# 2008–09 Montreal Canadiens season

The 2008–09 Montreal Canadiens season was their 100th season and 92nd in the National Hockey League (NHL). While it was widely believed that the 2008–09 season marked the team's centennial, this would not be until the following season with the Canadiens' 100th anniversary taking place on December 4, 2009.
The 2008 NHL Entry Draft took place in Ottawa on June 20–21, followed by the free agency period which began on July 1.

## Off-season

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 Georges 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.

## Preseason

The preseason schedule consisted of the team playing nine games in 13 days. The team claimed victory in six of these encounters. The initial game of the pre-season was played against the Boston Bruins in Halifax, Nova Scotia. The Canadiens took part in the CBC's Kraft Hockeyville series by playing a game against the Buffalo Sabres at the Sporting Centre Benoît Levesque in Roberval, Quebec.
Some noteworthy performances at the Canadiens training camp were put forth by prospects Max Pacioretty, Yannick Weber and Ben Maxwell.

## Regular season
### Early Centennial year celebrations

The team has announced its intention to retire two uniform numbers during the 2008–09 season. As of March 2009, the only confirmed number is Patrick Roy's number 33, which was retired on November 22, 2008. In celebration of the Montreal Canadiens' centennial, the 2009 NHL All-Star Game was held in Montreal on January 25, 2009, and the 2009 NHL Entry Draft, scheduled for June 2009, was awarded to the city.

### October

   "I think everybody now can turn the page and get excited."
On October 10, the Canadiens embarked on a trip for three consecutive road games where they opened the season against the Buffalo Sabres, at the HSBC Arena. Montreal lost the opening game of the season in shootout, but subsequently won 6–1 against the Toronto Maple Leafs on October 11 and 5–3 against the Philadelphia Flyers on October 13. The team returned to Montreal after four days on the road and a 2–0–1 record. The Canadiens hosted the Boston Bruins for their 100th home opening game and won 4–3 in shootout, with Alex Tanguay scoring the winning goal.
On October 18, Saku Koivu achieved his 422nd assist with the Montreal Canadiens and surpassed Maurice "the Rocket" Richard at number seven for all-time assists in franchise history. Two days later, he got his 600th NHL career point when the Canadiens defeated the Florida Panthers 3–1.
According to a Forbes report published in late October 2008, the franchise ranks as the third most valuable in the NHL at US$334 million, making an 18% increase in the past season. The Toronto Maple Leafs and Detroit Red Wings were respectively ranked first and second in the report. The Canadiens finished October with a 7–1–1 record in Minnesota and concluded the month with two consecutive road wins and a perfect overall road record.

### November

On November 1, against the New York Islanders, Andrei Markov became the second defenceman in franchise history, after Guy Lapointe, to get five points in his first five road games of the season. On November 10, the league announced that forward Tom Kostopoulos was suspended for three games after hitting Toronto Maple Leafs defenceman Mike Van Ryn from behind. On November 11, Chris Higgins got his first NHL career hat-trick in a 4–0 win against the Ottawa Senators. On November 22, the jersey number 33 of legendary goaltender Patrick Roy was retired.
On November 24, against the New York Islanders, Ryan O'Byrne scored on his own net during a delayed penalty call, where Carey Price was pulled off for an extra attacker. On November 29, Mike Komisarek—who was not playing due to injury—temporarily took a place behind the bench as an assistant coach, in replacement of Doug Jarvis, who was at his father's bedside. Rookie right winger Matt D'Agostini was recalled from Hamilton Bulldogs of the American Hockey League (AHL) and Roman Hamrlik got his 400th NHL career assist in a 3–2 win over the Buffalo Sabres.

### December

On December 2, Saku Koivu achieved his 612th point with the Montreal Canadiens after recording two assists in a 5–4 win over the Atlanta Thrashers. He tied Mats Näslund at 11th for all-time points in franchise history. Koivu then surpassed Naslund on December 6 after recording an assist in a 2–1 overtime loss over the New Jersey Devils. Matt D'Agostini scored his first NHL career goal and point and Roman Hamrlik played his 100th game with the club.
The Montreal Canadiens celebrated the 99th anniversary of the franchise on December 4 with a 6–2 win over the New York Rangers. Matt D'Agostini got his first NHL assist in a two-point performance. Georges Laraque got his first two points with his new team. D'Agostini had a successful debut with the team, recording six goals and two assists in his first 11 games. On December 13, Ben Maxwell played his first game in the NHL against the Washington Capitals after Saku Koivu was placed on the injured reserve list. On December 18, against the Philadelphia Flyers, Alexei Kovalev got his 900th NHL career point.
After the Christmas break, the Canadiens were back in action on the road on December 27 and won 3–2 against the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Montreal Canadiens enjoyed their 3000th franchise victory, with a 5–2 win over the Florida Panthers at Sunrise on December 29, solidifying their place as the most successful team in NHL history. Andrei Kostitsyn and Maxim Lapierre scored their first career hat-tricks during this road trip.

### January

General Manager Bob Gainey presented his mid-season report on January 13. He stated that he was looking to improve the team's power play, which was 26th in the league, and he wanted to acquire a proven player capable of helping the power play. When asked by a reporter what was his best transaction since taking over as the team's general manager, he answered that the hiring of Guy Carbonneau as head coach was his best move.

### February

In order to help bolster their power play, Bob Gainey acquired Mathieu Schneider from the Atlanta Thrashers for a combination of draft picks. This is Schneider's second tenure with the Canadiens, who began his career in Montreal after being drafted by the team in 1987.
On February 17, Alexei Kovalev was asked by managing director Bob Gainey to go home and take a rest. He missed two games. There were rumors that he would be traded and the city was abuzz. Kovalev rejoined the team on February 21 and scored one goal and added two assists in a convincing 5–3 win over the Ottawa Senators. Kovalev received the first star of the game to the delight of the Montreal crowd.
A reporter for the Montreal newspaper La Presse stated on the evening of February 19 that the February 20 edition of the paper would have an exposé that would make the Kovalev situation seem inconsequential. The paper reported that Roman Hamrlik and brothers Andrei and Sergei Kostitsyn were involved with a person believed to be part of an organized crime ring in Montreal. Although the players have admitted that they know the person in question, no accusations nor proof has been provided indicating that the players were involved in any illegal activities. The article has since been written off as tabloid journalism and a major example on how the Montreal media negatively treat the Canadiens players.
On February 26, Gainey traded Steve Begin to the Dallas Stars for Doug Janik, who was immediately sent to the Hamilton Bulldogs. Begin, who was often a healthy scratch during the season, would have been an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season.
Saku Koivu scored his 624th point with the Canadiens with an assist in a February 27 game against the Philadelphia Flyers. He became the tenth all-time leading scorer in Canadiens history, surpassing Elmer Lach.
The Canadiens claimed Glen Metropolit off waivers from the Philadelphia Flyers on February 27. Metropolit was practicing with the Flyers earlier in the day when Flyers General Manager Paul Holmgren informed him, "I've got good news and bad news. The good news is that you're playing tonight. The bad news is that you're playing for the Canadiens." The Canadiens were in town playing the Flyers that same day and Metropolit simply moved his equipment to the visitor's dressing room.

### March

Approaching the NHL trade deadline, Bob Gainey traded for Mathieu Schneider and claimed Glen Metropolit. Gainey confirmed that he couldn't risk trading away his young prospects for any "rental players."
On March 9, Gainey announced that he was replacing Guy Carbonneau as head coach until the end of the season. Don Lever was named assistant-coach.
Patrice Brisebois played his 1,000th NHL game on March 14 in a 3–2 loss to the New Jersey Devils. During that same game, Martin Brodeur tied the all-time NHL record for career wins with 551, tying Canadiens great Patrick Roy, who was in attendance at that game. Brodeur was given the first star of the game and received a standing ovation from his home province crowd.
Alex Tanguay scored a season-high five points (two goals and three assists) on March 24 in a 6–3 win against the Atlanta Thrashers at the Bell Centre.
Alexei Kovalev scored his 100th goal as a member of the Canadiens (and 23rd goal of the season) in a 4–1 win against the Chicago Blackhawks on March 31.

### April

The Canadiens finished the regular season having tied the Carolina Hurricanes for the most power play opportunities, with 374.

## Standings
### Divisional standings

Northeast Division :
| | | GP | W | L | OTL | GF | GA | Pts |
| 1 | z – Boston Bruins | 82 | 53 | 19 | 10 | 274 | 196 | 116 |
| 2 | Montreal Canadiens | 82 | 41 | 30 | 11 | 249 | 247 | 93 |
| 3 | Buffalo Sabres | 82 | 41 | 32 | 9 | 250 | 234 | 91 |
| 4 | Ottawa Senators | 82 | 36 | 35 | 11 | 217 | 237 | 83 |
| 5 | Toronto Maple Leafs | 82 | 34 | 35 | 13 | 250 | 293 | 81 |

### Conference standings

Eastern Conference :
| R | | Div | GP | W | L | OTL | GF | GA | Pts |
| 1 | z – Boston Bruins | NE | 82 | 53 | 19 | 10 | 274 | 196 | 116 |
| 2 | y – Washington Capitals | SE | 82 | 50 | 24 | 8 | 272 | 245 | 108 |
| 3 | y – New Jersey Devils | AT | 82 | 51 | 27 | 4 | 244 | 209 | 106 |
| 4 | Pittsburgh Penguins | AT | 82 | 45 | 28 | 9 | 264 | 239 | 99 |
| 5 | Philadelphia Flyers | AT | 82 | 44 | 27 | 11 | 264 | 238 | 99 |
| 6 | Carolina Hurricanes | SE | 82 | 45 | 30 | 7 | 239 | 226 | 97 |
| 7 | New York Rangers | AT | 82 | 43 | 30 | 9 | 210 | 218 | 95 |
| 8 | Montreal Canadiens | NE | 82 | 41 | 30 | 11 | 249 | 247 | 93 |
| 8.5 ||||||||||
| 9 | Florida Panthers | SE | 82 | 41 | 30 | 11 | 234 | 231 | 93 |
| 10 | Buffalo Sabres | NE | 82 | 41 | 32 | 9 | 250 | 234 | 91 |
| 11 | Ottawa Senators | NE | 82 | 36 | 35 | 11 | 217 | 237 | 83 |
| 12 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NE | 82 | 34 | 35 | 13 | 250 | 293 | 81 |
| 13 | Atlanta Thrashers | SE | 82 | 35 | 41 | 6 | 257 | 280 | 76 |
| 14 | Tampa Bay Lightning | SE | 82 | 24 | 40 | 18 | 210 | 279 | 66 |
| 15 | New York Islanders | AT | 82 | 26 | 47 | 9 | 201 | 279 | 61 |
bold – qualified for playoffs, y – division winner, z – placed first in conference (and division)
AT – Atlantic Division, NE – Northeast Division, SE – Southeast Division

