Ivan Demidov had a strong rookie season. Even though he didn't have the luxury of playing alongside a top-tier center on his line, the Russian racked up 19 goals and 62 points in his first year in the Bettman League.
“I’ve started to make the rounds in terms of contacting teams.” Montreal Canadiens GM Kent Hughes and President Jeff Gorton spoke with the media on Monday to talk about their playoff run and what comes next for the team.
During the regular season, the Canadiens showed everyone that they had the offensive talent to achieve great things. A 50-goal scorer, a 100-point scorer, the sixth-highest goal total in the entire league (283)… Defensively, however, things were more complicated.
At the last trade deadline, Kent Hughes made headlines… for what he didn't do. The GM barely made a move, but he mentioned during his post-deadline press conference that the team had nearly completed a secret trade that ultimately fell through.
There have been successful rookie seasons in NHL history, and there have been superior efforts worth celebrating time and time again. Here's our list of the 25 notable seasons from those with official rookie status, as deemed by the NHL, in reverse chronological order.
Martin St-Louis has just had a great season behind the Canadiens' bench. The coach's run ended on a bit of a sour note against the Hurricanes, but that doesn't take away from the rest of his season.
Was that all there was to it? That was my first reaction on Friday night, as the Habs’ fourth loss became official (and the team finished their run with just one goal in 120 minutes).
It's time for the Canadiens to take stock. This morning, team executives and several players will appear before the media to discuss the Montreal team's (superb) 2025–2026 season.
It was a rather anti-climactic end to the conference portion of the playoffs, and continued what has been a recent trend of the conference finals ending quickly and without long, back-and-forth series.
There were a few players for the Montreal Canadiens who stood out with positive impacts during the first two rounds of the postseason, but when it comes down to it, there was only one Hab that played well in the Eastern Conference Finals, Jakub Dobes.
In a recent article for Daily Faceoff, the Montreal Canadiens — who were recently eliminated from the playoffs in the Eastern Conference Final — tried to move one of their stars at the NHL trade deadline.
Martin St. Louis was such a weird mix of bummed and buzzing after his Montreal Canadiens lost to the Carolina Hurricanes. It was kind of beautiful. On one hand, he’s sad the run ended because once you get a taste of playoff hockey, it hits differently.
Just a few months ago, many fans were convinced that the Canadiens would have to pay a steep price to get rid of Brendan Gallagher's contract. I was one of them… Today, the conversation is starting to shift.
The Montreal Canadiens’ season may be over after they lost in five games against the Carolina Hurricanes, but man, was it one of the best, if not the greatest, seasons I have seen from the Habs in my lifetime.
Heading into the 2025–26 season, the expectation around the Montreal Canadiens was simple: take another step toward contention and push for a playoff berth.
According to Eric Engels of Sportsnet, Brendan Gallagher has likely played his last game as a member of the Montreal Canadiens. Following a loss to the
There’s no shortage of criticism coming Martin St. Louis’ way after the Canadiens’ playoff exit, and most of it is centred around one theme: he didn’t make enough changes.
While their run to the Eastern Conference Final might’ve been fun and memorable, at times, the Montreal Canadiens didn’t seem to be in the same league as their opponent.
The Montreal Canadiens have exceeded expectations in the 2026 Playoffs and deserve to be celebrated for punching above their weight class, using their offensive skill and competitive spirit, to reach the Eastern Conference Final.
One loss is what separates the Montreal Canadiens from a trip to summer vacation. With Friday night’s Game 5 on the horizon from Raleigh, the Montreal faithful are preparing what may be the last dance for the 2025-26 version of their beloved Canadiens. Even with a loss tonight, this season is an unequivocal success for the Canadiens.
The Montreal Canadiens will have their backs against the wall Friday night against the Carolina Hurricanes as they try to keep their season alive in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Final.
The return home to the Bell Centre for the Eastern Conference Finals has not been pretty for the Montreal Canadiens. After being outshot 39-13 in a 3-2 overtime loss in Game 3, Game 4 on Wednesday night was somehow even worse, as Montreal was manhandled 4-0 by the Carolina Hurricanes, once again drastically outshot, this time 43-18.
What the Montreal Canadiens’ offense lacked on Wednesday, Habs defenseman Lane Hutson made up for with profanity following their 4-0 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Final at Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec.