2008–09 Montreal Canadiens season
| 2008–09 Montreal Canadiens | |
|---|---|
| Division | 2nd Northeast |
| Conference | 8th Eastern |
| 2008–09 record | 41–30–11 |
| Home record | 24–10–7 |
| Road record | 17–20–4 |
| Goals for | 249 |
| Goals against | 247 |
| Team information | |
| General Manager | Bob Gainey |
| Coach |
Guy Carbonneau (Oct–Mar) Bob Gainey (interim) (Mar–Apr) |
| Captain | Saku Koivu |
| Alternate captains |
Chris Higgins (Oct–Jan) Mike Komisarek (Jan–Apr) Alexei Kovalev |
| Arena | Bell Centre |
| Average attendance | 21,273 (100%) Total: 893,466 |
| Team leaders | |
| Goals | Alexei Kovalev (26) |
| Assists | Andrei Markov (52) |
| Points | Alexei Kovalev (65) |
| Penalties in minutes | Mike Komisarek (121) |
| Plus/minus | Alex Tanguay (+12) |
| Wins | Carey Price (23) |
| Goals against average | Carey Price (2.83) |
The 2008–09 Montreal Canadiens season was their 100th season of play and 92nd in the National Hockey League (NHL). The organization was celebrating the 100th anniversary of its founding in 1909. The Montreal Canadiens hosted the 57th NHL All-Star Game at the Bell Centre on January 25, 2009, and the 59th NHL Entry Draft in June 2009 as part of the team's celebrations for its centennial anniversary. Key dates prior to the start of the season include:
Throughout much of the off-season, Canadiens' General Manager Bob Gainey pursued a possible contract with unrestricted free agent Mats Sundin, formerly the captain of Montreal's historic rival, the Toronto Maple Leafs. The signing efforts started prior to July 1, 2008, and continued into August, as Gainey was still actively pursuing Sundin. This, despite the fact that Sundin's agent mentioned his player "wasn't close" to making a decision on his future, and was strongly considering retirement. The chase ended with the acquisition of forward Robert Lang from the Chicago Blackhawks.
The Canadiens also acquired veteran forward Alex Tanguay from the Calgary Flames in exchange for the 25th overall pick in the 2007–2008 entry draft. Enforcer George Laraque and goaltender Marc Denis were signed to the team through free agency. Unrestricted free agents Michael Ryder, Mark Streit and Bryan Smolinski did not return to the team.
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