The 2011–12

Montreal Canadiens The Montreal CanadiensEven in English, the French spelling is always used instead of ''Canadians''. The French spelling of ''Montréal'' is also sometimes used in the English media. (french: link=no, Les Canadiens de Montréal), officially ...

season A season is a division of the year based on changes in weather, ecology, and the number of daylight hours in a given region. On Earth, seasons are the result of the axial parallelism of Earth's tilted orbit around the Sun. In temperate and ...

was the team's 103rd season in franchise history and their

95th 95 or 95th may refer to: * 95 (number) * one of the years 95 BC, AD 95, 1995, 2095, etc. * 95th Division (disambiguation) * 95th Regiment ** 95th Regiment of Foot (disambiguation) * 95th Squadron (disambiguation) * Atomic number 95: americium *M ...

season in the

National Hockey League The National Hockey League (NHL; french: Ligue nationale de hockey—LNH, ) is a professional ice hockey league in North America comprising 32 teams—25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. It is considered to be the top ranked professional ...

(NHL) since the league was established on November 22, 1917. Finishing in last place in their respective division and conference, the Canadiens did not qualify for the 2012 Stanley Cup playoffs.

Off-season

Heading into the off-season, Canadiens general manager

Pierre Gauthier Pierre Gauthier (born May 28, 1953) is a former General Manager of the Montreal Canadiens, Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, and Ottawa Senators. He is currently the director of player personnel of the Chicago Blackhawks. Hockey career Gauthier started ou ...

had certain issues to address. There were several unrestricted free agents on the team that included, most notably

Jeff Halpern Jeffrey Craig Halpern (born May 3, 1976) is an American former professional ice hockey player. He played for the Washington Capitals twice, Dallas Stars, Tampa Bay Lightning, Los Angeles Kings, New York Rangers, Montreal Canadiens, and Phoenix Co ...

Roman Hamrlik Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a letter ...

Alex Auld Alexander James Auld (born January 7, 1981) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender. Auld played in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Vancouver Canucks, Florida Panthers, Phoenix Coyotes, Boston Bruins, Ottawa Senators, Dal ...

Brent Sopel Brent Bernard Sopel (born January 7, 1977) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman who played the majority of his career in the National Hockey League (NHL). Sopel was originally selected 144th overall at the 1995 NHL Entry Draft b ...

Hal Gill Harold Priestley Gill III (born April 6, 1975) is an American former professional ice hockey defenseman who played 16 NHL seasons with six different teams, winning the Stanley Cup with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2009. He also played for the Bo ...

James Wisniewski James Joseph Wisniewski (born February 21, 1984) is an American professional ice hockey defenseman who is currently an unrestricted free agent. He most recently played for the Kassel Huskies of the German DEL2. He has previously played in the Na ...

, Mathieu Darche and Andrei Markov. The team managed to re-sign Gill, Darche and Markov. On the other hand, no contracts were offered to Halpern, Auld and Sopel, thus allowing them to leave the team. Roman Hamrlik rejected the Canadiens's one-year offer and instead accepted a two-year contract with the

Washington Capitals The Washington Capitals (colloquially known as the Caps) are a professional ice hockey team based in Washington, D.C. The team competes in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference, a ...

. James Wisniewski let it be known that he would be testing the free agent market (where a bidding war for his services would ensue). On June 29, his negotiating rights were traded to the

Columbus Blue Jackets The Columbus Blue Jackets (often simply referred to as the Jackets) are a professional ice hockey team based in Columbus, Ohio. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference ...

. On the restricted free agent side, qualifying offers were made to Andrei Kostitsyn,

Max Pacioretty Maximillian Kolenda Pacioretty (born November 20, 1988) is an American professional ice hockey left winger for the Carolina Hurricanes of the National Hockey League (NHL). Pacioretty was drafted in the first round, 22nd overall, in the 2007 NHL ...

David Desharnais David Kevin Denis Desharnais (born September 14, 1986) is a Canadian professional ice hockey centre currently playing for HC Fribourg-Gottéron of the National League (ice hockey), National League (NL). NHL Entry Draft, Undrafted, he originally s ...

