Season: | 2023–24 |
Year: | 2023 |
Team: | Montreal Canadiens |
League: | NHL |
Division: | Atlantic |
Divisionrank: | 8th |
Conference: | Eastern |
Conferencerank: | 15th |
Record: | 30–36–16 |
Homerecord: | 16–20–5 |
Roadrecord: | 14–16–11 |
Goalsfor: | 236 |
Goalsagainst: | 289 |
Generalmanager: | Kent Hughes |
Coach: | Martin St. Louis Trevor Letowski (interim, Mar. 16 – Mar. 25)[1] |
Captain: | Nick Suzuki |
Altcaptain: | Brendan Gallagher Mike Matheson |
Arena: | Bell Centre |
Minorleague: | Laval Rocket (AHL) Trois-Rivières Lions (ECHL) |
Goalsleader: | Nick Suzuki (33) |
Assistsleader: | Mike Matheson (51) |
Pointsleader: | Nick Suzuki (77) |
Plusminusleader: | Johnathan Kovacevic (+11) |
Pimleader: | Arber Xhekaj (81) |
Winsleader: | Sam Montembeault (16) |
Gaaleader: | Cayden Primeau (2.99) |
The 2023–24 Montreal Canadiens season was the franchise's 115th season since its establishment on December 4, 1909, and their 107th season (106th season of play) as member of the National Hockey League.
On April 4, 2024, the Canadiens were eliminated from playoff contention for a third consecutive year following a 7–4 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning,[2] [3] marking the first such drought for the franchise since 1999–2001 and only the third span collectively in the team's history.[4] Similarly, the Canadiens would finish last in their division for the third consecutive season, a first occurrence in team history.[5]
2023 preseason game log: 3–3–0 (home: 1–3–0; road: 2–0–0) | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Date | Visitor | Score | Home | OT | Decision | Attendance | Record | Recap | |
1 | September 25 | 4–2 | Montreal | 20,129 | 0–1–0 | [6] | |||
2 | September 27 | 3–4 | Montreal | 20,225 | 1–1–0 | [7] | |||
3 | September 29 | 2–1 | Montreal | Primeau | 20,571 | 1–2–0 | [8] | ||
4 | September 30 | Toronto | 3–1 | Montreal | 20,729 | 1–3–0 | [9] | ||
5 | October 2 | Montreal | 5–4 | Toronto | OT | 18,631 | 2–3–0 | [10] | |
6 | October 7 | Montreal | 6–4 | Ottawa | Montembeault | 17,601 | 3–3–0 | [11] | |
The regular season schedule was released on June 27, 2023.[12]
2023–24 game log | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Legend: |
Final stats
Player | data-sort-type="number" | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
82 | 33 | 44 | 77 | −14 | 36 | ||
82 | 28 | 37 | 65 | −4 | 16 | ||
82 | 11 | 51 | 62 | −24 | 58 | ||
82 | 20 | 30 | 50 | −19 | 55 | ||
‡ | 49 | 13 | 22 | 35 | −10 | 10 | |
55 | 15 | 19 | 34 | −11 | 18 | ||
77 | 16 | 15 | 31 | −24 | 74 | ||
82 | 7 | 21 | 28 | −1 | 24 | ||
66 | 17 | 8 | 25 | +4 | 34 | ||
60 | 6 | 18 | 24 | −1 | 24 | ||
70 | 6 | 16 | 22 | −8 | 56 | ||
78 | 9 | 11 | 20 | −18 | 74 | ||
56 | 3 | 11 | 14 | −5 | 22 | ||
48 | 7 | 6 | 13 | −3 | 16 | ||
62 | 6 | 7 | 13 | +11 | 42 | ||
54 | 5 | 8 | 13 | −12 | 21 | ||
61 | 3 | 9 | 12 | +4 | 59 | ||
44 | 3 | 7 | 10 | +6 | 81 | ||
56 | 3 | 7 | 10 | −3 | 57 | ||
45 | 2 | 8 | 10 | −2 | 6 | ||
30 | 5 | 4 | 9 | −5 | 4 | ||
23 | 4 | 5 | 9 | −2 | 0 | ||
59 | 4 | 4 | 8 | +2 | 12 | ||
‡ | 14 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 6 | |
23 | 2 | 1 | 3 | +2 | 4 | ||
2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | +2 | 0 | ||
2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | –2 | 0 | ||
7 | 1 | 0 | 1 | −3 | 0 | ||
1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | +1 | 0 | ||
3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | +1 | 0 | ||
4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | +2 | 0 | ||
† | 17 | 0 | 0 | 0 | −3 | 2 | |
41 | 40 | 2428:16 | 16 | 15 | 9 | 127 | 3.14 | 1307 | .903 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | ||
23 | 21 | 1324:50 | 8 | 9 | 4 | 66 | 2.99 | 731 | .910 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | ||
‡ | 21 | 21 | 1216:20 | 6 | 12 | 3 | 74 | 3.65 | 686 | .892 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
†Denotes player spent time with another team before joining the Canadiens. Stats reflect time with the Canadiens only.
