2008–09 Montreal Canadiens season

The 2008–09 Montreal Canadiens season is their 99th season of play and 91st 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:
* The 2008 NHL Entry Draft took place in Ottawa, Ontario, on June 20–21.
* The free agency period began on July 1.
==Offseason==
Throughout much of the offseason, 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.
== Pre-season ==
The pre-season schedule consisted of the team playing nine games in thirteen 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 Montreal Canadiens took part in the CBC's Kraft Hockeyville Series by playing a game against the Buffalo Sabres at the Sporting Centre Benoit 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 ==
===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 ===
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 Montreal 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 rank number 7 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 3rd most valuable in the league at US$334 million, making an 18% increase in the past season. The Toronto Maple Leafs and Detroit Red Wings were respectively ranked 1st and 2nd 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 5 points in his first 5 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, Christopher 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 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 Naslund at rank number 11 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 2-points performance. Georges Laraque got his first two points with his new team.
D'Agostini had a successful debut with the team, recording 6 goals and 2 assists in his first eleven 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, Alex 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 Matthieu 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, Alex 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 1st 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 10th 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 9 March, 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 lost 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 1st star of the game and received a standing ovation from his home province crowd.
Alex Tanguay had a season high of 5 points (2 goals, 3 assists) on March 24 in a 6-3 win against the Atlanta Thrashers at the Bell Centre.
Alex 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 ===
== Standings ==
===Divisional standings===
===Conference standings===
===Game log===
2008–09 Game log	2008–09 Game log 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
Preseason
{| border="1" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" class="wikitable"	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
Date 	Visitor 	Score 	Home 	Location 	In goal 	Att 	Record	Recap
September 22 	Montreal Canadiens	3-8 	Boston Bruins 	Halifax, NS 	Halak, Denis 	10,595	0–1–0 	
September 23 	Buffalo Sabres 	2-3 	Montreal Canadiens	Roberval, QC	Denis 	1,000 	1–1–0 	
September 24 	Montreal Canadiens	3-2 SO	Detroit Red Wings 	Detroit, MI 	Price, Desjardins	15,319	2–1–0 	
September 26 	Ottawa Senators 	0-5 	Montreal Canadiens	Montreal, QC	Halak 	21,273	3–1–0 	
September 27 	Montreal Canadiens	1-3 	Ottawa Senators 	Kanata, ON 	Desjardins, Denis	20,282	3–2–0 	
September 28 	Florida Panthers 	2-3 SO	Montreal Canadiens	Montreal, QC	Halak 	21,273	4–2–0 	
September 30 	Detroit Red Wings 	1-2 SO	Montreal Canadiens	Montreal, QC	Price 	21,273	5–2–0 	
October 1 	Boston Bruins 	1-3 	Montreal Canadiens	Montreal, QC	Halak 	21,273	6–2–0 	
October 4 	Minnesota Wild 	3-0 	Montreal Canadiens	Montreal, QC	Price 	21,273	6–3–0 	
== Playoffs ==
The Montreal Canadiens clinched a playoff spot following a 5–4 OT loss against the Boston Bruins on April 9, 2008, their 81st game of the season. 
===Eastern Conference Quarter-finals: vs. (1) Boston Bruins===
The Montreal Canadiens earned the #8 seed in the Eastern Conference by finishing with 93 points in the conference. With key players missing such as Andrei Markov, Mathieu Schneider and Alex Tanguay, they were swept in four games.