## Schedule and results

Win (2 points)  Loss (0 points)  Overtime/shootout loss (1 point)
2008–09 game log :
Preseason Preseason record: 6–3–0 (home: 5–1–0; road: 1–2–0)
DateVisitorScoreHomeLocationIn goalAttRecordRecap
September 22Montreal Canadiens3–8Boston BruinsHalifax, Nova ScotiaHalak, Denis10,5950–1–0
September 23Buffalo Sabres2–3Montreal CanadiensRoberval, QuebecDenis1,0001–1–0
September 24Montreal Canadiens3–2 SODetroit Red WingsDetroit, MIPrice, Desjardins15,3192–1–0
September 26Ottawa Senators0–5Montreal CanadiensMontrealHalak21,2733–1–0
September 27Montreal Canadiens1–3Ottawa SenatorsKanata, OntarioDesjardins, Denis20,2823–2–0
September 28Florida Panthers2–3 SOMontreal CanadiensMontrealHalak21,2734–2–0
September 30Detroit Red Wings1–2 SOMontreal CanadiensMontrealPrice21,2735–2–0
October 1Boston Bruins1–3Montreal CanadiensMontrealHalak21,2736–2–0
October 4Minnesota Wild3–0Montreal CanadiensMontrealPrice21,2736–3–0 :
October Monthly record: 7–1–1 (home: 4–1–0; road: 3–0–1)
#DateVisitorScoreHomeDecisionAttendanceRecordPointsRecap
1October 10Montreal Canadiens1–2 SOBuffalo SabresPrice18,6900–0–11
2October 11Montreal Canadiens6–1Toronto Maple LeafsHalak19,3701–0–13
3October 13Montreal Canadiens5–3Philadelphia FlyersPrice19,3232–0–15
4October 15Boston Bruins3–4 SOMontreal CanadiensPrice21,2733–0–17
5October 18Phoenix Coyotes1–4Montreal CanadiensPrice21,2734–0–19
6October 20Florida Panthers1–3Montreal CanadiensHalak21,2735–0–111
7October 25Anaheim Ducks6–4Montreal CanadiensPrice*21,2735–1–111
8October 28Carolina Hurricanes2–3 SOMontreal CanadiensPrice21,2736–1–113
9October 30Montreal Canadiens2–1Minnesota WildPrice18,5687–1–115
*Halak was replaced after the 4th goal by Anaheim. Price was credited with the decision as he let in the game winning 5th goal. :
November Monthly record: 6–5–3 (home: 2–1–2; road: 4–4–1) Season record: 13–6–4 (home: 6–2–2; road: 7–4–2)
#DateVisitorScoreHomeDecisionAttendanceRecordPointsRecap
10November 1Montreal Canadiens5–4New York IslandersPrice14,4298–1–117
11November 7Montreal Canadiens3–4 SOColumbus Blue JacketsHalak14,6038–1–218
12November 8Montreal Canadiens3–6Toronto Maple LeafsPrice19,5128–2–218
13November 11Ottawa Senators0–4Montreal CanadiensPrice21,2739–2–220
14November 13Montreal Canadiens1–6Boston BruinsPrice16,8169–3–220
15November 15Philadelphia Flyers2–1Montreal CanadiensHalak21,2739–4–220
16November 16Montreal Canadiens3–2 SOSt. Louis BluesPrice19,15010–4–222
17November 18Montreal Canadiens1–2Carolina HurricanesPrice12,16410–5–222
18November 20Montreal Canadiens3–2 SOOttawa SenatorsPrice20,47511–5–224
19November 22Boston Bruins3–2 SOMontreal CanadiensPrice21,27311–5–325
20November 24New York Islanders4–3 SOMontreal CanadiensPrice21,27311–5–426
21November 26Montreal Canadiens3–1Detroit Red WingsPrice20,06612–5–428
22November 28Montreal Canadiens0–3Washington CapitalsHalak18,27712–6–428
23November 29Buffalo Sabres2–3Montreal CanadiensPrice21,27313–6–430 :
December Monthly record: 8–3–2 (home: 5–2–2; road: 3–1–0) Season record: 21–9–6 (home: 11–4–4; road: 10–5–2)
#DateVisitorScoreHomeDecisionAttendanceRecordPointsRecap
24December 2Atlanta Thrashers4–5Montreal CanadiensPrice21,27314–6–432
25December 4New York Rangers2–6Montreal CanadiensPrice21,27315–6–434
26December 6New Jersey Devils2–1 OTMontreal CanadiensPrice21,27315–6–535
27December 9Calgary Flames1–4Montreal CanadiensHalak21,27316–6–537
28December 11Tampa Bay Lightning3–1Montreal CanadiensHalak21,27316–7–537
29December 13Washington Capitals2–1Montreal CanadiensHalak21,27316–8–537
30December 16Montreal Canadiens2–3Carolina HurricanesHalak16,43416–9–537
31December 18Philadelphia Flyers2–5Montreal CanadiensHalak21,27317–9–539
32December 20Buffalo Sabres3–4 OTMontreal CanadiensHalak21,27318–9–541
33December 21Carolina Hurricanes3–2 OTMontreal CanadiensPrice21,27318–9–642
34December 27Montreal Canadiens3–2Pittsburgh PenguinsPrice17,13219–9–644
35December 29Montreal Canadiens5–2Florida PanthersPrice20,74120–9–646