‡Denotes player was traded mid-season. Stats reflect time with the Canadiens only.
Bold/italics denotes franchise record.
Player | Explanation | Length | Salary | Date issued | Ref | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
5 games | $169,270.85 | January 26, 2024 | [97] | |||
1 game | $4,496.53 | March 29, 2024 | [98] |
Player | Award | Awarded | Ref |
---|---|---|---|
NHL All-Star Game selection | January 4, 2024 | [99] | |
Nick Suzuki | NHL Third Star of the Week | February 12, 2024 | [100] |
Player | Milestone | data-sort-type="date" | Reached | Ref |
---|---|---|---|---|
300th career NHL game | October 30, 2023 | [101] | ||
400th career NHL game | November 2, 2023 | [102] | ||
400th career NHL point | November 2, 2023 | [103] | ||
600th career NHL game | November 2, 2023 | [104] | ||
200th career NHL game | November 11, 2023 | [105] | ||
100th career NHL game | November 22, 2023 | [106] | ||
700th career NHL game | November 22, 2023 | [107] | ||
1st career NHL game | November 22, 2023 | [108] | ||
100th career NHL point | November 24, 2023 | [109] | ||
1st career NHL assist 1st career NHL point | November 24, 2023 | [110] | ||
Jayden Struble | 1st career NHL assist 1st career NHL point | November 24, 2023 | ||
Brendan Gallagher | 700th career NHL game | December 4, 2023 | [111] | |
Jayden Struble | 1st career NHL goal | December 9, 2023 | [112] | |
Brendan Gallagher | 200th career NHL assist | December 18, 2023 | [113] | |
1st career NHL game | December 21, 2023 | [114] | ||
Sean Monahan | 500th career NHL point | December 28, 2023 | [115] | |
500th career NHL game | December 30, 2023 | [116] | ||
Mike Matheson | 200th career NHL point | January 11, 2024 | [117] | |
100th career NHL game | January 13, 2024 | [118] | ||
1st career NHL game | January 13, 2024 | [119] | ||
Joshua Roy | 1st career NHL goal 1st career NHL point | January 17, 2024 | [120] | |
Joshua Roy | 1st career NHL assist | January 20, 2024 | [121] | |
500th career NHL game | January 23, 2024 | [122] | ||
1st career NHL goal 1st career NHL point | February 13, 2024 | [123] | ||
Cayden Primeau | February 13, 2024 | [124] | ||
100th career NHL game | February 29, 2024 | [125] | ||
100th career NHL game | February 29, 2024 | |||
100th career NHL game | March 2, 2024 | [126] | ||
Nick Suzuki | 100th career NHL goal | March 5, 2024 | [127] | |
200th career NHL game | March 19, 2024 | [128] | ||
500th career NHL game | April 7, 2024 | [129] | ||
Cole Caufield | 200th career NHL game | April 7, 2024 | ||
Juraj Slafkovsky | April 9, 2024 | [130] | ||
1st career NHL game 1st career NHL assist 1st career NHL point | April 15, 2024 | [131] | ||
1st career NHL game 1st career NHL assist 1st career NHL point | April 16, 2024 | [132] | ||
Alex Newhook | 100th career NHL point | April 16, 2024 |
The Canadiens have been involved in the following transactions during the 2023–24 season.
Contract is entry-level.
Contract initially takes effect in the 2024–25 season.