 
2009 Stanley Cup playoffs - Eastern Conference Quarter-finals vs. (1) Boston Bruins
{|class="wikitable" width="97%"	2009 Stanley Cup playoffs - Eastern Conference Quarter-finals vs. (1) Boston Bruins
{|class="wikitable" width="97%"	2009 Stanley Cup playoffs - Eastern Conference Quarter-finals vs. (1) Boston Bruins
{|class="wikitable" width="97%"	2009 Stanley Cup playoffs - Eastern Conference Quarter-finals vs. (1) Boston Bruins
{|class="wikitable" width="97%"	2009 Stanley Cup playoffs - Eastern Conference Quarter-finals vs. (1) Boston Bruins
{|class="wikitable" width="97%"	2009 Stanley Cup playoffs - Eastern Conference Quarter-finals vs. (1) Boston Bruins
{|class="wikitable" width="97%"	2009 Stanley Cup playoffs - Eastern Conference Quarter-finals vs. (1) Boston Bruins
{|class="wikitable" width="97%"	2009 Stanley Cup playoffs - Eastern Conference Quarter-finals vs. (1) Boston Bruins
{|class="wikitable" width="97%"	2009 Stanley Cup playoffs - Eastern Conference Quarter-finals vs. (1) Boston Bruins
{|class="wikitable" width="97%"	2009 Stanley Cup playoffs - Eastern Conference Quarter-finals vs. (1) Boston Bruins
{|class="wikitable" width="97%"	2009 Stanley Cup playoffs - Eastern Conference Quarter-finals vs. (1) Boston Bruins
{|class="wikitable" width="97%"	2009 Stanley Cup playoffs - Eastern Conference Quarter-finals vs. (1) Boston Bruins
{|class="wikitable" width="97%"	2009 Stanley Cup playoffs - Eastern Conference Quarter-finals vs. (1) Boston Bruins
{|class="wikitable" width="97%"	2009 Stanley Cup playoffs - Eastern Conference Quarter-finals vs. (1) Boston Bruins
{|class="wikitable" width="97%"	2009 Stanley Cup playoffs - Eastern Conference Quarter-finals vs. (1) Boston Bruins
{|class="wikitable" width="97%"	2009 Stanley Cup playoffs - Eastern Conference Quarter-finals vs. (1) Boston Bruins
{|class="wikitable" width="97%"
#	Date 	Venue 	Visitor 	Score	Home 	OT	Montreal goals 	Boston goals 	Decision	Attendance	Series 	Recap			
1	April 16	TD Banknorth Garden	Montreal 	2-4 	Boston Bruins	 	Higgins, Kovalev	Kessel, Krejci, Chara (PP), Kessel (EN) 	Thomas 	17,565 	Boston leads 1-0	 			
2	April 18	TD Banknorth Garden	Montreal 	1-5 	Boston Bruins	 	Kovalev 	Savard (PP), Kobasew, Hnidy, Savard (PP), Ryder (PP)	Thomas 	17,565 	Boston leads 2-0	 			
3	April 20	Bell Centre 	Boston Bruins	4-2 	Montreal 	 	Higgins, Weber 	Kessel, Thornton, Ryder, Kobasew (EN) 	Thomas 	21,273 	Boston leads 3-0	 			
4	April 22	Bell Centre 	Boston Bruins	4-1 	Montreal 	 	A. Kostitsyn 	Ryder, Krejci, Kessel, Ryder 	Thomas 	21,273 	Boston wins 4-0 	 			
* Player scoring winning goal is shown in italics.
==Player stats==
===Skaters===
Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; +/- = Plus/minus; PIM = Penalty minutes
	Regular season	 	Playoffs	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="width: 100%; padding: 2;"	
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="width: 100%; padding: 2;"	
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="width: 100%; padding: 2;"	
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="width: 100%; padding: 2;"	Player	GP 	G 	A	Pts	+/-	PIM	 	GP	G 	A	Pts	+/-	PIM
	78 	26 	39 	65 	-5 	74 	 	4 	2 	1 	3	0 	2 	 	 	 	
	78 	12 	52 	64 	-2 	36 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
	65 	16 	34 	50 	4 	44 	 	4 	0 	3 	3	-1	2 	 	 	 	
	74 	23 	18 	41 	-7 	50 	 	4 	1 	0 	1	-2	2 	 	 	 	
	50 	16 	25 	41 	13 	34 	 	2 	0 	1 	1	2 	2 	 	 	 	
	76 	20 	19 	39 	-7 	54 	 	3 	0 	0 	0	-5	4 	 	 	 	