36December 30Montreal Canadiens2–1 SOTampa Bay LightningPrice20,45421–9–648 :
January Monthly record: 7–6–0 (home: 5–0–0; road: 2–6–0) Season record: 28–15–6 (home: 16–4–4; road: 12–11–2)
#DateVisitorScoreHomeDecisionAttendanceRecordPointsRecap
37January 2Montreal Canadiens1–4New Jersey DevilsHalak17,62521–10–648
38January 4Florida Panthers5–6 SOMontreal CanadiensHalak21,27322–10–650
39January 7Montreal Canadiens6–3New York RangersHalak18,20023–10–652
40January 8Toronto Maple Leafs2–6Montreal CanadiensHalak21,27324–10–654
41January 10Washington Capitals4–5Montreal CanadiensHalak21,27325–10–656
42January 13Montreal Canadiens1–3Boston BruinsHalak17,56525–11–656
43January 15Nashville Predators2–3Montreal CanadiensHalak21,27326–11–658
44January 17Montreal Canadiens5–4 SOOttawa SenatorsHalak20,41327–11–660
45January 20Montreal Canadiens2–4Atlanta ThrashersHalak13,07627–12–660
46January 21Montreal Canadiens2–5New Jersey DevilsPrice16,23527–13–660
47January 27Montreal Canadiens3–5Tampa Bay LightningPrice15,91227–14–660
48January 29Montreal Canadiens1–5Florida PanthersPrice16,33427–15–660
49January 31Los Angeles Kings3–4Montreal CanadiensPrice21,27328–15–662 :
February Monthly record: 6–7–1 (home: 4–2–0; road: 2–5–1) Season record: 34–22–7 (home: 20–6–4; road: 14–16–3)
#DateVisitorScoreHomeDecisionAttendanceRecordPointsRecap
50February 1Boston Bruins3–1Montreal CanadiensPrice21,27328–16–662
51February 3Pittsburgh Penguins2–4Montreal CanadiensPrice21,27329–16–664
52February 6Montreal Canadiens2–3Buffalo SabresPrice18,16129–17–664
53February 7Toronto Maple Leafs5–2Montreal CanadiensPrice21,27329–18–664
54February 9Montreal Canadiens2–6Calgary FlamesPrice19,28929–19–664
55February 11Montreal Canadiens2–7Edmonton OilersPrice16,83929–20–664
56February 13Montreal Canadiens4–2Colorado AvalancheHalak17,51430–20–666
57February 15Montreal Canadiens2–4Vancouver CanucksHalak18,63030–21–666
58February 18Montreal Canadiens3–4 SOWashington CapitalsPrice18,27730–21–767
59February 19Montreal Canadiens4–5Pittsburgh PenguinsPrice16,96830–22–767
60February 21Ottawa Senators3–5Montreal CanadiensHalak21,27331–22–769
61February 24Vancouver Canucks0–3Montreal CanadiensHalak21,27332–22–771
62February 27Montreal Canadiens4–3 OTPhiladelphia FlyersHalak19,88133–22–773
63February 28San Jose Sharks2–3Montreal CanadiensHalak21,27334–22–775 :
March Monthly record: 5–5–3 (home: 4–2–3; road: 1–3–0) Season record: 39–27–10 (home: 24–8–7; road: 15–19–3)
#DateVisitorScoreHomeDecisionAttendanceRecordPointsRecap
64March 4Montreal Canadiens1–5Buffalo SabresPrice18,69034–23–775
65March 6Montreal Canadiens0–2Atlanta ThrashersPrice14,90034–24–775
66March 8Montreal Canadiens3–1Dallas StarsPrice17,64635–24–777
67March 10Edmonton Oilers3–4 OTMontreal CanadiensPrice21,27336–24–779
68March 12New York Islanders3–2 OTMontreal CanadiensPrice21,27336–24–880
69March 14New Jersey Devils3–1Montreal CanadiensHalak21,27336–25–880
70March 17New York Rangers4–3 SOMontreal CanadiensPrice21,27336–25–981
71March 19Montreal Canadiens4–5Ottawa SenatorsHalak20,50036–26–981
72March 21Toronto Maple Leafs5–2Montreal CanadiensHalak21,27336–27–981
73March 24Atlanta Thrashers3–6Montreal CanadiensPrice21,27337–27–983
74March 26Tampa Bay Lightning2–3 OTMontreal CanadiensPrice21,27338–27–985
75March 28Buffalo Sabres4–3 SOMontreal CanadiensPrice21,27338–27–1086
76March 31Chicago Blackhawks1–4Montreal CanadiensPrice21,27339–27–1088 :
April Monthly record: 2–3–1 (home: 0–2–0; road: 2–1–1) Season record: 41–30–11 (home: 24–10–7; road: 17–20–4)
#DateVisitorScoreHomeDecisionAttendanceRecordPointsRecap
77April 2Montreal Canadiens5–1New York IslandersHalak15,25540–27–1090
78April 4Montreal Canadiens6–2Toronto Maple LeafsHalak19,51641–27–1092
79April 6Ottawa Senators3–2Montreal CanadiensHalak21,27341–28–1092
80April 7Montreal Canadiens3–1New York RangersPrice18,20041–29–1092
81April 9Montreal Canadiens4–5 OTBoston BruinsPrice17,56541–29–1193
82April 11Pittsburgh Penguins3–1Montreal CanadiensPrice21,27341–30–1193 :
Schedule :

