/|access-date=August 16, 2020|website=]|last=Kuitenbrouwer|first=Peter}}</ref> The team's ] was not a success, as they placed last in the league. After the first year, ownership was transferred to ] of Montreal and the team's record improved over the next seasons.<ref name="Canadian Dictionary of Biography online">{{cite web |url=http://www.biographi.ca/en/bio.php?id_nbr=7823 |title=Canadian Dictionary of Biography online |publisher=Government of Canada Library and Archives |access-date=April 30, 2007 |year=2007 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140113134646/http://www.biographi.ca/en/bio.php?id_nbr=7823 |archive-date=January 13, 2014}}</ref> The team won its first Stanley Cup championship in the ].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://ourhistory.canadiens.com/greatest-moment/Stanley-Cup-No-1 |title=Stanley Cup no. 1 |publisher=Montreal Canadiens Hockey Club |access-date=May 19, 2009 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090221043716/http://ourhistory.canadiens.com/greatest-moment/Stanley-Cup-No-1 |archive-date=February 21, 2009}}</ref> In 1917, with four other NHA teams, the Canadiens formed the NHL,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=369827 |title=NHL celebrates 90th anniversary today |access-date=November 22, 2014 |date=November 26, 2007 |first=John |last=McGourty |publisher=National Hockey League |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141129070106/http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=369827 |archive-date=November 29, 2014}}</ref> and they won their first NHL Stanley Cup during the ], led by ].<ref>{{Cite book|last=Sandor |first=Steven |year=2005 |title=The Battle of Alberta: A Century of Hockey's Greatest Rivalry |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3DEhnwEACAAJ |isbn=1-894974-01-8 |publisher=Heritage House |page=30 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141129120348/http://books.google.ca/books?id=3DEhnwEACAAJ |archive-date=November 29, 2014}}</ref> The team moved from the ] to the ] for the ].<ref>{{citation|url=http://ourhistory.canadiens.com/greatest-moment/The-Forum-Opens-Its-Doors |title=The Forum opens its doors |publisher=Montreal Canadiens Hockey Club |access-date=May 19, 2009 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090503154544/http://ourhistory.canadiens.com/greatest-moment/The-Forum-Opens-Its-Doors |archive-date=May 3, 2009}}</ref>


The club began the 1930s decade successfully, with back-to-back Stanley Cup wins in ] and ]. However, the Canadiens, along with cross-town rivals the ], declined both on the ice and economically during the ] era. Losses grew to the point where team owners considered selling interest to ], Ohio, though local investors were ultimately found to finance the Canadiens.<ref>{{Harvnb|Jenish|2008|pp=80–85}}</ref> After the Maroons suspended operations following the ], several of their players joined the Canadiens.<ref>{{Citation|last1=Holzman |first1=Morey |last2=Nieforth |first2=Joseph |year=2002 |title=Deceptions and Doublecross: How the NHL Conquered Hockey |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=COb82MiKyGQC&q=Deceptions%20and%20Doublecross%3A%20How%20the%20NHL%20Conquered%20Hockey&pg=PP1 |isbn=1-55002-413-2 |publisher=Dundurn Press |page=330 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141129051031/http://books.google.ca/books?id=COb82MiKyGQC&lpg=PP1&dq=Deceptions%20and%20Doublecross%3A%20How%20the%20NHL%20Conquered%20Hockey&pg=PP1 |archive-date=November 29, 2014}}</ref>
:] final appearances: 34 (24 won, 9 lost, 1 cancelled: ]-] (won), ]-] (lost), ]-] (cancelled), ]-] (won), ]-] (lost), ]-] (won), ]-] (won), ]-] (won), ]-] (won), ]-] (lost), ]-] (lost), ]-] (lost), ]-] (won), ]-] (lost), ]-] (lost), ]-] (won), ]-] (won), ]-] (won), ]-] (won), ]-] (won), ]-] (won), ]-] (won), ]-] (lost), ]-] (won), ]-] (won), ]-] (won), ]-] (won), ]-] (won), ]-] (won), ]-] (won), ]-] (won), ]-] (won), ]-] (lost), ]-] (won) )


Led by the "]" of ], ] and ] in the 1940s, the Canadiens enjoyed success again atop the NHL. From ] to ], the franchise won six Stanley Cups, including a record five straight from ] to 1960, with a new set of stars coming to prominence: ], ], ], ], ] and Richard's younger brother, ].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.hhof.com/htmlSpotlight/spot_oneononeTeamMonCan5560.shtml |title=Legends of Hockey – Spotlight – Montreal Canadiens – 1955–60 |publisher=Hockey Hall of Fame |access-date=November 15, 2014 |archive-date=November 29, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141129012606/http://www.hhof.com/htmlSpotlight/spot_oneononeTeamMonCan5560.shtml}}</ref>
=== Franchise history ===
With the possible exception of the ], no North American sports team has had as storied and as successful a history as the Montreal Canadiens. They have won 24 ]s, far more than any other team.


] in 1962. |alt=Five men playing hockey in a crowded arena.]]
Before there was an NHL, there were Montreal Canadiens. They were a charter member of the league's forerunner, the ] (NHA), in ]. In ], they beat the ] of the Pacific Coast League to win their first Stanley Cup, and returned to the finals the following season, only to lose to the ].
The Canadiens added ten more championships in 15 seasons from ] to ], with another ] of four-straight Cups from ] to 1979.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.hhof.com/htmlExhibits/exCupDyn.shtml |title=Via Rail Stanley Cup Dynasties |publisher=Hockey Hall of Fame |access-date=November 22, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170630093309/http://hhof.com/htmlExhibits/exCupDyn.shtml |archive-date=June 30, 2017}}</ref> In the ], the Canadiens set three ] – fewest losses (8) in an 80-game season,<ref name=":0">{{cite web |date=January 12, 2009 |title=NHL records for most points and fewest losses still held by 1976–77 Habs |url=http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=508145 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140105075318/http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=508145 |archive-date=January 5, 2014 |access-date=March 10, 2013 |publisher=National Hockey League |agency=The Canadian Press}}</ref> the longest home unbeaten streak (34),<ref>{{Cite news |last=Fachet |first=Robert |date=April 4, 1977 |title=Canadiens Bang Upon Capitals, 11-0 |work=] |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/sports/1977/04/04/canadiens-bang-upon-capitals-11-0/6b0fe32d-8da0-4145-abdd-bd081b5c348d/ |access-date=June 17, 2023 |issn=0190-8286}}</ref> and best goal differential (+216)<ref>{{Cite web |last=Campbell |first=Ken |date=January 3, 2014 |title=Greatest Teams of All-Time: 1976-77 Montreal Canadiens |url=https://thehockeynews.com/news/greatest-teams-of-all-time-1967-77-montreal-canadiens |access-date=June 17, 2023 |website=]}}</ref> – and one record that lasted until the ] beat it, for the most points (132) in an 80-game season.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Wyshynski |first=Greg |date=April 11, 2023 |title=Bruins top Caps, set NHL record with 133 points |url=https://www.espn.com/nhl/story/_/id/36164424/bruins-defeat-capitals-set-another-nhl-record-133-points |access-date=April 12, 2023 |website=]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Stubbs |first=Dave |title=1976-77 Canadiens voted No. 3 Greatest NHL Team |url=https://www.nhl.com/news/1977-canadiens-greatest-nhl-teams/c-289745814 |access-date=June 17, 2023|date=June 3, 2017 |publisher=National Hockey League}}</ref> The next season, 1977–78, the team had a 28-game unbeaten streak, the second-longest in NHL ].<ref name="streaks">{{cite web |url=https://www.nhl.com/gamecenter/chi-vs-col/2013/03/08/2012020353 |title=Blackhawks' streak ends at 24 with loss to Avalanche |publisher=National Hockey League|last=Sadowski|first=Rick|date=March 9, 2013 |access-date=March 10, 2013 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131002183046/http://blackhawks.nhl.com/gamecenter/en/recap?id=2012020353 |archive-date=October 2, 2013}}</ref> The next generation of stars included ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ] and ]. ], who would later set a record for most NHL victories by a coach, was the team's head coach for its last five Stanley Cup victories in the 1970s.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://ourhistory.canadiens.com/greatest-moment/The-Bowman-Effect |title=The Bowman Effect |publisher=National Hockey League |date=March 8, 2013 |access-date=March 10, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130128042406/http://ourhistory.canadiens.com/greatest-moment/The-Bowman-Effect |archive-date=January 28, 2013}}</ref>


The Canadiens won Stanley Cups in ], led by rookie star goaltender ],<ref>{{citation|last=Kreiser |first=John |url=http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=530138 |title=Seven teams that surprised by winning the Stanley Cup |publisher=National Hockey League|date=May 25, 2010 |access-date=July 30, 2009 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100527063435/http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=530138 |archive-date=May 27, 2010}}</ref> and in ], continuing their streak of winning at least one championship in every decade from the 1910s to the 1990s (this streak came to an end in the 2000s).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2006/04/27/sports/hockey/27canadiens.html?pagewanted=print&_r=0|title= Canadiens Trying to Regain Past Glory|author=Diamos, Jason|work=]|date=April 27, 2006|access-date=November 3, 2014}}</ref> In 1996, the Habs moved from the Montreal Forum, their home during 70 seasons and 22 Stanley Cups, to Molson Centre (now called ]).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cbc.ca/archives/categories/sports/hockey/montreal-canadiens-at-100/last-game-at-the-montreal-forum.html |title=Last game at the Montreal Forum |website=CBC.ca |access-date=November 3, 2014 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141119080105/http://www.cbc.ca/archives/categories/sports/hockey/montreal-canadiens-at-100/last-game-at-the-montreal-forum.html |archive-date=November 19, 2014}}</ref>
The Canadiens and four other NHA team executives formed the NHL in ]. Two years later, they once again faced ] for the Stanley Cup, but tragedy struke with the series tied at two games apiece: a flu epidemic hit Seattle, and star ] died. The remainder of the series was cancelled.


Following Roy's departure in 1995, the Canadiens fell into an extended stretch of mediocrity,<ref>{{Harvnb|Kay|2009|p=126}}</ref> missing the playoffs in four of their next ten seasons and failing to advance past the second round of the playoffs until ].<ref>{{citation|last=Meagher |first=John |url=http://www2.canada.com/topics/sports/hockey/canadiensstory.html?id=21e7b9f5-b334-46ac-9f76-4a6b78ab809b |title='I've never been back there' |work=]|date=December 6, 2005 |access-date=July 30, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090821133857/http://www2.canada.com/topics/sports/hockey/canadiensstory.html?id=21e7b9f5-b334-46ac-9f76-4a6b78ab809b |archive-date=August 21, 2009}}</ref> By the late 1990s, with both an ailing team and monetary losses exacerbated by a record-low value of the ], Montreal fans feared their team would end up relocated to the ]. Team owner ] sold control of the franchise and the Molson Centre to American businessman ] in 2001, with the ] for any future sale by Gillett and a condition that the NHL Board of Governors must unanimously approve any attempt to move to a new city.<ref name="Gazette-sale-Gillett">{{Citation |last1=Davenport |first1=Jane |last2=Gyulai |first2 = Linda |title='I'll restore Habs': New owner looks ahead to that 25th Stanley Cup |work=]|pages=A.1 |date=February 1, 2001}}</ref> Led by club president ], the Canadiens returned to being a lucrative enterprise, earning additional revenues from broadcasting and arena events. In 2009, Gillett sold the franchise to a ] led by the ] which included ], ], the ], ], ] and the ] Financial Group for $575&nbsp;million, more than double the $275&nbsp;million he spent on the purchase eight years prior.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.forbes.com/forbes/2010/1220/nhl-valuations-10-geoff-molson-montreal-canadiens-thin-ice.html |title=Oh Canadiens: Inside The Richest Deal In NHL History |first=Nathan |last=Vardi |work=] |date=February 12, 2010 |access-date=March 15, 2015 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402142030/http://www.forbes.com/forbes/2010/1220/nhl-valuations-10-geoff-molson-montreal-canadiens-thin-ice.html |archive-date=April 2, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.montrealgazette.com/sports/hockey/montreal-canadiens/article531457.html |title=George Gillett Jr. helped turn Canadiens into a billion-dollar team |first=Christopher |last=Curtis |work=]|date=November 25, 2014 |access-date=March 31, 2015}}</ref>
In addition to Hall's death, the next season they lost ] (the most frequent scorer in NHL history - had he been playing with today's schedule, he would have scored over 100 goals a season). Malone was on loan from the dormant ], but that team returned to the ice in ].