Date | Details | Ref | |
---|---|---|---|
July 1, 2023 | To Washington Capitals Joel Edmundson1 | To Montreal Canadiens MIN 3rd-round pick in 2024 7th-round pick in 2024 | [133] |
August 6, 2023 | To Pittsburgh Penguins Mike Hoffman Rem Pitlick | To Montreal Canadiens Jeff Petry Casey DeSmith Nathan Legare 2nd-round pick in 2025 | [134] |
August 15, 2023 | To Detroit Red Wings Jeff Petry | To Montreal Canadiens Gustav Lindstrom Conditional 4th-round pick in 2025 | [135] |
September 13, 2023 | To Ottawa Senators Future considerations | To Montreal Canadiens Jakov Novak | [136] |
September 19, 2023 | To Vancouver Canucks Casey DeSmith | To Montreal Canadiens Tanner Pearson 3rd-round pick in 2025 | [137] |
January 11, 2024 | To Buffalo Sabres Future considerations | To Montreal Canadiens Filip Cederqvist | [138] |
February 2, 2024 | To Winnipeg Jets Sean Monahan | To Montreal Canadiens 1st-round pick in 2024 Conditional 3rd-round pick in 2027 | [139] |
March 7, 2024 | To Anaheim Ducks Jan Mysak | To Montreal Canadiens Jacob Perreault | [140] |
March 8, 2024 | To New Jersey Devils Jake Allen | To Montreal Canadiens Conditional 3rd-round pick in 2025 | [141] |
March 11, 2024 | To New Jersey Devils Nathan Legare | To Montreal Canadiens Arnaud Durandeau | [142] |
Detroit previously acquired Boston's 2025 fourth-round pick as the result of a trade on March 2, 2023 that sent Tyler Bertuzzi to Boston in exchange for a conditional first-round pick in 2024 (top 10 protected) and this pick.[143]
Date | Player | Former team (League) | Term | Via | Ref | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1-year | Free agency | [145] | ||||
Metallurg Magnitogorsk (KHL) | 1-year | Free agency | ||||
1-year | Free agency | [146] | ||||
Laval Rocket (AHL) | 2-year | Free agency | [147] | |||
Waivers | [148] | |||||
Connor Hughes | Lausanne HC (NL) | 1-year‡ | Free agency | [149] |
Date | Player | New team (League) | Term | Via | Ref | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2-year | Free agency | [150] | ||||
1-year | Free agency | [151] | ||||
1-year | Free agency | [152] | ||||
Colorado Avalanche | 1-year | Free agency | [153] | |||
1-year | Free agency | [154] | ||||
1-year | Free agency | [155] | ||||
Joel Teasdale | Iowa Wild (AHL) | 1-year | Free agency | [156] | ||
Dinamo Minsk (KHL) | 1-year | Free agency | [157] | |||
Retirement | [158] | |||||
Waivers | [159] | |||||
Mutual termination | [160] | |||||
Retirement | [161] | |||||
Frölunda HC (SHL) | 3-year | Free agency | [162] | |||
EHC Biel-Bienne (NL) | 2-year | Free agency | [163] |
Date | Player | Term | Ref | |
---|---|---|---|---|
2-year | [164] | |||
3-year† | [165] | |||
1-year | [166] | |||
4-year | [167] | |||
1-year | [168] | |||
2-year | ||||
1-year | [169] | |||
3-year‡ | [170] | |||
Florian Xhekaj | 3-year†‡ | [171] | ||
3-year† | [172] | |||
2-year†‡ | [173] | |||
Adam Engstrom | 3-year†‡ | [174] | ||
Jared Davidson | 2-year†‡ | [175] | ||
3-year†‡ | [176] |
See also: Montreal Canadiens draft picks. Below are the Montreal Canadiens' selections at the 2023 NHL Entry Draft, which was held on June 28–29, 2023, at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee.
Round | Player | Pos. | Nationality | Team (League) | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 5 | David Reinbacher | D | EHC Kloten (NL) | ||
3 | 69 | Jacob Fowler | G | Youngstown Phantoms (USHL) | ||
4 | 101 | Florian Xhekaj | LW | Hamilton Bulldogs (OHL) | ||
4 | 1101 | Bogdan Konyushkov | D | Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod (KHL) | ||
4 | 1282 | Quentin Miller | G | Quebec Remparts (QMJHL) | ||
5 | 133 | Sam Harris | LW | Sioux Falls Stampede (USHL) | ||
5 | 1443 | Yevgeni Volokhin | G | Mamonty Yugry (MHL) | ||
6 | 165 | Filip Eriksson | C | Växjö Lakers (J20 Nationell) | ||
7 | 197 | Luke Mittelstadt | D | University of Minnesota (B1G) |