2009 Montreal Canadiens

The Montreal Canadiens had a decent 2008-09 season, finishing 2nd in the Northeast Division and making it to the playoffs, though they were knocked out by the Bruins in the first round. Their performance fell far short of expectations, so the team got a serious overhaul during the offseason in the hopes of a much improved 2009-10 season. What changed? Well, there’s new coach Jacques Martin, plus defensemen Paul Mara, Hal Gill and Jaroslav Spacek and forwards Mike Cammalleri, Brian Gionta, Travis Moen and Scott Gomez. The Habs are hoping that all these changes will lead to a resurgence of the team, but they’ll need fan support to make it happen. Get your tickets to Bell Centre and watch the newly retooled Montreal Canadiens in action!

The Montreal Canadiens have an incredible accumulation of postseason experience. The franchise had made it into the playoffs 76 previous times, dating back to 1916. They have won possession of the Stanley Cup 24 times! The Canadiens are without argument the greatest team in NHL History. As a franchise they have won a record 23 Stanley Cups, but unfortunately none since 1993. From the game's greatest goal-tender Patrick Roy to Guy Lafleur and even Coach Toe Blake a look at Montreal's all-time roster reads like a who's who of the Hall of Fame. The ghosts of those great players that seemed to spook opposing players have not found their way from the old Montreal Forum to the gleaming new Bell Centre, which opened in 1996. The Canadiens have struggled a bit in recent years since moving to the brand new Bell Centre. The fans have supported them though, almost 850,000 of them a year come to cheer on their beloved Habs.

Montreal is one of the most beautiful cities in North America. Established by French Settlers in 1642 Montreal has grown as cultural and sports Mecca in Eastern Canada. Having hosted the summer Olympics in 1976 and now home to the Canadiens, sports are an important part of life in Montreal. If the sporting life is too much for you be sure to check out one of Montreal's many festivals including their world famous Festival International de Jazz or their Just For Laughs Festival.