During the ], the Canadiens celebrated their ] with various events,<ref name="100th-commemorativeLogo">{{cite press release |title=Habs to honor their 100th season |publisher=Montreal Canadiens |date=August 26, 2008 |url=http://canadiens.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=489925 |access-date=August 26, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091208105830/http://canadiens.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=489925 |archive-date=December 8, 2009}}</ref>
With rookie ] completing a line with veterans ] and ], the Canadiens once again reached the top in ], defeating both ] and ] in a convoluted playoff format. In ], the Habs lost to the ] (now the ]), in the last year of the old Western Hockey League challenging for the Stanley Cup.
including hosting both the ],<ref name="AllStar2009">{{cite web |url=https://www.espn.com/nhl/news/story?id=2740485 |title=Montreal to host '09 All-Star Game |website=] |date=January 23, 2007 |access-date=February 14, 2007 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081021190414/http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/news/story?id=2740485 |archive-date=October 21, 2008}}</ref> and the ].<ref name="PR-2009Draft">{{cite press release|title=Canadiens to host 2009 NHL Entry Draft |publisher=National Hockey League |date=July 15, 2008 |url=http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=368471 |access-date=September 4, 2008 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141101050353/http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=368471 |archive-date=November 1, 2014}}</ref>


The Canadiens became the first team in NHL history to reach 3,000 victories with their 5–2 victory over the ] on December 29, 2008.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/records-8000/first-ice-hockey-team-to-win-3000-regular-season-games-/ |title=First ice-hockey team to win 3,000 regular-season games |work=] |access-date=October 29, 2014 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141030022325/http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/records-8000/first-ice-hockey-team-to-win-3000-regular-season-games-/ |archive-date=October 30, 2014}}</ref>
The Canadiens lost goaltender ] to ] in ]-], and finish last in the league. The following season, the Canadiens signed a suitable replacement in ], who would win the new ] for best goaltender. Hainsworth would be the league's best goalie for the next few years.


] with banners celebrating the ].|alt=Façade of the Bell Centre. On the wall is a banner celebrating the Canadiens centennial, featuring two players, one in black and white and one in colour, and the Canadiens logo in front of a "100".]]
But despite consistently having one of the best regular season records in the league, the Habs stumbled in the playoffs until they won their third Stanley Cup in ], defeating the seemingly-invincible ]. The "Flying Frenchmen" once again beat the regular-season champion Bruins in the ] playoffs, then beat the ] to win their fourth Cup.
For the ], the league moved the Canadiens along with the other six teams from Canada to the ]. Due to the ], the Canadiens only played against teams in the division in the regular season to avoid ]. All teams in the division played without fans to begin the season.<ref>{{cite web |title=Canadian NHL teams getting ready for season-long sprint |url=https://www.cbc.ca/sports/hockey/nhl/nhl-canadian-teams-north-division-1.5860232 |website=] |access-date=February 24, 2021 |date=January 3, 2021}}</ref> The Canadiens advanced through the ], beating the ] in the first round of the playoffs 4–3, ]. The Canadiens then ] the ] in the second round, advancing to the Stanley Cup semifinals.<ref>{{cite web |title=Canadiens win Game 4 in OT, sweep Jets |url=https://www.nhl.com/news/winnipeg-jets-montreal-canadiens-game-4-recap-325114716 |last=Farrell|first=Sean |publisher=National Hockey League |access-date=December 16, 2024 |date=June 8, 2021}}</ref> After defeating the ] in the penultimate round, clinching an overtime victory in game 6 of the series, they reached their first ] in 28 years, whilst also being the first Canadian team to do so since the ] in ].<ref>{{cite web |title=Canadiens defeat Golden Knights in overtime in Game 6, reach first Stanley Cup Final since 1993 |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nhl/2021/06/24/canadiens-defeat-golden-knights-advance-stanley-cup-final/5328717001/ |work=] |access-date=December 16, 2024 |date=June 24, 2021|last=Brehm|first=Mike}}</ref> Montreal eventually lost the Finals to the ], 4–1.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kaplan |first=Emily |date=July 7, 2021 |title=Tampa Bay Lightning close out Montreal Canadiens in Game 5 to win second straight Stanley Cup|url=https://www.espn.com/nhl/story/_/id/31780078/tampa-bay-lightning-close-montreal-canadiens-game-5-win-second-straight-stanley-cup|access-date= December 16, 2024 |website=]}}</ref>


In ], the Canadiens were unable to replicate their success from the prior season, ultimately finishing last in the league for the first time since the ] and the first time in the NHL's expansion era, in what was one of the worst seasons in the team's history.<ref>{{cite web |last1=D'Amours |first1=Tristan |title=Carey Price's health, youth development big off-season storylines for Canadiens |url=https://www.cbc.ca/sports/hockey/nhl/carey-price-canadiens-season-wrap-nhl-1.6437293 |website=]|access-date=April 30, 2022 |date=April 30, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Basu |first1=Arpon |title=One of the worst Canadiens seasons in franchise history ended with a standing ovation and they should learn from it |url=https://theathletic.com/3283729/2022/04/30/one-of-the-worst-canadiens-seasons-in-franchise-history-ended-with-a-standing-ovation-and-they-should-learn-from-it/ |website=] |access-date=April 30, 2022 |date=April 30, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Potvin |first1=Blain |title=Montreal Canadiens 2021-22 Season: Learning Lessons in Failure |url=https://thehockeywriters.com/canadiens-2021-22-season-learning-lessons-failure/ |website=TheHockeyWriters.com |access-date=April 30, 2022 |date=April 30, 2022}}</ref> In the process, they set team records for most regulation losses (49), most goals against (319), fewest wins (22),{{notetag|name=min70games|Minimum 70-game schedule.}} and fewest points (55),{{notetag|name=min70games}} while their .335 point percentage was the team's third-worst ever, after only the ] (.319) and ] (.260) campaigns. As a result, team owner ] authorized a "rebuild" of the roster over an extended period, a first in the modern history of the franchise.<ref>{{cite news|url= https://montrealgazette.com/sports/hockey/nhl/hockey-inside-out/stu-cowan-geoff-molson-has-his-rebuild-of-the-canadiens-on-track|title=Geoff Molson has his 'rebuild' of the Canadiens on track|work=]|last=Cowan|first=Stu|date=March 31, 2023|accessdate=May 13, 2023}}</ref> The Canadiens finished fifth-last in the subsequent ] and ] seasons.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://montrealgazette.com/sports/hockey/nhl/hockey-inside-out/with-season-ending-loss-to-bruins-canadiens-cement-41-8-odds-of-a-top-5-draft-pick|title=With season-ending loss to Bruins, Canadiens cement 41.8% odds of a top-5 draft pick|newspaper=]|last=Zurkowsky|first=Herb|date=April 13, 2023|accessdate=May 13, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Leijon|first1=Erik|title=About Last Night: Habs lose season finale but the future looks bright|url=https://montrealgazette.com/sports/hockey/nhl/hockey-inside-out/about-last-night-habs-lose-season-finale-but-the-future-looks-bright|newspaper=] |access-date=December 12, 2024|date=April 17, 2024}}</ref>
The Canadiens' stars (Morenz and Joliat) faded out in the early 1930s, and they had the worst record in the league by ]-]. Stunned by such a horrible performance, the NHL gave the Habs rights to all French Canadian players for two years. They had the second-best record in the NHL in ]-], but were stunned again by Morenz's death after a devastating hit by the ]' ]. The Canadiens were once again mired in mediocrity for several more seasons, until a team led by the Punch Line of ], ] and ] lifted the Cup again in ] after losing only five games in the regular season.


==Team identity==
In ]-], Richard made NHL history by becoming the first player to score 50 goals, doing so on the final night of the season. Despite the power, the Habs lost to the ] in the semi-finals. The team was be invigorated in the ] playoffs, winning their sixth Stanley Cup.
{{Further|History of the Montreal Canadiens}}
The Canadiens organization operates in both English and French. For many years, public address announcements and press releases have been given in both languages, and the team website and social media outlets are in both languages as well. At home games, the first stanza of ] is sung in French, and the chorus is sung in English.


===Crest and sweater design===
The 1950s were by far the most successful decade ever for the Canadiens, and it is believed by many that the Habs of this era were the best team in NHL history. Between ] and ], the Canadiens made the finals every year, winning six times (including five straight between ] and ]). ] would elevate to coach the team, and they added more of the league's great players like Jean B&eacute;liveau, Dickie Moore, Doug Harvey, Bernie "Boom Boom" Geoffrion, goalie ] (who, in 1959, became the first goalie to regularly wear a mask) and Maurice Richard's brother Henri.
{{multiple image
| title = Early logos used by the Canadiens
| align = right
| direction = vertical
| total_width = 150
| image1 = Logo Canadiens de Montréal 1909-1910.png
| caption1 = Logo used from 1909 to 1910
| image2 = Montreal Canadiens 1912-1913 logo.svg
| caption2 = Logo used from 1912 to 1913
| image3 = MontrealCanadiens1918.png
| caption3 = Original design of the "CHC" logo (1917–1919, 1921–1922)
}}
One of sport's oldest and most recognizable logos, the classic 'C' and 'H' of the Montreal Canadiens was first used together in the 1917–18 season, when the club changed its name to "Club de hockey Canadien" from "Club athlétique Canadien",<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=370513 |title=Ice Age: Playing the point on many issues – 02/08/2008 |last=Coffey |first=Phil |publisher=National Hockey League |date=February 8, 2008 |access-date=December 12, 2008 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110719104146/http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=370513 |archive-date=July 19, 2011}}</ref> before evolving to its current form in 1952–53. The "H" stands for "hockey", not "]," a popular misconception.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://ourhistory.canadiens.com/jerseys-and-logos/1909-1946 |title=Jerseys and Logos – 1909 – 1946 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170324212551/http://ourhistory.canadiens.com/jerseys-and-logos/1909-1946 |archive-date=March 24, 2017}}</ref> According to , the first man to refer to the team as "the Habs" was American ], owner of the ], in 1924. Rickard apparently told a reporter that the "H" on the Canadiens' sweaters was for "Habitants".<ref name="theH">{{cite web|url=https://www.liveabout.com/montreal-canadiens-called-the-habs-2778720 |title=Why are the Montreal Canadiens called the Habs?|website=] |year=2008 |access-date=December 16, 2024 |last=Fitzpatrick |first=Jamie}}</ref> In French, the "Habitants" nickname dates back to at least 1914, when it was printed in '']'' to report a 9–3 win over Toronto on the ninth of February.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://sportetsociete.blogspot.com/2007/11/le-canadien-de-montral-les-origines-du.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080503155303/http://sportetsociete.blogspot.com/2007/11/le-canadien-de-montral-les-origines-du.html |archive-date=May 3, 2008|title=Le Canadien de Montréal, les origines du terme HABITANT|last=Foisy|first=Paul|date=November 30, 2007 |website=Sport et Société Québec|access-date=June 18, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |title=VICTOIRE ECRASANTE DU CANADIEN SUR TORONTO |work=] |location=Montreal |page=4 |language=fr |date=February 9, 1914| via=BAnQ numérique |url=http://numerique.banq.qc.ca/patrimoine/details/52327/2792155?docpos=4 |access-date=June 18, 2019}}</ref>


Since 1911, the team's primary colours are blue, white and red. The home ] is predominantly red in colour and features four blue and white stripes: one across each arm, one across the chest and the other across the waistline. The main road sweater is white with a red and blue stripe across the waist, red at the end of both arm sleeves, and red shoulder yokes. The basic design has been in use since 1914 and took its current form in 1925, generally evolving as materials changed.<ref name=jerseys/> Because of the team's lengthy history and significance in Quebec, the sweater has been referred to as {{lang|fr|'La Sainte-Flanelle'}} (the holy flannel sweater).
Montreal fell into a state of unbridled love, if not obsession, with the Canadiens. At no time was this more evident then when Rocket Richard was suspended for the rest of the season in 1955 for attacking an official after disagreeing with his ejection from the game following a fight against the Red Wings. Montrealers rioted in the streets, causing millions of dollars in damage. The Canadiens had to forfeit the game, and would lose in the finals to the Red Wings.