	50 	18 	21 	39 	6 	36 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
	81 	6 	27 	33 	4 	62 	 	4 	0 	0 	0	-5	2 	 	 	 	
	654124 	945	231112 	321517	-12-10-2	675314	 	2 	0 	0 	0	-2	4 	 	 	 	
	79 	15 	13 	28 	9 	76 	 	4 	0 	0 	0	-3	26	 	 	 	
	56 	14 	12 	26 	4 	45 	 	4 	0 	0 	0	-2	12	 	 	 	
	57 	12 	11 	23 	-1 	22 	 	4 	2 	0 	2	-1	2 	 	 	 	
	56 	8 	15 	23 	-3 	64 	 	1 	0 	0 	0	0 	2 	 	 	 	
	81 	4 	19 	23 	12 	37 	 	4 	0 	1 	1	0 	7 	 	 	 	
	78 	8 	14 	22 	-1 	106 	 	4 	0 	1 	1	-1	4 	 	 	 	
	53 	12 	9 	21 	-17 	16 	 	3 	0 	0 	0	-5	0 	 	 	 	
	62 	5 	13 	18 	-3 	19 	 	1 	0 	0 	0	-1	0 	 	 	 	
	735518 	642	11101 	17143 	-5-1-4 	766313	 	4 	0 	2 	2	0 	2 	 	 	 	
	41 	4 	8 	12 	7 	17 	 	4 	0 	0 	0	-2	0 	 	 	 	
	34 	3 	8 	11 	-3 	27 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
	66 	2 	9 	11 	0 	121 	 	4 	0 	0 	0	-4	20	 	 	 	
	42 	6 	4 	10 	-5 	27 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
	54 	5 	4 	9 	-7 	53 	 	1 	0 	0 	0	0 	0 	 	 	 	
	37 	0 	5 	5 	-7 	58 	 	2 	0 	0 	0	-1	2 	 	 	 	
	13 	0 	3 	3 	-6 	5 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
	33 	0 	2 	2 	-6 	61 	 	4 	0 	0 	0	-1	4 	 	 	 	
	3 	0 	1 	1 	-1 	2 	 	3 	1 	1 	2	0 	0 	 	 	 	
	20 	0 	1 	1 	-4 	32 	 	2 	0 	0 	0	-3	2 	 	 	 	
	2 	0 	0 	0 	-2 	10 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
	7 	0 	0 	0 	-1 	2 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
===Goaltenders===
Note: GP = Games played; TOI = Time on ice (minutes); W = Wins; L = Losses; OT = Overtime losses; GA = Goals against; SO = Shutouts; SA = Shots against; SV = Saves; SV% = Save percentage; GAA = Goals against average
Regular season	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="width: 100%;"	Player	GP 	TOI	W 	L 	OT 	GA	SO 	SA 	SV 	Sv% 	GAA
 	52 	3035	23 	16	10	143	1 	1513	1370	0.905	2.83	
 	34 	1930	18 	14	1 	92 	1 	1077	985 	0.915	2.86	
 	1 	20 	0 	0 	0 	1 	0 	7 	6 	0.857	3.00	
* Four empty net goals were scored.
Playoffs	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="width: 100%;"	Player	GP 	TOI	W	L 	GA	SO 	SA 	SV 	Sv% 	GAA
 	1 	20 	0 	0	0 	0 	5 	5 	1.000	0.00	
 	4 	219	0 	4	15	0 	123	108	0.878	4.11	
* One empty net goal was scored.
== Roster ==
=== Player roster ===
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
|}
===Staff===
Montreal Canadiens staff	Montreal Canadiens staff	Montreal Canadiens staff	Montreal Canadiens staff	Montreal Canadiens staff	Montreal Canadiens staff	Montreal Canadiens staff
 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	Executive operations
*Ownership - Gillett Entertainment Group
*Chairman - George N. Gillett Jr.
*Vice Chairman - Jeff Joyce
*President: Pierre Boivin
*Vice-President/General Manager - Bob Gainey	  	 	
Hockey operations
*Assistant General Manager, player personnel - Pierre Gauthier
*Assistant General Manager, hockey administration - Julien Brisebois
*Director, player personnel - Trevor Timmins
*Head coach - Bob Gainey
*Assistant coaches - Kirk Muller, Doug Jarvis
*Goaltending coach - Roland Melanson
*Strength and conditioning - Scott Livingston	 	
=== Ambassadors ===
* Jean Beliveau
* Guy Lafleur 
* Yvan Cournoyer 
* Rejean Houle
* Henri Richard
==Awards and records==
==== Team awards ====
On April 11, following the final home game against the Pittsburgh Penguins, the team announced it's 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.
Patrice Brisebois	Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy nominee	Nominated by the Writers Association for league-wide recognition.
