1910 – 11 Montreal Canadiens season The 1910 – 1911 Montreal Canadiens season was the team ' s second season and also the second season of the National Hockey Association ( NHA ) . The club would improve to a 8 – 8 record , second in the league . It was the first season for Georges Vezina and he would lead the league in Goals Against Average ( GAA ) with a record of 3 . 9 goals per game . Newsy Lalonde would return from this time with Renfrew and led the team with 19 goals . Team business . This was the first season under new owner George Kennedy . After the 1910 NHA season , Kennedy who was an owner of the Club Athlétique - Canadien claimed the name ' Canadiens ' . It was his intention that he would be granted admission to the NHA and if refused would insist that the Canadiens name be dropped . Kennedy and partner Joseph - Pierre Gadbois had previously shown interest in the Montreal Wanderers but a purchase was not completed . The Club Athletique de Canadien ( CAC ) joined the NHA at the NHA meeting of November 12 , 1910 for $ 7 , 500 . At the same meeting , both Haileybury and Cobalt teams dropped out and Quebec joined the league . The new Canadiens organization would operate the Haileybury franchise and Quebec operate Cobalt ' s franchise . Ambrose O ' Brien owner of the Haileybury , Cobalt and Les Canadiens franchise , kept the Canadiens franchise and let it lie dormant . It is not clear why the transfer of the Canadiens from O ' Brien to the CAC was done this way . Later news reports brought up the disposition of the players as an issue . The players of the Haileybury and Cobalt teams were not transferred . Both the Haileybury and Cobalt teams resumed play in the Temiscaming League . At the same time , the league was fighting with the players over a salary cap and it was not clear if the players were property of the teams or free agents . After securing a franchise , Kennedy demanded Newsy Lalonde ' s return from Renfrew or the team would not operate . At first , Renfrew claimed that Lalonde was their property , but Kennedy signed Lalonde on December 12 . Terms of the contract were kept secret , as the league had imposed a $ 5 , 000 salary cap and the newspapers had rumoured an offer or $ 2 , 500 . Offers of $ 500 per season were being turned down by the players , who instead tried to form a rival league . Kennedy signed Jack Laviolette to manage the team . The club moved out of the Jubilee Rink , instead signing a lease with the Montreal Arena along with the Montreal Wanderers . The two teams effectively crowded out any rival league from playing at the Arena . The Jubilee Rink was owned by the Wanderers owners and could keep any rival league out . The players eventually capitulated to the NHA owners . Regular season . After an exhibition match by the Canadiens in Chicoutimi , Quebec against a team with Georges Vezina in goal , Joseph Cattarinich the then - goaltender of the Canadiens was so impressed by Vezina ' s play that he suggested to team management that they sign Vezina and he would step aside . It was Cattarinch ' s final game playing with the club . He would later become part - owner of the club . Playoffs . The team did not qualify for playoffs . Roster . Source :