As of 2015, the Canadiens' home red sweater is the only uniform in the league to feature the ] version of the NHL shield logo (LNH) on the neck collar, in acknowledgment of Montreal's French Canadian heritage. The road white sweater retains the English NHL shield logo.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nhl.com/canadiens/news/montreal-canadiens-unveil-new-2015-16-jersey/c-771966 |title=Montreal Canadiens unveil new 2015-16 jersey |publisher=Montreal Canadiens|date=June 27, 2015|via=NHL.com |access-date=December 20, 2021}}</ref>
Despite Rocket Richard's retirement in 1960, the Canadiens looked ready to win a sixth straight Cup in 1961, but they were stunned in the playoffs by the Chicago Blackhawks in the semi-finals. The Canadiens continued to suffer (relative) playoff frustration until they won the Cup again in 1965, in Yvan Cournoyer's rookie season, and repeated in 1966. The following season, the Canadiens lost to the Maple Leafs in the Stanley Cup finals, the last time the two hated rivals met each other in the final round.


The Canadiens used multiple designs prior to adopting the aforementioned design in 1914. The original shirt of the 1909–10 season was blue with a white C. The second season had a red shirt featuring a green ] with the C logo, and green pants. Lastly, the season before adopting the current look the Canadiens wore a "]" design jersey with red, white and blue stripes, and the logo being a white maple leaf reading "CAC", "Club athlétique Canadien".<ref name=jerseys>{{cite web|url=http://ourhistory.canadiens.com/jerseys-and-logos/1909-1946 |title=Our History – Logos and Jerseys |publisher=Canadiens.com |year=2008 |access-date=February 16, 2011 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110718004302/http://ourhistory.canadiens.com/jerseys-and-logos/1909-1946 |archive-date=July 18, 2011}}</ref> All three designs were worn during the ] as part of the Canadiens' ].<ref name=cent>{{cite web|url=http://canadiens.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=489960 |title=Habs unveil Centennial initiatives |date=September 24, 2008 |access-date=October 31, 2014 |publisher=Canadiens.com |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141101050356/http://canadiens.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=489960 |archive-date=November 1, 2014}}</ref>
With expansion in 1967-1968, the Canadiens handily defeated the fledgling ] in the finals during each of the next two seasons. It might have been a third straight, if the Canadiens hadn't missed out on a playoff spot in 1970 on the final day of the regular season, thanks to a tiebreaker (and since Toronto missed out as well, it meant the only time in NHL history no Canadian teams made the playoffs.)


In the 2020–21 season, the Canadiens unveiled a "]" alternate uniform in collaboration with ]. The uniform was essentially the same as their regular red uniform, but with blue as the primary colour and red as the stripe colour.<ref>{{cite news|title=Reverse Retro alternate jerseys for all 31 teams unveiled by NHL, adidas|url=https://www.nhl.com/news/nhl-reveals-adidas-reverse-retro-jerseys/c-319633384|publisher=National Hockey League|date=December 1, 2020|access-date=December 5, 2020|last=Ledra|first=Cristina}}</ref> A second iteration was released in the 2022–23 season, again using the same template but with red relegated to the logo only and featuring a light blue base with white/dark blue/white stripes.<ref>{{cite news|title=NHL Reverse Retro jerseys for all 32 teams unveiled by adidas|url=https://www.nhl.com/news/2022-adidas-nhl-reverse-retro-jerseys-reveal/c-336511528|publisher=National Hockey League|date=October 20, 2022|access-date=October 20, 2022|last=Merola|first=Lauren}}</ref>
The Habs were back to their winning ways in 1971, defeating the Blackhawks to capture yet another Stanley Cup in goalie Ken Dryden's rookie season (starting a career where he would average an astonishing 2 goals allowed per game), in addition to long-time Leafs' star Frank Mahovlich's first in a Canadiens' uniform. After losing in the quarter-finals to the Bruins in 1972 (Guy Lafleur's rookie season), they would once again win the Cup over Chicago in 1973.


This period also saw the introduction of ] across NHL-sanctioned equipment, starting with helmet ads and followed by front jersey patches on gameday uniforms. Contextually, the Canadiens' away jerseys feature the ] logo<ref>{{cite web|title=Canadiens announce Air Canada as official road jersey partner|url=https://www.nhl.com/canadiens/news/nov-22-canadiens-announce-air-canada-as-official-road-jersey-partner|publisher=Montreal Canadiens|date=November 22, 2023|access-date=December 16, 2024}}</ref> in the upper right chest area whereas the name and shield for the ] (RBC) is stitched onto its home counterpart.<ref>{{cite web|title=Canadiens announce RBC as first official game jersey partner|url=https://www.nhl.com/canadiens/news/canadiens-announce-rbc-as-first-official-game-jersey-partner-335520044|publisher=Montreal Canadiens|date=September 12, 2022|access-date=December 16, 2024}}</ref>
The Canadiens were upset by the ] in the first round in 1974, and lost out to the ] in the 1975 semi-finals. But in 1976, they won the Cup again, thwarting the ]' hopes for a third consecutive championship. The team was led by Lafleur (who was in the midst of six straight 50-goal seasons), Cournoyer, Steve Shutt, Pete Mahovlich and Larry Robinson. The Canadiens would then go on to win three more consecutive Cups to close out the 1970s.


The Canadiens' colours are a readily identifiable aspect of ] culture. In the short story "]", ] described the influence of the Canadiens and their jersey within rural Quebec communities during the 1940s.<ref name="Civilization-HockeySweater">{{cite web |last=Tarasoff |first=Tamara |title=Roch Carrier and ''The Hockey Sweater'' |publisher=Canadian Museum of History |date=December 10, 2004 |url=http://www.historymuseum.ca/cmc/exhibitions/cpm/catalog/cat2208e.shtml |access-date=September 4, 2008 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140313223451/http://www.historymuseum.ca/cmc/exhibitions/cpm/catalog/cat2208e.shtml |archive-date=March 13, 2014}}</ref> The story was later made into an animated short, ''The Sweater'', narrated by Carrier.<ref name="NFB-HockeySweater">{{cite web |author=National Film Board of Canada Production |title=The Sweater |work=NFB – Collection |publisher=National Film Board of Canada Production |year=2008 |url=http://onf-nfb.gc.ca/en/our-collection/?idfilm=13316 |access-date=September 4, 2008 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140218103029/http://onf-nfb.gc.ca/en/our-collection/?idfilm=13316 |archive-date=February 18, 2014}}</ref> A passage from the short story appears on the ].<ref name="CBC-SpiritHockey">{{cite news |publisher=CBC Archives |work=CBC.ca |title=The Spirit of Hockey |year=2008 |url=http://www.cbc.ca/archives/categories/sports/hockey/the-spirit-of-hockey/the-hockey-sweater.html |access-date=September 20, 2008 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120808224702/http://www.cbc.ca/archives/categories/sports/hockey/the-spirit-of-hockey/the-hockey-sweater.html |archive-date=August 8, 2012}}</ref><ref name="HockeyPeoplesHistory-VirtualHotStove">{{cite news |website=CBC.ca |title=The Virtual Hot Stove |year=2008 |url=http://www.cbc.ca/hockeyhistory/virtualhotstove/personalities.html |access-date=September 4, 2008 |url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080606194954/http://www.cbc.ca/hockeyhistory/virtualhotstove/personalities.html |archive-date=June 6, 2008}}</ref>
Most of the Canadiens' best players were retired or traded by the early 1980s (the major exceptions being Robinson and Lafleur). They would, however, pick up star Swedish center Mats Naslund, defenseman Bob Gainey, as well as Guy Carbonneau in the early 1980s. By 1985-1986, they once again had a top goalie in rookie Patrick Roy. Roy would lead the Canadiens to their only Stanley Cup of the decade that season, defeating the ].


===Motto===
The Canadiens would continue to consistently perform through the early 1990s, winning another Cup in 1993 over the ]. That season, they picked up scoring threat Vincent Damphousse from the ], in addition to having forwards Kirk Muller, Brian Bellows and Stephane Lebeau - all four of whom scored more than 30 goals each during that season.
<blockquote>{{lang|fr|Nos bras meurtris vous tendent le flambeau, à vous toujours de le porter bien haut.}}</blockquote>
<blockquote>To you from failing hands we throw the torch. Be yours to hold it high.</blockquote>
The motto is from the poem "]" by ], which was written in 1915, the year before the Canadiens won their first Stanley Cup championship. The motto appears on the wall of the Canadiens' dressing room as well as on the inside collar of the new Adidas Adizero jerseys introduced in 2017.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://canadiens.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=489201 |title=Inside the dressing room |date=August 30, 2006 |publisher=Canadiens.com |access-date=August 29, 2014 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141030103122/http://canadiens.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=489201 |archive-date=October 30, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://edmontonjournal.com/gallery/gallery-new-nhl-jerseys-for-2017-18|title=Gallery: New NHL jerseys for 2017-18 |date=June 20, 2017 |newspaper=] |access-date=December 13, 2024}}</ref>


===Mascot===
By 1995, the Canadiens disintegrated and missed the playoffs for the first time in 25 years. The final straw came in December of that year, when Patrick Roy allowed nine goals against the ] in one game and asked to be traded. This incident had been perpetuated by his dislike of then current head coach ]. He was dealt to the eventual Stanley Cup champion ] along with ] for ] and ], and despite solid players like Pierre Turgeon, Mark Recchi, Vladimir Malakhov and Patrice Brisebois at various points in the late 1990s, the Canadiens would stumble and eventually miss the playoffs three straight seasons between 1999 and 2001. There was even small talk of the team moving, especially after American investor ] was the team's only interested buyer when Molson Breweries sold it in 2001.
]
Beginning in the ], the Canadiens adopted ] as their official mascot, the first costumed mascot in their long history. The foregoing was the longtime mascot for ] (MLB)'s ] but was dropped from the franchise when they moved to ] prior to the ] and became the ].<ref name="NBC">{{cite web |url=http://www.cbc.ca/sports/expos-are-gone-youppi-moves-to-the-habs-1.548418 |title=Expos are gone, Youppi! moves to the Habs |work=] |date=September 18, 2005 |access-date=June 13, 2008 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141214071256/http://www.cbc.ca/sports/expos-are-gone-youppi-moves-to-the-habs-1.548418 |archive-date=December 14, 2014}}</ref> With the changeover, Youppi! became the first mascot in professional sports to switch leagues. He is also the first mascot in professional sports to get ejected from a game dating back to his time with the Expos.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Rudin |first1=David |title=Today is the anniversary of Youppi getting ejected from an Expos game|date=August 23, 2018 |url=https://montrealgazette.com/sports/today-is-the-anniversary-of-youppi-getting-ejected-from-an-expos-game |work=] |access-date=June 4, 2021}}</ref> In June 2020, Youppi! became the first mascot from a Canadian-based club to be inducted into the ].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/youppi-first-canadian-mascot-inducted-mascot-hall-fame/|title = Youppi! First Canadian mascot inducted into Mascot Hall of Fame|website=]|date=June 14, 2020}}</ref>


In November 2022, the Canadiens introduced METAL!, an "unofficial official mascot", for the team's Reverse Retro series of games that season.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nhl.com/canadiens/news/metal-debuts-at-canadiens-game/c-337519458|title=METAL! debuts at Canadiens game|publisher=Montreal Canadiens|via=NHL.com|access-date=February 24, 2023|date=November 12, 2022}}</ref> METAL! was retired ahead of the ].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nhl.com/canadiens/news/metal-retires-ahead-of-2024-25-season#:~:text=METAL!,2024%2D25%20season%20%7C%20Montr%C3%A9al%20Canadiens|title = METAL! retires ahead of 2024-25 season|publisher=Montreal Canadiens|via=NHL.com|date=October 9, 2024|access-date=December 12, 2024}}</ref>
In the fall of 2001, it was revealed that center ], who had been with the team since 1995, had cancer and would miss the season. Miracuously, he would come back and, along with the surprising strong play of goalie ], inspire the team for a run to the 2002 playoffs as the final seed in the Eastern Conference. They would then upset the Bruins in the first round, but lose to the cinderella ] in the second round.