Maxime 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 on Starting lineup ======
* Alex Kovalev (RW) (Captain/Eastern Conference All-Star Team, All-Star Game MVP)
* Mike Komisarek (D)
* Andrei Markov (D)
* Carey Price (G)
====== Nominated ======
* Guy Carbonneau (Assistant-coach)
===== Bill Masterton Trophy nominee =====
* Patrice Brisebois (D)
===Records===
===Milestones===
Regular season 	Regular season 	Regular season 	Regular season	Regular season	Regular season	Regular season	Regular season	Regular season	Regular season
Player 	Milestone 	Reached 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
Alex Kovalev 	200th point with the Montreal Canadiens 	October 12, 2008 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
Mike Komisarek 	300th NHL career game 	October 18, 2008 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
Saku Koivu 	422th assist with the Montreal Canadiens7th all-time in franchise history 	October 18, 2008 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
Saku Koivu 	600th NHL career point 	October 20, 2008 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
Andrei Markov 	500th NHL career game 	October 25, 2008 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
Josh Gorges 	1st goal with the Montreal Canadiens 	November 24, 2008	 	 	 	 	 	 	
Roman Hamrlik 	400th NHL career assist 	November 29, 2008	 	 	 	 	 	 	
Matt D'Agostini 	1 NHL career goal1st NHL career point 	December 2, 2008 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
Roman Hamrlik 	100th NHL game with the Montreal Canadiens 	December 2, 2008 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
Saku Koivu 	612th point with the Montreal CanadiensT-11th all-time in franchise history 	December 2, 2008 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
Roman Hamrlik 	1100th NHL career game 	December 4, 2008 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
Matt D'Agostini 	1st NHL career assist 	December 4, 2008 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
Saku Koivu 	613th point with the Montreal Canadiens11th all-time in franchise history 	December 6, 2008 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
Alex Kovalev 	1100th 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	 	 	 	 	 	 	
Maxime Lapierre 	1st NHL career hat-trick 	December 29, 2008	 	 	 	 	 	 	
Max Pacioretty 	1st NHL career game1st NHL career goal1st NHL career point 	January 2, 2009 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
Marc Denis 	1st game with the Montreal Canadiens 	January 2, 2009 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
Max Pacioretty 	1st NHL career assist 	January 7, 2009 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
Robert Lang 	2nd NHL career hat-trick 	January 7, 2009 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
Yannick Weber 	1st NHL career game 	January 8, 2009 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
Patrice Brisebois	364th point with the Montreal Canadiens5th all-time for a defenceman in franchise history 	January 8, 2009 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
Gregory Stewart 	1st NHL career assist1st NHL career point 	January 17, 2009 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
Andrei Markov 	300th NHL career point 	January 17, 2009 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
Alex Henry 	1st game with the Montreal Canadiens 	February 1, 2009 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
Mathieu Schneider	1st game with the Montreal Canadiens (since returning to the team)200th point with the Montreal Canadiens	February 18, 2009	 	 	 	 	 	 	
Saku Koivu 	623rd point with the Montreal CanadiensT-10th all-time in franchise history 	February 24, 2009	 	 	 	 	 	 	
Saku Koivu 	624th point with the Montreal Canadiens10th all-time in franchise history 	February 27, 2009	 	 	 	 	 	 	
Glen Metropolit 	1st game with the Montreal Canadiens 	February 27, 2009	 	 	 	 	 	 	
Patrice Brisebois	1000th game in the NHL 	March 14, 2009 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
Alex Kovalev 	100th goal with Montreal Canadiens 	March 31, 2009 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
Yannick Weber 	1st NHL career assist1st NHL career point 	April 9, 2009 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
Yannick Weber 	1st NHL career goal1st 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 Tanguay5th round pick in 2008 	To Calgary Flames 25th overall pick in 20082nd 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 2010 seventh round draft pick
February 16, 2009 	To Montreal Canadiens Mathieu Schneider Conditional 2009 3rd round draft pick	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
===Free agent acquisitions===
{|class="wikitable"	 	
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===
{|class="wikitable"	
Player 	New team
Mark Streit 	New York Islanders
Michael Ryder 	Boston Bruins
Yann Danis 	New York Islanders
Janne Lahti 	Jokerit Helsinki (Fin)
Jonathan Ferland	EC Villacher SV (Aus)
Brett Engelhardt	Augsburger Panther (Ger)
Duncan Milroy 	ERC Ingolstadt
==Draft picks==
Montreal's picks at the 2008 NHL Entry Draft in Ottawa, Ontario.2008 NHL Entry Draft Results nhl.com
Round	# 	Player 	Position	Nationality	College/junior/club team (league)
2 	25 	Danny Kristo 	RW 	 	U.S. National Under-18 Team (USDP)
3 	86 	Steve Quailer 	RW 	 	Northeastern University (Hockey East)
4 	116	Jason Missiaen 	G 	 	Peterborough Petes (OHL)
5 	138	Maxim Trunev 	F 	 	Severstal Cherepovets-2 (Rus3)
7 	206	Patrick Johnson	F 	 	University of Wisconsin (NCAA)
== Broadcasting ==
Country	Broadcaster
 	English: CBC, TSN, NHL Network; French: RDS, RIS, RDS.CA
 	Versus, ESPN, NBC, CBS, Fox, HDNet, NHL Network, RDS.CA
 	NASN, NHL Network, RDS.CA
 	NTV (Russia), RDS.CA
</br> 	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. Montreal, Hamilton Affiliate With Cyclones For 2008-09
==See also==
*2008–09 NHL season
*Montreal Canadiens centennial
==References==
Category:Montreal Canadiens seasons
Category:2008 in hockey
Category:2009 in hockey