2005–06 Montreal Canadiens season
The 2005–06 Montreal Canadiens season was the team's 97th season, 89th in the National Hockey League. The Canadiens would qualify for the playoffs, eventually being eliminated in the Eastern Conference Quarter-finals by the Carolina Hurricanes 4 games to 2. Regular season. Claude Julien started the season as coach but was fired and replaced on an interim basis by manager Bob Gainey. The Canadiens's number one goaltender Jose Theodore was traded to the Colorado Avalanche. His place was taken by Cristobal Huet. Huet would lead the league in save percentage of 92.9% and placed  fourth overall in goals against average of 2.20. Playoffs. The Canadiens placed 3rd in the Northeast division, and seventh in the Eastern Conference. The Canadiens played the eventual Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes in the first round and lost four games to two. The Canadiens were winning 2–0 in the series when Saku Koivu sustained a serious injury to his left eye. Hurricanes forward Justin Williams attempted to lift Koivu's stick but instead struck him in the eye. Koivu was rushed to the hospital, where he would remain overnight and for the remainder of the playoffs. Koivu remained out  of the lineup for the rest of the series and underwent surgery to repair a detached retina during the off-season. Draft picks. Montreal's draft picks at the 2005 NHL Entry Draft held at the Westin Hotel in Ottawa, Ontario.