=== Players of Note === ===Rivalries===
{{Main|Bruins–Canadiens rivalry|Canadiens–Maple Leafs rivalry}}
''']:'''


=== Montreal Canadiens vs. Toronto Maple Leafs ===
'''Current stars:'''
The Canadiens have developed strong rivalries with two fellow Original Six franchises, with whom they frequently shared divisions and competed in postseason play. The oldest is with the ], who first faced the Canadiens as the ] in 1917. The teams met 16 times in the playoffs, including five ]. Featuring the two largest cities in Canada and two of the largest fanbases in the league, the rivalry is sometimes dramatized as being emblematic of Canada's ] and ] linguistic divide.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.canada.com/story_print.html?id=bcf1098e-b0b3-43cc-bc60-83b96fe24d50&sponsor=|archive-url=https://archive.today/20150405021846/http://www.canada.com/story_print.html?id=bcf1098e-b0b3-43cc-bc60-83b96fe24d50&sponsor= |archive-date=April 5, 2015|title=A rivalry like none other|work=]|date=November 9, 2008|access-date=March 31, 2015 |author=Stubbs, Dave}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://ourhistory.canadiens.com/opponent/Toronto-Maple-Leafs |title=Toronto Maple Leafs – Canadiens rivalry: notable moments |publisher=Montreal Canadiens official website |access-date=March 31, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150313172705/http://ourhistory.canadiens.com/opponent/Toronto-Maple-Leafs |archive-date=March 13, 2015}}</ref> From 1938 to 1970, they were the only two Canadian teams in the league.
*]
*]


=== Battle of Highway 417: Montreal Canadiens vs. Ottawa Senators ===
'''Not to be forgotten:'''
Both teams compete in the Atlantic Division. There is only a two-hour drive from Montreal to Ottawa via ] and ], plus railway and air connections. The current Ottawa Senators' first NHL game was held in Ottawa on October 8, 1992, where the expansion Senators beat the Canadiens 5–3. That victory was one of the only Senators' highlights of their inaugural season; they won only nine more games the rest of the season to finish with ten wins and 24 points, while the Canadiens won their ] that season. Another regular-season highlight of the Canadiens–Ottawa rivalry was the ] played at ] outdoors in Ottawa in December 2017, celebrating the centennial of the first NHL games.
*]
*]
*]
*]
*]
*]
*]


The current Senators and the Canadiens faced each other in the playoffs for the first time in ]. In that series, there were a large number of controversial events. In game one, Ottawa's ] laid out Montreal's ] in an open ice hit. After the game, the Senators' head coach ] blamed ] for a suicide pass. Later, Canadiens' coach ] responded and said that what MacLean said was a "lack of respect." Ottawa won that game 4–2. ] later insulted MacLean after the game, saying that he doesn't care what that "bug-eyed, fat walrus has to say." In game three, there was a full line brawl between Ottawa and Montreal. And later in that game, Paul MacLean called a timeout with 17 seconds left in the third period with a 6–1 lead. Michel Therrien called Maclean classless while Maclean responded by saying that he was protecting his players from Montreal's dirty play in that game. The underdog Senators eventually won the series 4–1.
'''Retired Numbers:'''
*1 ]
*2 ]
*4 ]
*7 ]
*9 ]
*10 ]
*16 ] and ]


], the rivalry was renewed in another playoff series. In game one, Montreal's ] slashed Ottawa's ] — breaking his wrist — and Subban was later ejected. Senators' coach ] called the slash vicious and said that Subban deserved a suspension. Ottawa's ] called it a lumberjack slash, and Mark Stone said that he was being targeted all game. Meanwhile, Michel Therrien said that Subban did not deserve to be ejected and should have only gotten a minor penalty. The Canadiens won that game 4–3. The Montreal Canadiens won games two and three in overtime. Riding a 3–0 lead in the series, the Canadiens saw Ottawa win the next two games, before closing the series in game six with a 2–0 victory in Ottawa.
The Canadiens' junior team won the ] in ], ], and ].


=== Boston Bruins vs. Montreal Canadiens ===
The team's other Original Six rival are the ], who, ] in both regular season play and ] combined. The teams have played 34 playoff series, seven of which were in the finals.<ref name=Canadiens.com>{{cite web |url=http://ourhistory.canadiens.com/opponent/Boston-Bruins |title=Boston Bruins—Canadiens rivalry |access-date=January 9, 2011 |work=Canadiens.com |publisher=National Hockey League |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110708113412/http://ourhistory.canadiens.com/opponent/Boston-Bruins |archive-date=July 8, 2011}}</ref><ref name=Games>{{cite news|title=It's just like old times for the fans|first=Michael|last=Whitmer|work=]|date=April 17, 2009|page=C6}}</ref>

=== Battle of Quebec: Montreal Canadiens vs. Quebec Nordiques (1979–1995) ===
The Canadiens also had an intraprovincial rivalry with the ] during their existence from 1979 to 1995, nicknamed the "]".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Murphy |first=Austin |date=May 4, 1987 |title=THE BATTLE OF QUEBEC |url=https://vault.si.com/vault/1987/05/04/the-battle-of-quebec-when-provincial-neighbors-montreal-and-quebec-meet-in-the-playoffs-its-war|access-date=December 16, 2024 |work=]}}</ref>

==Broadcasting==
{{Main|List of Montreal Canadiens broadcasters}}
Montreal Canadiens games are broadcast locally in both the French and English languages. ] is the Canadiens' French-language radio flagship.<ref name="fagstein-habs15"/> As of the ], the team's regional television in both languages, and its English-language radio rights, are held by ].<ref name="tsn-newrights2017"/> ], ''] 690'', is the English-language radio flagship; it acquired the rights under a seven-year deal which began in the ].<ref>{{cite web|title=Bell Media's THE TEAM 990 Becomes Official Radio Broadcaster of the Montreal Canadiens in New Seven-Year Deal |url=http://www.bellmediapr.ca/bellmediaradio/releases/release.asp?id=13913&yyyy=2011|publisher=Bell Media (press release)|access-date=August 25, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120408233811/http://www.bellmediapr.ca/bellmediaradio/releases/release.asp?id=13913&yyyy=2011 |archive-date=April 8, 2012}}</ref> In June 2017, Bell Media reached a five-year extension.<ref name="tsn-newrights2017"/>

Regional television rights in French are held by ] (RDS) under a 12-year deal that began in the ].<ref name=tsn-rdscanadienscontract>{{cite web|title=RDS, Canadiens announce 12-year regional rights deal |url=http://www.rds.ca/1.819879 |date=December 20, 2013 |work=] |access-date=December 22, 2013 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140529091413/http://www.rds.ca/1.819879 |archive-date=May 29, 2014}}</ref> A sister to the English-language network ], RDS was the only French-language sports channel in Canada until the 2011 launch of ],<ref name="tvasports-gazette">{{cite web |last=Magder |first=Jason |title=New TVA Sports channel takes a shot at RDS |work=]|url=http://www2.canada.com/montrealgazette/news/business/story.html?id=2cbb638a-16e2-4a4c-af53-92775a09989f |access-date=July 27, 2011|date=June 1, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140826115249/http://www2.canada.com/montrealgazette/news/business/story.html?id=2cbb638a-16e2-4a4c-af53-92775a09989f |archive-date=August 26, 2014 }}</ref> and was also the previous national French rightsholder of the NHL; as a result, the Canadiens forwent a separate regional contract, and allowed all of its games to be televised nationally in French as part of RDS's overall NHL rights.<ref name="gandm-tvarogers"/>

With TVA Sports becoming the national French rightsholder in the 2014–15 season through a sub-licensing agreement with ],<ref name="gandm-tvarogers">{{cite news|url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/hockeys-french-connection/article15642270/ |title=TVA to pay Rogers $120-million a year to be NHL's French-language broadcaster |first=Sophie |last=Cousineau |work=] |date=November 28, 2013 |access-date=December 20, 2013 |location=Toronto |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131201031729/http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/hockeys-french-connection/article15642270/ |archive-date=December 1, 2013}}</ref> RDS subsequently announced a 12-year deal to maintain regional rights to Canadiens games not shown on TVA Sports. As a result, games on RDS are ] outside the Canadiens' home market of Quebec, ] and parts of Eastern Ontario shared with the ].<ref name=tsn-rdscanadienscontract/> At least 22 Canadiens games per season (primarily through its Saturday night '']''), including all playoff games, are televised nationally by TVA Sports.<ref>{{cite web|title=TVA SPORTS DÉVOILE SON CALENDRIER |work=]|date=August 5, 2014 |url=http://www.tvasports.ca/2014/08/05/tva-sports-devoile-son-calendrier-1|access-date=September 20, 2014}}</ref><ref name=nhl-tvasports>{{cite web|title=NHL, TVA Sports launch French-language agreement |url=http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=729553|last=Basu|first=Arpon |date=September 3, 2014 |publisher=National Hockey League |access-date=September 21, 2014 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141006092341/http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=729553 |archive-date=October 6, 2014}}</ref>

] assumed the English-language regional television rights in the 2017–18 season, with ] on play-by-play, and ], ] and ] on colour commentary.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.tsn.ca/tsn-s-regional-nhl-coverage-features-191-games-1.857572|title=TSN's regional NHL coverage features 191 games |date=September 15, 2017|work=]|access-date=September 15, 2017}}</ref><ref name="tsn-newrights2017">{{cite web|title=TSN becomes official English-language regional broadcaster for Habs |date=June 13, 2017 |url=https://www.tsn.ca/tsn-becomes-official-english-language-regional-broadcaster-for-habs-1.777777 |work=]|access-date=June 13, 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170613193709/http://www.tsn.ca/tsn-becomes-official-english-language-regional-broadcaster-for-habs-1.777777 |archive-date=June 13, 2017}}</ref> All other games, including all playoff games, are televised nationally by ].<ref name=sn-habs2015>{{cite web|title=Canadiens, Sportsnet ink new regional deal |url=http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/canadiens-sportsnet-ink-new-regional-deal/ |website=] |access-date=September 2, 2014 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140905034517/http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/canadiens-sportsnet-ink-new-regional-deal/ |archive-date=September 5, 2014}}</ref> Bartlett returned to Sportsnet over the 2018 off-season, and was succeeded by ].<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://montrealgazette.com/sports/hockey/nhl/hockey-inside-out/canadiens-on-tv-2018-19-bryan-mudryk-is-new-voice-on-tsn-broadcasts |title=Canadiens on TV 2018-19: Bryan Mudryk is new voice on TSN broadcasts|date=October 2, 2018|work=]|access-date=October 4, 2018|last=Faguy|first=Steve}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://montrealgazette.com/sports/hockey/nhl/hockey-inside-out/john-bartlett-exits-tsn-habs-coverage-will-handle-leafs-for-sportsnet|title=John Bartlett exits TSN Habs coverage, will handle Leafs for Sportsnet|date=August 17, 2018 |work=]|access-date=August 23, 2018}}</ref>

English-language regional rights were previously held by ] (with ] as an overflow channel), under a three-year deal that expired following the ]; the games were called by Bartlett and ]. Prior to this deal, TSN held the rights from 2010 through 2014; the games were broadcast on a part-time channel with ] on play-by-play.<ref>{{cite web |title=Sportsnet Announces Montreal Canadiens Regional Broadcast Team |url=http://www.sportsnet.ca/sportsnet-announces-montreal-canadiens-regional-broadcast-team/ |website=] |access-date=October 3, 2014 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141004173647/http://www.sportsnet.ca/sportsnet-announces-montreal-canadiens-regional-broadcast-team/ |archive-date=October 4, 2014}}</ref><ref name="fagstein-habs15">{{cite blog|url=http://blog.fagstein.com/2014/08/18/nhl-regional-schedule-2014-15/ |title=NHL broadcast schedule 2014–15: Who owns rights to what games |author=Faguy, Steve|work=Fagstein |date=August 18, 2014 |access-date=August 23, 2014 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140822160027/http://blog.fagstein.com/2014/08/18/nhl-regional-schedule-2014-15/ |archive-date=August 22, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.newswire.ca/fr/story/643009/tsn-acquires-regional-rights-to-24-montreal-canadiens-games |title=TSN Acquires Regional Rights to 24 Montreal Canadiens Games |work=] (press release) |date=October 21, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140912043916/https://www.newswire.ca/fr/story/643009/tsn-acquires-regional-rights-to-24-montreal-canadiens-games |archive-date=September 12, 2014}}</ref>

==Season-by-season record==
''This is a list of the last five seasons completed by the Canadiens. For the full season-by-season history, see ].''