, Yannick Weber,

Ryan White Ryan Wayne White (December 6, 1971 – April 8, 1990) was an American teenager from Kokomo, Indiana, who became a national poster child for HIV/AIDS in the United States after his school barred him from attending classes following a diagnos ...

and

Josh Gorges Joshua Daniel Gorges (born August 14, 1984) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenseman. He is of German ancestry; his grandparents immigrated from Germany to Canada. Gorges played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the San Jose ...

, and all were eventually re-signed. No qualifying offers were made to forwards

Dustin Boyd Dustin James Boyd (born July 16, 1986) is a Canadian-Kazakhstani professional ice hockey player who is currently an unrestricted free agent. He was most recently under contract with Barys Nur-Sultan of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL). Playi ...

, Tom Pyatt, Benoit Pouliot and defenceman Alexandre Picard, thus allowing them to become unrestricted free agents. On the first day of free agency on July 1, Pierre Gauthier addressed two needs – a big-body forward and a reliable back-up goaltender. They were successful in their first objective in the signing of forward

Erik Cole Erik Thomas Cole (born November 6, 1978) is an American former professional ice hockey left winger. Originally drafted by the Hurricanes in the 1998 NHL Entry Draft, Cole played 15 seasons in the NHL for the Carolina Hurricanes, Edmonton Oiler ...

from the

Carolina Hurricanes The Carolina Hurricanes (colloquially known as the Canes) are a professional ice hockey team based in Raleigh, North Carolina. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference ...

to a four-year, $18 million contract. Their need for a capable back-up goaltender to periodically relieve

Carey Price Carey Price (born August 16, 1987) is a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender for the Montreal Canadiens of the National Hockey League (NHL). He is considered to be one of the best goaltenders in the world by many colleagues, fans, ''The ...

was also fulfilled when they signed free agent

Peter Budaj Peter Budaj ( ; born 18 September 1982) is a Slovak former professional ice hockey goaltender. He had previously played in the National Hockey League for the Colorado Avalanche, which drafted him, Montreal Canadiens, Los Angeles Kings, and Tam ...

from the

Colorado Avalanche The Colorado Avalanche (colloquially known as the Avs) are a professional ice hockey team based in Denver. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division in the Western Conference. The Avalanche play thei ...

to a two-year deal worth $2.3 million. Another notable transaction during the off-season was the signing of rugged Russian defenceman

Alexei Emelin Alexei Vyacheslavovich Emelin (Russian: Алексей Вячеславович Емелин; born 25 April 1986) is a Russian professional ice hockey defenceman who is currently playing for HC Spartak Moscow of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL ...

to a one-year,

two-way contract A two-way contract is a professional sports contract that stipulates that an athlete's salary is dependent upon the league in which the athlete is assigned to play. This is opposed to a one-way contract that would pay the same salary regardless of ...

for the 2011–12 season. Emelin, drafted by the Canadiens in the third round with the 84th overall pick in the

2004 NHL Entry Draft The 2004 NHL Entry Draft was the 42nd NHL Entry Draft. It was held on June 26 and 27, 2004 at the RBC Center in Raleigh, North Carolina. It is especially notable because it was the last NHL event to take place before the beginning of the lockout ...

, was under the Canadiens' radar for quite some time. He finally agreed to make the jump to North America when a clause was inserted in his contract, stating that he would be able to return to the

Kontinental Hockey League The Kontinental Hockey League (KHL; russian: Континентальная хоккейная лига (КХЛ), Kontinental'naya khokkeynaya liga) is an international professional ice hockey league founded in 2008. It comprises member clubs ba ...

(KHL) in Russia should he be unable to make the Canadiens' NHL roster. Emelin is often compared to fellow Russian and former NHL defenceman

Darius Kasparaitis Darius Kasparaitis (russian: Дарюс Владович Каспарайтис, ''Daryus Vladovich Kasparaitis''; born October 16, 1972) is a Lithuanian-American former professional ice hockey defenceman. He mainly played in the National Hockey ...