## Playoffs
### Eastern Conference Quarterfinals: vs. (1) Boston Bruins

For an NHL-record 32nd time, the Bruins and Canadiens faced each other in the playoffs. The Boston Bruins entered the playoffs after finishing the regular season with the best record in the Eastern Conference with 116 points. The Montreal Canadiens qualified for the postseason as the eighth seed with 93 points, winning the tiebreaker over the Florida Panthers based on the season series (six points to three).
Boston swept Montreal, four games to none, scoring at least four goals in each win. With the score tied 2–2 entering the third period of game one, Bruins captain Zdeno Chara scored a power play goal at 11:15 and Phil Kessel added an empty net score in the closing seconds to clinch the victory. Boston scored three power play goals, including two from Marc Savard, en route to a 5–1 victory in game two. Game three resembled game one in that both teams fought to a 2–2 tie midway through the game, but like the first contest the Bruins scored the go-ahead winning goal again. This time it was Michael Ryder at 17:21 in the second period. Montreal scored in the first minute of game four off the stick of Andrei Kostitsyn, but Boston went on to dominate the rest of the game, grabbing two goals from Ryder in a 4–1 victory, to win the series.
2009 Stanley Cup playoffs – Eastern Conference Quarter-finals vs. (1) Boston Bruins
#DateVenueVisitorScoreHomeOTMontreal goalsBoston goalsDecisionAttendanceSeriesRecap
1April 16TD Banknorth GardenMontreal2–4Boston BruinsHiggins, KovalevKessel, Krejci, Chara (PP), Kessel (EN)Thomas17,565Boston leads 1–0
2April 18TD Banknorth GardenMontreal1–5Boston BruinsKovalevSavard (PP), Kobasew, Hnidy, Savard (PP), Ryder (PP)Thomas17,565Boston leads 2–0
3April 20Bell CentreBoston Bruins4–2MontrealHiggins, WeberKessel, Thornton, Ryder, Kobasew (EN)Thomas21,273Boston leads 3–0
4April 22Bell CentreBoston Bruins4–1MontrealA. KostitsynRyder, Krejci, Kessel, RyderThomas21,273Boston wins 4–0 :
* Player scoring winning goal is shown in italics.

## Player statistics
### Skaters

Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; +/− = Plus/minus; PIM = Penalty minutes
Regular season :
| Player | GP | G | A | Pts | +/− | PIM |
| Alexei Kovalev | 78 | 26 | 39 | 65 | −5 | 74 |
| Andrei Markov | 78 | 12 | 52 | 64 | −2 | 36 |
| Saku Koivu | 65 | 16 | 34 | 50 | 4 | 44 |
| Andrei Kostitsyn | 74 | 23 | 18 | 41 | −7 | 50 |
| Alex Tanguay | 50 | 16 | 25 | 41 | 13 | 34 |
| Tomas Plekanec | 76 | 20 | 19 | 39 | −7 | 54 |
| Robert Lang | 50 | 18 | 21 | 39 | 6 | 36 |
| Roman Hamrlik | 81 | 6 | 27 | 33 | 4 | 62 |
| Maxim Lapierre | 79 | 15 | 13 | 28 | 9 | 76 |
| Guillaume Latendresse | 56 | 14 | 12 | 26 | 4 | 45 |
| Chris Higgins | 57 | 12 | 11 | 23 | −1 | 22 |
| Sergei Kostitsyn | 56 | 8 | 15 | 23 | −3 | 64 |
| Josh Gorges | 81 | 4 | 19 | 23 | 12 | 37 |
| Tom Kostopoulos | 78 | 8 | 14 | 22 | −1 | 106 |
| Matt D'Agostini | 53 | 12 | 9 | 21 | −17 | 16 |
| Patrice Brisebois | 62 | 5 | 13 | 18 | −3 | 19 |
| Mathieu Schneider$^†$ | 24 | 5 | 12 | 17 | −2 | 14 |
| Mathieu Dandenault | 41 | 4 | 8 | 12 | 7 | 17 |
| Max Pacioretty | 34 | 3 | 8 | 11 | −3 | 27 |
| Mike Komisarek | 66 | 2 | 9 | 11 | 0 | 121 |
| Steve Begin$^‡$ | 42 | 6 | 4 | 10 | −5 | 27 |
| Francis Bouillon | 54 | 5 | 4 | 9 | −7 | 53 |
| Ryan O'Byrne | 37 | 0 | 5 | 5 | −7 | 58 |
| Kyle Chipchura | 13 | 0 | 3 | 3 | −6 | 5 |
| Glen Metropolit$^†$ | 18 | 2 | 1 | 3 | −4 | 13 |
| Georges Laraque | 33 | 0 | 2 | 2 | −6 | 61 |
| Yannick Weber | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | −1 | 2 |
| Gregory Stewart | 20 | 0 | 1 | 1 | −4 | 32 |
| Alex Henry | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | −2 | 10 |
| Ben Maxwell | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | −1 | 2 |
Playoffs :
| Player | GP | G | A | Pts | +/− | PIM |
| Alexei Kovalev | 4 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 2 |
| Saku Koivu | 4 | 0 | 3 | 3 | −1 | 2 |
| Chris Higgins | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | −1 | 2 |
| Yannick Weber | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Glen Metropolit | 4 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Andrei Kostitsyn | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | −2 | 2 |
| Josh Gorges | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 7 |
| Alex Tanguay | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| Tom Kostopoulos | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | −1 | 4 |
| Georges Laraque | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | −1 | 4 |
| Ryan O'Byrne | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | −1 | 2 |
| Guillaume Latendresse | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | −2 | 12 |
| Mathieu Dandenault | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | −2 | 0 |
| Maxim Lapierre | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | −3 | 26 |
| Mike Komisarek | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | −4 | 20 |
| Tomas Plekanec | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | −5 | 4 |
| Roman Hamrlik | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | −5 | 2 |
| Matt D'Agostini | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | −5 | 0 |
| Patrice Brisebois | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | −1 | 0 |
| Mathieu Schneider | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | −2 | 4 |
| Sergei Kostitsyn | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Francis Bouillon | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |

### Goaltenders

Note: GP = Games played; TOI = Time on ice (minutes); W = Wins; L = Losses; OT = Overtime losses; GA = Goals against; GAA= Goals against average; SA= Shots against; SV= Saves; Sv% = Save percentage; SO= Shutouts
Regular season :
| Player | GP | TOI | W | L | OT | GA | GAA | SA | Sv% | SO | G | A | PIM |
| Jaroslav Halak | 34 | 1931 | 18 | 14 | 1 | 92 | 2.86 | 1077 | .915 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Carey Price | 52 | 3036 | 23 | 16 | 10 | 143 | 2.83 | 1513 | .905 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 |
Playoffs :
| Player | GP | TOI | W | L | GA | GAA | SA | Sv% | SO |
| Carey Price | 4 | 219 | 0 | 4 | 15 | 4.11 | 123 | 0.878 | 0 |
| Jaroslav Halak | 1 | 20 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 5 | 1.000 | 0 |
$^†$Denotes player spent time with another team before joining Canadiens. Stats reflect time with Canadiens only. $^‡$Traded mid-season. Stats reflect time with Canadiens only.

## Awards and records
### Team awards

On April 11, following the final home game against the Pittsburgh Penguins, the team announced its award winners for the season.
| Player | Award | Notes |
| Carey Price | Molson Cup | Awarded to the Most Valuable Player (MVP) and with the most "three stars" recognitions. |
| Maxim Lapierre | Jacques Beauchamp Trophy | Awarded by the Sports Writers Association of Montreal to a player for recognition of his outstanding achievement in the game of hockey. |

### National Hockey League Awards
#### All-Star Game
##### Elected to starting lineup

* Alexei Kovalev (RW) (Captain/Eastern Conference All-Star Team, All-Star Game MVP)
* Mike Komisarek (D)
* Andrei Markov (D)
* Carey Price (G)