'''''Note:''' GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, OTL = Overtime Losses, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against''
{| class="wikitable"
|- style="font-weight:bold; background-color:#ddd;"
| Season || GP || W || L || OTL || Pts || GF || GA || Finish || Playoffs
|-
| ] || 71 || 31 || 31 || 9 || 71 || 212 || 221 || 5th, Atlantic || Lost in first round, 2–4 (])
|- style="background:#eee;"
| ] || 56 || 24 || 21 || 11 || 59 || 159 || 168 || 4th, North || Lost in ], 1–4 (])
|-
| ] || 82 || 22 || 49 || 11 || 55 || 221 || 319 || 8th, Atlantic || Did not qualify
|- style="background:#eee;"
| ] || 82 || 31 || 45 || 6 || 68 || 232 || 307 || 8th, Atlantic || Did not qualify
|-
| ] || 82 || 30 || 36 || 16 || 76 || 236 || 289 || 8th, Atlantic || Did not qualify
|}

==Players and personnel==

===Current roster===
{{Montreal Canadiens roster}}

===Honoured members===
{{further|List of Montreal Canadiens award winners}}

====Retired numbers====
]
Collectively, the Canadiens have ] in honour of 18 players,<ref name="Retired">{{cite web
|author=Club de hockey Canadien
|title=Montreal Canadiens – Retired Jerseys
|publisher=National Hockey League
|year=2008
|url=http://ourhistory.canadiens.com/index/retired-jerseys#/dashboard/players/
|access-date=February 23, 2014 |url-status=live
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131015060706/http://ourhistory.canadiens.com/index/retired-jerseys
|archive-date=October 15, 2013}}
</ref> the most of any team in the NHL. All honourees were born in Canada and were members of at least two Stanley Cup winning Canadiens teams. ] was the first honouree, on November 2, 1937.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/nhl/news/story?id=4715072 |title=Canadiens celebrate 100th anniversary |date=December 4, 2009 |work=] |access-date=October 29, 2014 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141030050345/http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/news/story?id=4715072 |archive-date=October 30, 2014}}</ref> The NHL retired ]'s No. 99 for all its member teams at the ].<ref>{{cite web|title=Perfect setting: Gretzky's number retired before All-Star Game |work=] |date=February 6, 2000 |url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/hockey/nhl/2000/nhl_allstar/news/2000/02/06/gretsky_99/ |access-date=June 9, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131112022319/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/hockey/nhl/2000/nhl_allstar/news/2000/02/06/gretsky_99/ |archive-date=November 12, 2013}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"
|+ style= "background:#FFFFFF; border-top:#A6192E 5px solid;border-bottom:#001E62 5px solid;"|Montreal Canadiens retired numbers
|-
! width=40px | No.
! width=150px |Player
! width=40px |Position
! width=100px |Tenure
! width=150px |Date of honour
|-
| '''1''' || {{sortname|Jacques|Plante}} || ] || 1952–1963 || October 7, 1995
|-
| '''2''' || {{sortname|Doug|Harvey|Doug Harvey (ice hockey)}}|| ] || 1947–1961 || October 26, 1985
|-
| '''3''' || {{sortname|Emile|Bouchard|Émile Bouchard}} || ] || 1941–1956 || December 4, 2009
|-
| '''4''' || {{sortname|Jean|Beliveau|Jean Béliveau}} || ] || 1950–1971 || October 9, 1971
|-
| rowspan="2"|'''5''' || {{sortname|Bernie|Geoffrion}} || ] || 1950–1964 || March 11, 2006
|-
| {{sortname|Guy|Lapointe}} || ] || 1968–1982 || November 8, 2014
|-
| '''7''' || {{sortname|Howie|Morenz}} || ] || 1923–1937 || November 2, 1937
|-
| '''9''' || {{sortname|Maurice|Richard}} || ] || 1942–1960 || October 6, 1960
|-
| '''10''' || {{sortname|Guy|Lafleur}} || ] || 1971–1985 || February 16, 1985
|-
| rowspan="2"| '''12''' || {{sortname|Dickie|Moore|Dickie Moore (ice hockey)}} || ] || 1951–1963 || November 12, 2005
|-
| {{sortname|Yvan|Cournoyer}} || ] || 1963–1979 || November 12, 2005
|-
| rowspan="2"|'''16''' || {{sortname|Henri|Richard}} || ] || 1955–1975 || December 10, 1975
|-
| {{sortname|Elmer|Lach}} || ] || 1940–1954 || December 4, 2009
|-
| '''18''' || {{sortname|Serge|Savard}} || ] || 1966–1981 || November 18, 2006
|-
| '''19''' || {{sortname|Larry|Robinson}} || ] || 1972–1989 || November 19, 2007
|-
| '''23''' || {{sortname|Bob|Gainey}} || ] || 1973–1989 || February 23, 2008
|-
| '''29''' || {{sortname|Ken|Dryden}} || ] || 1970–1979 || January 29, 2007
|-
| '''33''' || {{sortname|Patrick|Roy}} || ] || 1984–1995 || November 22, 2008
|}

====Hall of Fame====
The Montreal Canadiens have an affiliation with a number of inductees to the ]. Thirty-seven of these players are from three separate notable dynasties: 12 from 1955 to 1960, 11 from 1964 to 1969, and 13 from 1975 to 1979. ] and ] were the first Canadiens given the honour in 1945, while ] was the most recently inducted, in 2024. Along with players, a number of inductees from the builders category are affiliated with the club. The first inductee was vice president ] in 1945. The most recent inductee was ] in 2014.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.legendsofhockey.net/LegendsOfHockey/jsp/LegendsMembersByName.jsp?type=Builder|title=Legends of Hockey – Builders|publisher=Hockey Hall of Fame|access-date=October 31, 2014|url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141116070715/http://www.legendsofhockey.net/LegendsOfHockey/jsp/LegendsMembersByName.jsp?type=Builder|archive-date=November 16, 2014}}</ref>

In addition to players and builders, seven broadcasters for the Montreal Canadiens have been awarded the ] from the Hockey Hall of Fame. The first two recipients of the award were ] and ] in 1984. The other five award recipients are ] (1985), ] (1988), ] (1999), ] (2002), and ] (2024).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.hhof.com/general/fosterhewittmemorialaward.html|title=Foster Hewitt Memorial Award winners |access-date=December 12, 2024 |publisher=Hockey Hall of Fame}}</ref>

'''Players'''
{{Columns-list|colwidth=15em|
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
}}

'''Builders'''
{{Columns-list|colwidth=15em|
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
}}

===Team captains===
{{div col|colwidth=30em}}
* ], 1909–1910, 1911–1912
* ], 1910–1911, 1912–1913, 1916–1922
* ], 1913–1915
* ], 1915–1916
* ], 1922–1925
* ], 1925–1926
* ], 1926–1932, 1933–1936
* ], 1932–1933
* ], 1936–1939
* ], 1939–1940
* ], 1940–1948
* ], 1948 <small>(January–April)</small>
* ], 1948–1956
* ], 1956–1960
* ], 1960–1961
* ], 1961–1971
* ], 1971–1975
* ], 1975–1979
* ], 1979–1981
* ], 1981–1989
* ] and ], 1989–1990 <small>(co-captains)</small>
* Guy Carbonneau, 1990–1994
* ], 1994–1995
* ], 1995 <small>(April–December)</small>
* ], 1995–1996
* ], 1996–1999
* ], 1999–2009
* ], 2010–2014
* ], 2015–2018
* ], 2018–2022
* ], 2022–present
{{div col end}}

===Head coaches===
{{Main|List of Montreal Canadiens head coaches}}
{{div col|colwidth=30em}}
* ] and ], 1909–1910
* ], 1911
* ], 1911–1913
* ], 1913–1915
* ], 1915–1921, 1932–1934
* ], 1921–1926
* ], 1926–1932, 1936–1938
* Newsy Lalonde and Leo Dandurand, 1934–1935
* ], 1935–1936
* Cecil Hart and ], 1938–1939
* ], 1939
* ], 1939–1940
* ], 1940–55
* ], 1955–1968
* ], 1968–1970, 1979–1981
* ], 1970–1971
* ], 1971–1979
* ], 1979
* ], 1981–1984
* ], 1984–1985
* ], 1985–1988
* ], 1988–1992
* ], 1992–1995
* ], 1995–1997
* ], 1997–2000
* ], 2000–2003, 2012–2017
* ], 2003–2006, 2017–2021
* ], 2006 <small>(January–May)</small>, 2009 <small>(March–June) (interim)</small><ref>{{cite web |title=Canadiens fire Carbonneau, Gainey takes over as coach |work=] |date=March 9, 2009 |url=https://www.espn.com/nhl/news/story?id=3965471 |access-date=February 16, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130116171017/http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/news/story?id=3965471 |archive-date=January 16, 2013 |url-status=live}}</ref>
* ], 2006–2009
* ], 2009–2011
* ], 2011–2012 <small>(interim)</small>
* ], 2021–2022
* ], 2022–present
{{div col end}}

<small>'''Source:''' {{cite web |title=MTL Records - Montréal Canadiens - History |url=https://records.nhl.com/mtl/franchises/montreal-canadiens/history |website=records.nhl.com |access-date=November 22, 2023}}</small>

===First-round draft picks===
{{See also|List of Montreal Canadiens draft picks}}
{{div col|colwidth=30em}}
* ]: ] (1st overall)
* ]: ] (6th overall)
* ]: ] (5th overall)
* ]: ] (5th overall)
* ]: ] (8th overall)
* ]: ] (1st overall), ] (2nd overall), and ] (3rd overall)
* ]: ] (1st overall), and ] (2nd overall)
* ]: ] (5th overall), and ] (6th overall)
* ]: ] (1st overall), ] (7th overall), and ] (11th overall)
* ]: ] (4th overall), ] (6th overall), ] (8th overall), and ] (14th overall)
* ]: ] (8th overall)
* ]: ] (5th overall), ] (7th overall), ] (10th overall), ] (12th overall), and ] (15th overall)
* ]: ] (9th overall), and ] (15th overall)
* ]: ] (12th overall), ] (13th overall), and ] (18th overall)
* ]: ] (10th overall), and ] (18th overall)
* ]: ] (8th overall), and ] (17th overall)
* ]: ] (1st overall)
* ]: ] (7th overall), ] (18th overall), and ] (19th overall)
* ]: ] (19th overall)
* ]: ] (17th overall)
* ]: ] (5th overall), and ] (8th overall)
* ]: ] (12th overall), and ] (16th overall)
* ]: ] (15th overall)
* ]: ] (17th overall)
* ]: ] (20th overall)
* ]: ] (13th overall)
* ]: ] (12th overall)
* ]: ] (17th overall)
* ]: ] (20th overall)
* ]: ] (21st overall)
* ]: ] (18th overall)
* ]: ] (8th overall)
* ]: ] (18th overall)
* ]: ] (11th overall)
* ]: ] (16th overall)
* ]: ] (13th overall), and ] (16th overall)
* ]: ] (7th overall), and ] (25th overall)
* ]: ] (14th overall)
* ]: ] (10th overall)
* ]: ] (18th overall)
* ]: ] (5th overall)
* ]: ] (20th overall)
* ]: ] (12th overall), and ] (22nd overall)
* ]: ] (18th overall)
* ]: ] (22nd overall)
* ]: ] (17th overall)
* ]: ] (3rd overall)
* ]: ] (25th overall)
* ]: ] (26th overall)
* ]: ] (26th overall)
* ]: ] (9th overall)
* ]: ] (25th overall)
* ]: ] (3rd overall)
* ]: ] (15th overall)
* ]: ] (16th overall)
* ]: ] (31st overall)
* ]: ] (1st overall), and ] (26th overall)
* ]: ] (5th overall)
* ]: ] (5th overall), and ] (21st overall)
{{div col end}}

