1909 – 10 Montreal Canadiens season The 1909 – 1910 Montreal Canadiens season was the team ' s inaugural season and also the first season of the National Hockey Association ( NHA ) . The 1910 Montreal Canadiens operated as ' Les Canadiens ' and were owned by Ambrose O ' Brien of Renfrew , Ontario as one of four franchises he owned in the NHA . After the season , the franchise was suspended and a NHA franchise was sold to George Kennedy . All of the players of ' Les Canadiens ' went to Kennedy ' s organization . Founding . After the Canadian Hockey Association ( CHA ) turned down Ambrose O ' Brien ' s Renfrew Creamery Kings application for membership on November 25 , 1909 , O ' Brien , along with Jimmy Gardner of the ( also rejected ) Montreal Wanderers organized the new National Hockey Association . The Wanderers desired a competitor team based in Montreal and Gardner suggested a team of francophone players to O ' Brien to play on the rivalry between francophones and anglophones in Montreal . Gardner suggested that it be named ' Les Canadiens . ' The new team was founded at the new NHA ' s meeting on December 4 , 1909 . O ' Brien put up $ 5000 security for the new franchise on the " condition that it would be transferred to Montreal French sportsmen as soon as practicable . " Jack Laviolette was hired to organize the new team , its official name " Le Club de Hockey Le Canadien " . Laviolette was given free rein by the NHA owners to sign all francophone players . The others would not sign any until the Canadien team was set . His first signing was his old friend Didier " Cannonball " Pitre . Pitre was working in Sault Ste . Marie , Ontario when he received a telegram from Laviolette outlining the team and to come to Montreal . At the train in North Bay , Ontario Pitre was met by an official of the CHA ' s Montreal Le National , who signed him on the spot for $ 1100 , however Pitre had thought he was signing a contract with Laviolette . When Pitre arrived in Ottawa , Laviolette was there to meet him . Laviolette explained that it was the other French - Canadien team that Laviolette was managing . Pitre signed with Laviolette for a guaranteed $ 1700 . Before the first game , legal action was initiated by the Nationals and an injunction was only lifted on the day of the first Canadien game . Laviolette ' s other signings went much easier . Newsy Lalonde signed on December 14 and he reported the next day to complete the roster . When the CHA folded in January 1910 , the franchise was offered by O ' Brien to Le National but they declined to purchase the franchise . The Nationals turned down the offer , not willing to take on the contract to play in the Jubilee Rink , the cost of the player contracts of $ 6200 and debts of $ 1400 . Le National , an established organization of some 14 years , instead folded their team . Regular season . The team had a record of 2 – 10 – 0 to finish last in the league . The team ' s first game was a win against Cobalt at home 7 – 6 in overtime , on January 5 , 1910 . The result was nullified when the NHA absorbed the CHA teams and created a new schedule . Cobalt later defeated Les Canadiens at Montreal 6 – 4 . The team ' s first official win took place on February 7 , 1910 against the Haileybury Hockey Club . The team did not win a game away from its home rink . Game log . † Games played before January 15 , which were played before the CHA teams joined were not counted against the final standings . Source : Playoffs . The team did not qualify for playoffs . Roster . Source :