### Milestones

Regular season :
| Player | Milestone | Reached |
| Mike Komisarek | 300th NHL career game | October 18, 2008 |
| Saku Koivu | 600th NHL career point | October 20, 2008 |
| Andrei Markov | 500th NHL career game | October 25, 2008 |
| Roman Hamrlik | 400th NHL career assist | November 29, 2008 |
| Matt D'Agostini | 1st NHL career goal 1st NHL career point | December 2, 2008 |
| Roman Hamrlík | 1,100th NHL career game | December 4, 2008 |
| Matt D'Agostini | 1st NHL career assist | December 4, 2008 |
| Alex Kovalev | 1,100th NHL career game | December 9, 2008 |
| Ben Maxwell | 1st NHL career game | December 13, 2008 |
| Alex Kovalev | 900th NHL career point | December 18, 2008 |
| Andrei Kostitsyn | 1st NHL career hat-trick | December 27, 2008 |
| Maxim Lapierre | 1st NHL career hat-trick | December 29, 2008 |
| Max Pacioretty | 1st NHL career game 1st NHL career goal 1st NHL career point | January 2, 2009 |
| Max Pacioretty | 1st NHL career assist | January 7, 2009 |
| Yannick Weber | 1st NHL career game | January 8, 2009 |
| Gregory Stewart | 1st NHL career assist 1st NHL career point | January 17, 2009 |
| Andrei Markov | 300th NHL career point | January 17, 2009 |
| Patrice Brisebois | 1,000th NHL career game | March 14, 2009 |
| Yannick Weber | 1st NHL career assist 1st NHL career point | April 9, 2009 |
Playoffs :
| Player | Milestone | Reached |
| Matt D'Agostini | 1st NHL career playoff game | April 16, 2009 |
| Glen Metropolit | 1st NHL career playoff assist | April 16, 2009 |
| Yannick Weber | 1st NHL career playoff game | April 18, 2009 |
| Yannick Weber | 1st NHL career playoff goal 1st NHL career playoff assist 1st NHL career playoff point | April 20, 2009 |

## Transactions

The Canadiens have been involved in the following transactions during the 2008–09 season.

### Trades

| June 20, 2008 | To Montreal Canadiens Alex Tanguay 5th-round pick (138th overall) in 2008 | To Calgary Flames 1st-round pick (25th overall) in 2008 2nd-round pick in 2009 |
| September 12, 2008 | To Montreal Canadiens Robert Lang | To Chicago Blackhawks 2nd-round pick in 2010 |
| January 5, 2009 | To Montreal Canadiens T. J. Kemp | To Pittsburgh Penguins Conditional 7th-round pick in 2010 |
| February 16, 2009 | To Montreal Canadiens Mathieu Schneider Conditional 3rd-round pick in 2009 | To Atlanta Thrashers 2nd-round pick in 2009 3rd-round pick in 2010 |
| February 26, 2009 | To Montreal Canadiens Doug Janik | To Dallas Stars Steve Begin |
| February 27, 2009 | To Montreal Canadiens Glen Metropolit | To Philadelphia Flyers Claimed off waivers |
* ↑ Condition not satisfied.

### Free agent acquisitions

| Player | Former team | Contract terms |
| Georges Laraque | Pittsburgh Penguins | 3 years, $4.5 million |
| Marc Denis | Tampa Bay Lightning | 1 year, undisclosed |
| Alex Henry | Nashville Predators | 1 year, undisclosed |
| Ryan Flinn | Edmonton Oilers | 1 year, undisclosed |

### Players lost to free agency

| Player | New team |
| Mark Streit | New York Islanders |
| Michael Ryder | Boston Bruins |
| Yann Danis | New York Islanders |
| Janne Lahti | Jokerit (SM-liiga) |
| Jonathan Ferland | EC Villacher SV (EBEL) |
| Brett Engelhardt | Augsburger Panther (DEL) |
| Duncan Milroy | ERC Ingolstadt (DEL) |

## Draft picks

Montreal's picks at the 2008 NHL Entry Draft in Ottawa, Ontario.
| Round | # | Player | Position | Nationality | College/junior/club team (league) |
| 2 | 25 | Danny Kristo | RW | United States | U.S. National Team Development Program (NAHL) |
| 3 | 86 | Steve Quailer | RW | United States | Northeastern University (Hockey East) |
| 4 | 116 | Jason Missiaen | G | Canada | Peterborough Petes (OHL) |
| 5 | 138 | Maxim Trunev | F | Russia | Severstal Cherepovets-2 (Rus-3) |
| 7 | 206 | Patrick Johnson | F | United States | University of Wisconsin (WCHA) |

## Broadcasting

| Country | Broadcaster |
| Canada | English: CBC, TSN, NHL Network; French: RDS, RIS, RDS.CA |
| USA | Versus, ESPN, NBC, CBS, Fox, HDNet, NHL Network, RDS.CA |
| Europe | NASN, NHL Network, RDS.CA |
| Russia | NTV (Russia), RDS.CA |
| Japan South Korea | ASN, RDS.CA |

## Farm teams
### Hamilton Bulldogs

The Hamilton Bulldogs remain Montreal's top affiliate in the American Hockey League in 2008–09.

### Cincinnati Cyclones

Montreal continues their affiliation alongside the Nashville Predators for the Cincinnati Cyclones of the ECHL in 2008–09.