==Franchise individual records==
{{further|List of Montreal Canadiens records}}

===Franchise scoring leaders===
These are the top-ten-point-scorers in franchise history.<ref>{{cite web|title=Regular Season – All Skaters – Career for Franchise – Career Points – NHL.com – Stats|url=https://www.nhl.com/stats/skaters?reportType=allTime&seasonFrom=19171918&seasonTo=20232024&gameType=2&playerPlayedFor=franchise.1&sort=points,goals,assists&page=0&pageSize=50|publisher=]|access-date=April 20, 2024}}</ref> Figures are updated after each completed NHL regular season.
* {{Color box|#CCFFCC|*|border=darkgray}} – current Canadiens player
'''''Note:''' Pos = Position; GP = Games Played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; P/G = Points per game''
<!--PLEASE DO NOT UPDATE STATISTICS MID-SEASON, AS IT CREATES MORE PROBLEMS THAN IT SOLVES, AND WIKIPEDIA'S PURPOSE IS NOT TO PROVIDE UP-TO-THE-MINUTE STATISTICS. PLEASE SAVE THE UPDATING OF STATISTICS UNTIL THE END OF THE REGULAR SEASON AND/OR PLAYOFFS.-->
{{col-begin|width=auto}}
{{col-break}}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
|+ style="background:#FFFFFF; border-top:#A6192E 5px solid; border-bottom:#001E62 5px solid;"|Points
|-
! style="text-align:left;"|Player || Pos || GP || G || A || Pts || P/G
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|] || RW || 961 || 518 || 728 || '''1,246''' || 1.30
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|] || C || 1,125 || 507 || 712 || '''1,219''' || 1.08
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|] || C || 1,256 || 358 || 688 || '''1,046''' || 0.83
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|] || RW || 978 || 544 || 421 || '''965''' || 0.99
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|] || D || 1,202 || 197 || 686 || '''883''' || 0.73
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|] || RW || 968 || 428 || 435 || '''863''' || 0.89
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|] || C || 853 || 366 || 469 || '''835''' || 0.98
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|] || LW || 871 || 408 || 368 || '''776''' || 0.89
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|] || RW || 766 || 371 || 388 || '''759''' || 0.99
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|] || C ||792 || 191 || 450 || '''641''' || 0.81
|}
{{col-break}}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
|+ style="background:#FFFFFF; border-top:#A6192E 5px solid; border-bottom:#001E62 5px solid;"|Goals
|-
! style="text-align:left;"|Player || Pos || G
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|] || RW || 544
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|] || RW || 518
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|] || C || 507
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|] || RW || 428
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|] || LW || 408
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|] || RW || 371
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|] || C || 366
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|] || C || 358
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|] || LW || 270
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|] || C || 266
|}
{{col-break}}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
|+ style="background:#FFFFFF; border-top:#A6192E 5px solid; border-bottom:#001E62 5px solid;"|Assists
|-
! style="text-align:left;"|Player || Pos || A
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| ] || RW || 728
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| ] || C || 712
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| ] || C || 688
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| ] || D || 686
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| ] || C || 469
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| ] || D || 453
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| ] || C || 450
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| ] || RW || 435
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| ] || RW || 421
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| ] || C || 408
|}
{{col-end}}

<small>'''Sources:''' {{cite web |url=http://ourhistory.canadiens.com/stats/search?position=S&search=players&season_type=2&stats_type=career |publisher=Montreal Canadiens |title=Statistics <nowiki>&#124;</nowiki> Historical Website of the Montreal Canadiens |access-date=June 27, 2009 |archive-date=May 5, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090505133716/http://ourhistory.canadiens.com/stats/search?position=S&search=players&season_type=2&stats_type=career}}, {{cite web |url=https://www.hockey-reference.com/ |title=Hockey-Reference.com |date=June 17, 2010 |access-date=January 26, 2018 |archive-date=December 4, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171204105447/https://www.hockey-reference.com/}}</small>
] is the Canadiens' all-time leader in goals. ] awarded annually to the NHL's leading goal scorer is named in honour of Richard.<ref>{{citation |url=http://www.hhof.com/htmlSilverware/silver_splashrocketrichard.shtml |title=Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy |publisher=Hockey Hall of Fame |access-date=April 2, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170628064124/http://www.hhof.com/htmlSilverware/silver_splashrocketrichard.shtml |archive-date=June 28, 2017}}</ref>|alt=Maurice Richard poses for a photographer while wearing his full Canadiens uniform.]]

===Records – skaters===
;Career
{{div col}}
* Most seasons: 20, ]
* Most games: 1,256, Henri Richard
* Most goals: 544, ]
* Most assists: 728, ]
* Most points: 1,246, Guy Lafleur
* Most penalty minutes: 2,248, ]
* Most consecutive games played: 560, ]
<!-- needs a cite: *Most Stanley Cups: ], 11* -->
{{col div end}}
;Season
{{div col}}
* Most goals in a season: 60, ] (1976–77); ] (1977–78)
* Most powerplay goals in a season: 20, ] (1966–67)
* Most powerplay goals in a season, defenceman: 19, ] (2006–07)*
* Most assists in a season: 82, ] (1974–75)
* Most points in a season: 136, Guy Lafleur (1976–77)
* Most penalty minutes in a season: 358, ] (1984–85)
* Most points in a season, defenceman: 85, ] (1976–77)
* Most points in a season, rookie: 71, ] (1982–83); ] (1985–86)
* Most goals in a season, defenceman: 28, ] (1974–75)
{{col div end}}
<nowiki>*</nowiki> Indicates a league record.

<small>'''Source:''' {{cite web |url=http://ourhistory.canadiens.com/records/regular_skaters |publisher=Montreal Canadiens |title=Season records – Individual records – Skaters {{!}} Historical Website of the Montreal Canadiens |access-date=December 12, 2008 |archive-date=September 22, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130922044450/http://ourhistory.canadiens.com/records/regular_skaters}}</small>

===Records – goaltenders===
;Career
{{div col}}
* Most games played: 707, ]
* Most seasons: 16, ]
* Most shutouts: 75, ]
* Most wins: 360, ]
{{col div end}}
;Season
{{div col}}
* Most games in a season: 72, ] (2010–11)
* Most wins in a season: 44, ] (2014–15)
* Most shutouts in a season: 22, ] (1928–29)*
{{col div end}}
<nowiki>*</nowiki> Indicates a league record.

<small>'''Source:''' {{cite web |url=http://ourhistory.canadiens.com/records/regular_goalies |publisher=Montreal Canadiens |title=Season records – Individual records – goaltenders {{!}} Historical Website of the Montreal Canadiens |access-date=December 12, 2008 |archive-date=April 13, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130413233523/http://ourhistory.canadiens.com/records/regular_goalies}}</small>

==See also==
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]

==Notes==
{{notefoot}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Further reading==
* {{cite book |title=Honoured Members: Hockey Hall of Fame |year=2003 |isbn=1-55168-239-7 |author=Hockey Hall of Fame |publisher=Fenn Publishing |location=Bolton, Ontario}}
* {{Cite book |first=D'Arcy |last=Jenish |year=2008 |title=The Montreal Canadiens: 100 Years of Glory |url=http://darcyjenish.com/works/the-montreal-canadians/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200513150705/http://darcyjenish.com/works/the-montreal-canadians/ |archive-date=May 13, 2020 |publisher=Anchor Canada |isbn=978-0-385-66325-0 |access-date=May 13, 2020}}
*{{Citation |editor-last=Kay |editor-first=Jason |year=2009 |title=A Century of Montreal Canadiens |periodical=The Hockey News |issn=0018-3016}}
* {{Cite book |last = Leonetti|first = Mike|year =2003 |title = Canadiens legends: Montreal's hockey heroes |url =https://books.google.com/books?id=y1hfngEACAAJ |publisher=Raincoast Books |isbn= 1-55192-731-4}}
* {{Cite book |title=The Montreal Canadiens |last=Mouton |first=Claude |year=1987 |publisher=Key Porter Books |location=Toronto, ON |isbn=1-55013-051-X}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
* {{official website}}
*
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{{Montreal Canadiens}}
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Latest revision as of 03:32, 30 December 2024

National Hockey League team in Quebec This article is about the NHL hockey team. For the NHA hockey team, see Les Canadiens. For the women's hockey team, see Les Canadiennes de Montreal. For Canadien people of Montreal, see Canadien, Canadians, and Montrealer. "Habs" redirects here. For the early French settlers of Quebec, see Habitants. For other uses, see Habs (disambiguation).

Montreal Canadiens
Canadiens de Montréal
2024–25 Montreal Canadiens season
A small white H contained inside a large red C, all surrounded by a blue contour.
ConferenceEastern
DivisionAtlantic
Founded1909
HistoryMontreal Canadiens
19101917 (NHA)
1917–present (NHL)
Home arenaBell Centre
CityMontreal, Quebec
Team coloursRed, white, blue
     
MediaEnglish
French
Owner(s)Molson family (majority owner)
(Geoff Molson, chairman)
General managerKent Hughes
Head coachMartin St. Louis
CaptainNick Suzuki
Minor league affiliatesLaval Rocket (AHL)
Trois-Rivières Lions (ECHL)
Stanley Cups24 (1915–16, 1923–24, 1929–30, 1930–31, 1943–44, 1945–46, 1952–53, 1955–56, 1956–57, 1957–58, 1958–59, 1959–60, 1964–65, 1965–66, 1967–68, 1968–69, 1970–71, 1972–73, 1975–76, 1976–77, 1977–78, 1978–79, 1985–86, 1992–93)
Conference championships8 (1975–76, 1976–77, 1977–78, 1978–79, 1980–81, 1985–86, 1988–89, 1992–93)
Presidents' Trophy0
Division championships24 (1927–28, 1928–29, 1930–31, 1931–32, 1936–37, 1967–68, 1968–69, 1972–73, 1974–75, 1975–76, 1976–77, 1977–78, 1978–79, 1979–80, 1980–81, 1981–82, 1984–85, 1987–88, 1988–89, 1991–92, 2007–08, 2012–13, 2014–15, 2016–17)
Official websiteOfficial website

The Montreal Canadiens (French: Les Canadiens de Montréal), officially le Club de hockey Canadien (lit. The Canadian Hockey Club) and colloquially known as the Habs, are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal. The Canadiens compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. Since 1996, the team has played its home games at Bell Centre, originally known as Molson Centre. The Canadiens previously played at the Montreal Forum, which housed the team for seven decades and all but their first two Stanley Cup championships.

Founded in 1909, the Canadiens are the oldest continuously operating professional ice hockey team worldwide, and the only existing NHL club to predate the founding of the league. One of the earliest North American professional sports franchises, the Canadiens' history predates that of every other Canadian franchise outside the Canadian Football League's Toronto Argonauts, as well as every American franchise outside baseball and the National Football League's Arizona Cardinals. The franchise is one of the "Original Six", the teams that made up the NHL from 1942 until the 1967 expansion. The team's championship season in 1992–93 marked the last time a Canadian team won the Stanley Cup.

The Canadiens have won the Stanley Cup more times than any other franchise, having earned 24 championships, with 23 victories since the founding of the NHL, and 22 since 1927, when NHL teams became the only ones to compete for the Stanley Cup. The Canadiens also had the most championships by a team of any of the four major North American sports leagues until the New York Yankees won their 25th World Series title in 1999.

History

Main article: History of the Montreal Canadiens

The Canadiens were founded by J. Ambrose O'Brien on December 4, 1909, as a charter member of the National Hockey Association (NHA), the forerunner to the National Hockey League. It was to be the team of the francophone community in Montreal, composed of francophone players, and under francophone ownership as soon as possible. The founders named the team "Les Canadiens," a term identified at the time with French speakers. The team's first season was not a success, as they placed last in the league. After the first year, ownership was transferred to George Kennedy of Montreal and the team's record improved over the next seasons. The team won its first Stanley Cup championship in the 1915–16 season. In 1917, with four other NHA teams, the Canadiens formed the NHL, and they won their first NHL Stanley Cup during the 1923–24 season, led by Howie Morenz. The team moved from the Mount Royal Arena to the Montreal Forum for the 1926–27 season.

The club began the 1930s decade successfully, with back-to-back Stanley Cup wins in 1930 and 1931. However, the Canadiens, along with cross-town rivals the Montreal Maroons, declined both on the ice and economically during the Great Depression era. Losses grew to the point where team owners considered selling interest to Cleveland, Ohio, though local investors were ultimately found to finance the Canadiens. After the Maroons suspended operations following the 1937–38 season, several of their players joined the Canadiens.

Led by the "Punch Line" of Maurice "Rocket" Richard, Toe Blake and Elmer Lach in the 1940s, the Canadiens enjoyed success again atop the NHL. From 1953 to 1960, the franchise won six Stanley Cups, including a record five straight from 1956 to 1960, with a new set of stars coming to prominence: Jean Beliveau, Dickie Moore, Doug Harvey, Bernie "Boom Boom" Geoffrion, Jacques Plante and Richard's younger brother, Henri.

Five men playing hockey in a crowded arena.
Game between the Canadiens and the New York Rangers in 1962.

The Canadiens added ten more championships in 15 seasons from 1965 to 1979, with another dynastic run of four-straight Cups from 1976 to 1979. In the 1976–77 season, the Canadiens set three still-standing team records – fewest losses (8) in an 80-game season, the longest home unbeaten streak (34), and best goal differential (+216) – and one record that lasted until the 2022–23 Boston Bruins beat it, for the most points (132) in an 80-game season. The next season, 1977–78, the team had a 28-game unbeaten streak, the second-longest in NHL history. The next generation of stars included Guy Lafleur, Yvan Cournoyer, Ken Dryden, Pete Mahovlich, Jacques Lemaire, Pierre Larouche, Steve Shutt, Bob Gainey, Serge Savard, Guy Lapointe and Larry Robinson. Scotty Bowman, who would later set a record for most NHL victories by a coach, was the team's head coach for its last five Stanley Cup victories in the 1970s.

The Canadiens won Stanley Cups in 1986, led by rookie star goaltender Patrick Roy, and in 1993, continuing their streak of winning at least one championship in every decade from the 1910s to the 1990s (this streak came to an end in the 2000s). In 1996, the Habs moved from the Montreal Forum, their home during 70 seasons and 22 Stanley Cups, to Molson Centre (now called Bell Centre).

Following Roy's departure in 1995, the Canadiens fell into an extended stretch of mediocrity, missing the playoffs in four of their next ten seasons and failing to advance past the second round of the playoffs until 2010. By the late 1990s, with both an ailing team and monetary losses exacerbated by a record-low value of the Canadian dollar, Montreal fans feared their team would end up relocated to the United States. Team owner Molson Brewery sold control of the franchise and the Molson Centre to American businessman George N. Gillett Jr. in 2001, with the right of first refusal for any future sale by Gillett and a condition that the NHL Board of Governors must unanimously approve any attempt to move to a new city. Led by club president Pierre Boivin, the Canadiens returned to being a lucrative enterprise, earning additional revenues from broadcasting and arena events. In 2009, Gillett sold the franchise to a consortium led by the Molson family which included The Woodbridge Company, BCE/Bell, the Fonds de solidarité FTQ, Michael Andlauer, Luc Bertrand and the National Bank Financial Group for $575 million, more than double the $275 million he spent on the purchase eight years prior.

During the 2008–09 season, the Canadiens celebrated their 100th anniversary with various events, including hosting both the 2009 NHL All-Star Game, and the 2009 NHL entry draft.

The Canadiens became the first team in NHL history to reach 3,000 victories with their 5–2 victory over the Florida Panthers on December 29, 2008.

Façade of the Bell Centre. On the wall is a banner celebrating the Canadiens centennial, featuring two players, one in black and white and one in colour, and the Canadiens logo in front of a "100".
The Bell Centre with banners celebrating the Montreal Canadiens centennial.

For the 2020–21 season, the league moved the Canadiens along with the other six teams from Canada to the North Division. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Canadiens only played against teams in the division in the regular season to avoid travel restrictions between the United States and Canada. All teams in the division played without fans to begin the season. The Canadiens advanced through the 2021 Stanley Cup playoffs, beating the Toronto Maple Leafs in the first round of the playoffs 4–3, overcoming a 3–1 Maple Leafs lead in the series. The Canadiens then swept the Winnipeg Jets in the second round, advancing to the Stanley Cup semifinals. After defeating the Vegas Golden Knights in the penultimate round, clinching an overtime victory in game 6 of the series, they reached their first Stanley Cup Finals in 28 years, whilst also being the first Canadian team to do so since the Vancouver Canucks in 2011. Montreal eventually lost the Finals to the Tampa Bay Lightning, 4–1.

In 2021–22, the Canadiens were unable to replicate their success from the prior season, ultimately finishing last in the league for the first time since the 1939–40 season and the first time in the NHL's expansion era, in what was one of the worst seasons in the team's history. In the process, they set team records for most regulation losses (49), most goals against (319), fewest wins (22), and fewest points (55), while their .335 point percentage was the team's third-worst ever, after only the 1925–26 (.319) and 1939–40 (.260) campaigns. As a result, team owner Geoff Molson authorized a "rebuild" of the roster over an extended period, a first in the modern history of the franchise. The Canadiens finished fifth-last in the subsequent 2022–23 and 2023–24 seasons.

Team identity

Further information: History of the Montreal Canadiens

The Canadiens organization operates in both English and French. For many years, public address announcements and press releases have been given in both languages, and the team website and social media outlets are in both languages as well. At home games, the first stanza of O Canada is sung in French, and the chorus is sung in English.

Crest and sweater design

Early logos used by the CanadiensLogo used from 1909 to 1910Logo used from 1912 to 1913Original design of the "CHC" logo (1917–1919, 1921–1922)

One of sport's oldest and most recognizable logos, the classic 'C' and 'H' of the Montreal Canadiens was first used together in the 1917–18 season, when the club changed its name to "Club de hockey Canadien" from "Club athlétique Canadien", before evolving to its current form in 1952–53. The "H" stands for "hockey", not "Habitants," a popular misconception. According to About.com, the first man to refer to the team as "the Habs" was American Tex Rickard, owner of the Madison Square Garden, in 1924. Rickard apparently told a reporter that the "H" on the Canadiens' sweaters was for "Habitants". In French, the "Habitants" nickname dates back to at least 1914, when it was printed in Le Devoir to report a 9–3 win over Toronto on the ninth of February.

Since 1911, the team's primary colours are blue, white and red. The home sweater is predominantly red in colour and features four blue and white stripes: one across each arm, one across the chest and the other across the waistline. The main road sweater is white with a red and blue stripe across the waist, red at the end of both arm sleeves, and red shoulder yokes. The basic design has been in use since 1914 and took its current form in 1925, generally evolving as materials changed. Because of the team's lengthy history and significance in Quebec, the sweater has been referred to as 'La Sainte-Flanelle' (the holy flannel sweater).

As of 2015, the Canadiens' home red sweater is the only uniform in the league to feature the French language version of the NHL shield logo (LNH) on the neck collar, in acknowledgment of Montreal's French Canadian heritage. The road white sweater retains the English NHL shield logo.

The Canadiens used multiple designs prior to adopting the aforementioned design in 1914. The original shirt of the 1909–10 season was blue with a white C. The second season had a red shirt featuring a green maple leaf with the C logo, and green pants. Lastly, the season before adopting the current look the Canadiens wore a "barber pole" design jersey with red, white and blue stripes, and the logo being a white maple leaf reading "CAC", "Club athlétique Canadien". All three designs were worn during the 2009–10 season as part of the Canadiens' centenary.

In the 2020–21 season, the Canadiens unveiled a "Reverse Retro" alternate uniform in collaboration with Adidas. The uniform was essentially the same as their regular red uniform, but with blue as the primary colour and red as the stripe colour. A second iteration was released in the 2022–23 season, again using the same template but with red relegated to the logo only and featuring a light blue base with white/dark blue/white stripes.

This period also saw the introduction of corporate sponsor advertising across NHL-sanctioned equipment, starting with helmet ads and followed by front jersey patches on gameday uniforms. Contextually, the Canadiens' away jerseys feature the Air Canada logo in the upper right chest area whereas the name and shield for the Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) is stitched onto its home counterpart.

The Canadiens' colours are a readily identifiable aspect of French Canadian culture. In the short story "The Hockey Sweater", Roch Carrier described the influence of the Canadiens and their jersey within rural Quebec communities during the 1940s. The story was later made into an animated short, The Sweater, narrated by Carrier. A passage from the short story appears on the 2002 issuance of the Canadian five-dollar bill.

Motto

Nos bras meurtris vous tendent le flambeau, à vous toujours de le porter bien haut.

To you from failing hands we throw the torch. Be yours to hold it high.

The motto is from the poem "In Flanders Fields" by John McCrae, which was written in 1915, the year before the Canadiens won their first Stanley Cup championship. The motto appears on the wall of the Canadiens' dressing room as well as on the inside collar of the new Adidas Adizero jerseys introduced in 2017.

Mascot

The Canadiens mascot, Youppi!, poses for photographs at a Rogers Media event

Beginning in the 2004–05 season, the Canadiens adopted Youppi! as their official mascot, the first costumed mascot in their long history. The foregoing was the longtime mascot for Major League Baseball (MLB)'s Montreal Expos but was dropped from the franchise when they moved to Washington, D.C. prior to the 2005 MLB season and became the Washington Nationals. With the changeover, Youppi! became the first mascot in professional sports to switch leagues. He is also the first mascot in professional sports to get ejected from a game dating back to his time with the Expos. In June 2020, Youppi! became the first mascot from a Canadian-based club to be inducted into the Mascot Hall of Fame.

In November 2022, the Canadiens introduced METAL!, an "unofficial official mascot", for the team's Reverse Retro series of games that season. METAL! was retired ahead of the 2024–25 season.

Rivalries

Main articles: Bruins–Canadiens rivalry and Canadiens–Maple Leafs rivalry

Montreal Canadiens vs. Toronto Maple Leafs

The Canadiens have developed strong rivalries with two fellow Original Six franchises, with whom they frequently shared divisions and competed in postseason play. The oldest is with the Toronto Maple Leafs, who first faced the Canadiens as the Toronto Arenas in 1917. The teams met 16 times in the playoffs, including five Stanley Cup Finals. Featuring the two largest cities in Canada and two of the largest fanbases in the league, the rivalry is sometimes dramatized as being emblematic of Canada's English and French linguistic divide. From 1938 to 1970, they were the only two Canadian teams in the league.

Battle of Highway 417: Montreal Canadiens vs. Ottawa Senators

Both teams compete in the Atlantic Division. There is only a two-hour drive from Montreal to Ottawa via Quebec Autoroute 40 and Ontario Highway 417, plus railway and air connections. The current Ottawa Senators' first NHL game was held in Ottawa on October 8, 1992, where the expansion Senators beat the Canadiens 5–3. That victory was one of the only Senators' highlights of their inaugural season; they won only nine more games the rest of the season to finish with ten wins and 24 points, while the Canadiens won their 24th Stanley Cup that season. Another regular-season highlight of the Canadiens–Ottawa rivalry was the NHL Centennial Classic played at TD Place Stadium outdoors in Ottawa in December 2017, celebrating the centennial of the first NHL games.

The current Senators and the Canadiens faced each other in the playoffs for the first time in 2013. In that series, there were a large number of controversial events. In game one, Ottawa's Eric Gryba laid out Montreal's Lars Eller in an open ice hit. After the game, the Senators' head coach Paul MacLean blamed Raphael Diaz for a suicide pass. Later, Canadiens' coach Michel Therrien responded and said that what MacLean said was a "lack of respect." Ottawa won that game 4–2. Brandon Prust later insulted MacLean after the game, saying that he doesn't care what that "bug-eyed, fat walrus has to say." In game three, there was a full line brawl between Ottawa and Montreal. And later in that game, Paul MacLean called a timeout with 17 seconds left in the third period with a 6–1 lead. Michel Therrien called Maclean classless while Maclean responded by saying that he was protecting his players from Montreal's dirty play in that game. The underdog Senators eventually won the series 4–1.

Two years later, the rivalry was renewed in another playoff series. In game one, Montreal's P. K. Subban slashed Ottawa's Mark Stone — breaking his wrist — and Subban was later ejected. Senators' coach Dave Cameron called the slash vicious and said that Subban deserved a suspension. Ottawa's Clarke MacArthur called it a lumberjack slash, and Mark Stone said that he was being targeted all game. Meanwhile, Michel Therrien said that Subban did not deserve to be ejected and should have only gotten a minor penalty. The Canadiens won that game 4–3. The Montreal Canadiens won games two and three in overtime. Riding a 3–0 lead in the series, the Canadiens saw Ottawa win the next two games, before closing the series in game six with a 2–0 victory in Ottawa.

Boston Bruins vs. Montreal Canadiens

The team's other Original Six rival are the Boston Bruins, who, since their NHL debut in 1924 have played the Canadiens more than any other team in both regular season play and the playoffs combined. The teams have played 34 playoff series, seven of which were in the finals.

Battle of Quebec: Montreal Canadiens vs. Quebec Nordiques (1979–1995)

The Canadiens also had an intraprovincial rivalry with the Quebec Nordiques during their existence from 1979 to 1995, nicknamed the "Battle of Quebec".

Broadcasting

Main article: List of Montreal Canadiens broadcasters

Montreal Canadiens games are broadcast locally in both the French and English languages. CHMP 98.5 is the Canadiens' French-language radio flagship. As of the 2017–18 season, the team's regional television in both languages, and its English-language radio rights, are held by Bell Media. CKGM, TSN Radio 690, is the English-language radio flagship; it acquired the rights under a seven-year deal which began in the 2011–12 season. In June 2017, Bell Media reached a five-year extension.

Regional television rights in French are held by Réseau des sports (RDS) under a 12-year deal that began in the 2014–15 season. A sister to the English-language network TSN, RDS was the only French-language sports channel in Canada until the 2011 launch of TVA Sports, and was also the previous national French rightsholder of the NHL; as a result, the Canadiens forwent a separate regional contract, and allowed all of its games to be televised nationally in French as part of RDS's overall NHL rights.

With TVA Sports becoming the national French rightsholder in the 2014–15 season through a sub-licensing agreement with Sportsnet, RDS subsequently announced a 12-year deal to maintain regional rights to Canadiens games not shown on TVA Sports. As a result, games on RDS are blacked out outside the Canadiens' home market of Quebec, Atlantic Canada and parts of Eastern Ontario shared with the Ottawa Senators. At least 22 Canadiens games per season (primarily through its Saturday night La super soirée LNH), including all playoff games, are televised nationally by TVA Sports.

TSN2 assumed the English-language regional television rights in the 2017–18 season, with John Bartlett on play-by-play, and Dave Poulin, Mike Johnson and Craig Button on colour commentary. All other games, including all playoff games, are televised nationally by Sportsnet or CBC. Bartlett returned to Sportsnet over the 2018 off-season, and was succeeded by Bryan Mudryk.

English-language regional rights were previously held by Sportsnet East (with CJNT City Montreal as an overflow channel), under a three-year deal that expired following the 2016–17 season; the games were called by Bartlett and Jason York. Prior to this deal, TSN held the rights from 2010 through 2014; the games were broadcast on a part-time channel with Dave Randorf on play-by-play.

Season-by-season record

This is a list of the last five seasons completed by the Canadiens. For the full season-by-season history, see List of Montreal Canadiens seasons.

Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, OTL = Overtime Losses, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against

Season GP W L OTL Pts GF GA Finish Playoffs
2019–20 71 31 31 9 71 212 221 5th, Atlantic Lost in first round, 2–4 (Flyers)
2020–21 56 24 21 11 59 159 168 4th, North Lost in Stanley Cup Finals, 1–4 (Lightning)
2021–22 82 22 49 11 55 221 319 8th, Atlantic Did not qualify
2022–23 82 31 45 6 68 232 307 8th, Atlantic Did not qualify
2023–24 82 30 36 16 76 236 289 8th, Atlantic Did not qualify

Players and personnel

Current roster

Updated December 29, 2024

No. Nat Player Pos S/G Age Acquired Birthplace
17 Canada Josh Anderson RW R 30 2020 Burlington, Ontario
40 Finland Joel Armia RW R 31 2018 Pori, Finland
45 Canada Alexandre Carrier D R 28 2024 Quebec City, Quebec
13 United States Cole Caufield RW R 23 2019 Mosinee, Wisconsin
77 Canada Kirby Dach C R 23 2022 Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta
75 Czech Republic Jakub Dobes G L 23 2020 Ostrava, Czech Republic
28 United States Christian Dvorak C L 28 2021 Palos, Illinois
71 Canada Jake Evans C R 28 2014 Toronto, Ontario
11 Canada Brendan Gallagher (A) RW R 32 2010 Edmonton, Alberta
21 Canada Kaiden Guhle D L 22 2020 Edmonton, Alberta
51 Sweden Emil Heineman LW L 23 2022 Leksand, Sweden
48 United States Lane Hutson D L 20 2022 Holland, Michigan
92 Finland Patrik Laine RW R 26 2024 Tampere, Finland
8 Canada Mike Matheson (A) D L 30 2022 Pointe-Claire, Quebec
35 Canada Sam Montembeault G L 28 2021 Bécancour, Quebec
15 Canada Alex Newhook C L 23 2023 St. John's, Newfoundland
55 Canada Michael Pezzetta LW L 26 2016 Toronto, Ontario
31 Canada Carey Price Injured Reserve G L 37 2005 Anahim Lake, British Columbia
58 Canada David Savard D R 34 2021 Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec
20 Slovakia Juraj Slafkovsky LW L 20 2022 Košice, Slovakia
47 United States Jayden Struble D L 23 2019 Cumberland, Rhode Island
14 Canada Nick Suzuki (C) C R 25 2018 London, Ontario
72 Canada Arber Xhekaj D L 23 2021 Hamilton, Ontario


Honoured members

Further information: List of Montreal Canadiens award winners

Retired numbers

Some of the retired numbers at Bell Centre, photographed in 2010

Collectively, the Canadiens have retired 15 numbers in honour of 18 players, the most of any team in the NHL. All honourees were born in Canada and were members of at least two Stanley Cup winning Canadiens teams. Howie Morenz was the first honouree, on November 2, 1937. The NHL retired Wayne Gretzky's No. 99 for all its member teams at the 2000 NHL All-Star Game.

Montreal Canadiens retired numbers
No. Player Position Tenure Date of honour
1 Jacques Plante G 1952–1963 October 7, 1995
2 Doug Harvey D 1947–1961 October 26, 1985
3 Emile Bouchard D 1941–1956 December 4, 2009
4 Jean Beliveau C 1950–1971 October 9, 1971
5 Bernie Geoffrion RW 1950–1964 March 11, 2006
Guy Lapointe D 1968–1982 November 8, 2014
7 Howie Morenz C 1923–1937 November 2, 1937
9 Maurice Richard RW 1942–1960 October 6, 1960
10 Guy Lafleur RW 1971–1985 February 16, 1985
12 Dickie Moore LW 1951–1963 November 12, 2005
Yvan Cournoyer RW 1963–1979 November 12, 2005
16 Henri Richard C 1955–1975 December 10, 1975
Elmer Lach C 1940–1954 December 4, 2009
18 Serge Savard D 1966–1981 November 18, 2006
19 Larry Robinson D 1972–1989 November 19, 2007
23 Bob Gainey LW 1973–1989 February 23, 2008
29 Ken Dryden G 1970–1979 January 29, 2007
33 Patrick Roy G 1984–1995 November 22, 2008

Hall of Fame

The Montreal Canadiens have an affiliation with a number of inductees to the Hockey Hall of Fame. Thirty-seven of these players are from three separate notable dynasties: 12 from 1955 to 1960, 11 from 1964 to 1969, and 13 from 1975 to 1979. Howie Morenz and Georges Vezina were the first Canadiens given the honour in 1945, while Shea Weber was the most recently inducted, in 2024. Along with players, a number of inductees from the builders category are affiliated with the club. The first inductee was vice president William Northey in 1945. The most recent inductee was Pat Burns in 2014.

In addition to players and builders, seven broadcasters for the Montreal Canadiens have been awarded the Foster Hewitt Memorial Award from the Hockey Hall of Fame. The first two recipients of the award were Danny Gallivan and Rene Lecavalier in 1984. The other five award recipients are Doug Smith (1985), Dick Irvin Jr. (1988), Richard Garneau (1999), Gilles Tremblay (2002), and Pierre Houde (2024).

Players

Builders

Team captains

Head coaches

Main article: List of Montreal Canadiens head coaches

Source: "MTL Records - Montréal Canadiens - History". records.nhl.com. Retrieved November 22, 2023.

First-round draft picks

See also: List of Montreal Canadiens draft picks

Franchise individual records

Further information: List of Montreal Canadiens records

Franchise scoring leaders

These are the top-ten-point-scorers in franchise history. Figures are updated after each completed NHL regular season.

  •  *  – current Canadiens player

Note: Pos = Position; GP = Games Played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; P/G = Points per game

Points
Player Pos GP G A Pts P/G
Guy Lafleur RW 961 518 728 1,246 1.30
Jean Beliveau C 1,125 507 712 1,219 1.08
Henri Richard C 1,256 358 688 1,046 0.83
Maurice Richard RW 978 544 421 965 0.99
Larry Robinson D 1,202 197 686 883 0.73
Yvan Cournoyer RW 968 428 435 863 0.89
Jacques Lemaire C 853 366 469 835 0.98
Steve Shutt LW 871 408 368 776 0.89
Bernie Geoffrion RW 766 371 388 759 0.99
Saku Koivu C 792 191 450 641 0.81
Goals
Player Pos G
Maurice Richard RW 544
Guy Lafleur RW 518
Jean Beliveau C 507
Yvan Cournoyer RW 428
Steve Shutt LW 408
Bernie Geoffrion RW 371
Jacques Lemaire C 366
Henri Richard C 358
Aurele Joliat LW 270
Newsy Lalonde C 266
Assists
Player Pos A
Guy Lafleur RW 728
Jean Beliveau C 712
Henri Richard C 688
Larry Robinson D 686
Jacques Lemaire C 469
Andrei Markov D 453
Saku Koivu C 450
Yvan Cournoyer RW 435
Maurice Richard RW 421
Elmer Lach C 408

Sources: "Statistics | Historical Website of the Montreal Canadiens". Montreal Canadiens. Archived from the original on May 5, 2009. Retrieved June 27, 2009., "Hockey-Reference.com". June 17, 2010. Archived from the original on December 4, 2017. Retrieved January 26, 2018.

Maurice Richard poses for a photographer while wearing his full Canadiens uniform.
Maurice 'The Rocket' Richard is the Canadiens' all-time leader in goals. The trophy awarded annually to the NHL's leading goal scorer is named in honour of Richard.

Records – skaters

Career
Season

* Indicates a league record.

Source: "Season records – Individual records – Skaters | Historical Website of the Montreal Canadiens". Montreal Canadiens. Archived from the original on September 22, 2013. Retrieved December 12, 2008.

Records – goaltenders

Career
Season

* Indicates a league record.

Source: "Season records – Individual records – goaltenders | Historical Website of the Montreal Canadiens". Montreal Canadiens. Archived from the original on April 13, 2013. Retrieved December 12, 2008.

See also

Notes

  1. While the Montreal Canadiens have won 24 Stanley Cups, they have actually won 27 league championships, as the Stanley Cup predates the NHA/NHL and was an inter-league championship prior to 1926. The Canadiens won two titles with the National Hockey Association, winning a Stanley Cup in 1916 and losing in 1917. The Canadiens have won 25 league titles in the National Hockey League, winning 23 Stanley Cups. As NHL champion, Montreal failed to win the Stanley Cup in 1919, when the Spanish flu cancelled the Stanley Cup finals against the Seattle Metropolitans of Pacific Coast Hockey Association, and in 1925, when they lost in the Stanley Cup to the Western Canada Hockey League's Victoria Cougars.
  2. Though the Canadiens won the Clarence S. Campbell Bowl and advanced to the Stanley Cup Finals in 2021, this does not count as a conference championship. Due to restrictions brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020–21 NHL season saw a realignment of teams into new divisions, without any assigned conferences.
  3. The Presidents' Trophy was not introduced until 1985. Had the trophy existed since league inception, the Canadiens franchise would have won 21 Presidents' Trophies.
  4. Even in English, the French spelling Canadiens is always used instead of Canadians. The French spelling of Montréal is also sometimes used in English-speaking media.
  5. Other nicknames for the team include Le Canadien, Le Bleu-Blanc-Rouge, La Sainte-Flanelle, Le Tricolore, Les Glorieux (or Nos Glorieux), Le CH, Le Grand Club, Les Plombiers, and Les Habitants (from which "Habs" is derived).
  6. Earlier venues for the Canadiens include Jubilee Rink, Montreal Westmount Arena, and Mount Royal Arena.
  7. ^ Minimum 70-game schedule.

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  103. "Perfect setting: Gretzky's number retired before All-Star Game". CNN Sports Illustrated. February 6, 2000. Archived from the original on November 12, 2013. Retrieved June 9, 2014.
  104. "Legends of Hockey – Builders". Hockey Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on November 16, 2014. Retrieved October 31, 2014.
  105. "Foster Hewitt Memorial Award winners". Hockey Hall of Fame. Retrieved December 12, 2024.
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  107. "Regular Season – All Skaters – Career for Franchise – Career Points – NHL.com – Stats". National Hockey League. Retrieved April 20, 2024.
  108. Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy, Hockey Hall of Fame, archived from the original on June 28, 2017, retrieved April 2, 2014

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1915–16
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