, who was known for his aggressive, physical playing style. Assistant Coach Kirk Muller, who was part of the Canadiens' coaching staff since 2006, confirmed rumours that he was actively seeking a head coaching position in the NHL and would be leaving the team. On June 27, 2011, following his inability to find a head coaching position in the NHL, the

Nashville Predators The Nashville Predators (commonly referred to as the Preds) are a professional ice hockey team based in Nashville, Tennessee. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division in the Western Conference, and ha ...

announced that Muller had been hired as the head coach of their

American Hockey League The American Hockey League (AHL) is a professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental league for the National Hockey League (NHL). Since the 2010–11 season, every team in the le ...

(AHL) affiliate, the

Milwaukee Admirals The Milwaukee Admirals are a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League (AHL). They play in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States, at the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee Panther Arena. They are affiliated with the NHL's Nashvil ...

. He would later fulfill his dream when on November 28, 2011, Muller became coach of the Carolina Hurricanes, taking over for

Paul Maurice Paul Maurice (born January 30, 1967) is a Canadian former ice hockey player and coach. He is the head coach of the Florida Panthers of the National Hockey League (NHL). At age 43, Maurice became the youngest coach in NHL history to coach 1,000 g ...

. Following Muller's departure, GM Pierre Gauthier announced the appointment of

Randy Cunneyworth Randy William Cunneyworth (born May 10, 1961) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player, former AHL head coach, NHL head coach and assistant coach, as well as a pro scout, and player development coach spanning nearly 40 years. Cunneyw ...

and Randy Ladouceur as assistant coaches. Cunneyworth and Ladouceur were coach and assistant coach respectfully for the Canadiens's AHL affiliate, the

Hamilton Bulldogs The Hamilton Bulldogs are a major junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League that began to play in the 2015–16 season. Based in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, the Bulldogs play their home games at FirstOntario Centre. They were purcha ...

, during the previous season. The addition of Ladouceur also provides the team the first former defenceman as an assistant coach since the 2005–06 season.

Season timeline

October The Canadiens started with the team's worst start since 1941. Prior to their first game of the season, defenceman Andrei Markov was placed on the injured reserved list. The Canadiens started the season with a 2–0 loss to the

Toronto Maple Leafs The Toronto Maple Leafs (officially the Toronto Maple Leaf Hockey Club and often referred to as the Leafs) are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Div ...

at the

Air Canada Centre Scotiabank Arena ( French: ''Aréna Scotiabank)'', formerly known as Air Canada Centre (ACC), is a multi-purposed arena located on Bay Street in the South Core district of Downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is the home of the Toronto Ra ...

. During the game, newly acquired defenceman

Chris Campoli Christopher Campoli (born July 9, 1984) is a Canadian professional ice hockey player for the Dundas Real McCoys of the Ontario Hockey Association's Allan Cup Hockey. He played for the Chicago Blackhawks, Ottawa Senators, New York Islanders, and ...

suffered a hamstring injury and was sidelined indefinitely. The team's first win of the season was a 5–1 decision against the

Winnipeg Jets The Winnipeg Jets are a professional ice hockey team based in Winnipeg. The team competes in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division in the Western Conference, and is owned by True North Sports & Entertainment, p ...

at the

MTS Centre Canada Life Centre (formerly MTS Centre and Bell MTS Place) is an indoor arena in downtown Winnipeg, Manitoba. The arena is the home of the National Hockey League's Winnipeg Jets and their American Hockey League affiliate, the Manitoba Moose. T ...

, which was the Jets' first game in the newly relocated franchise's history. The Canadiens played their home opener on October 13 in a 4–1 loss to the

Calgary Flames The Calgary Flames are a professional ice hockey team based in Calgary. The Flames compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division (NHL), Pacific Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Conference, and ...

. This coincided with

Lars Eller Lars Fosgaard Eller (born 8 May 1989) is a Danish professional ice hockey player for the Washington Capitals of the National Hockey League (NHL). Nicknamed "the Tiger", he was drafted by the St. Louis Blues in the first round, 13th overall in th ...

's first game of the season following off-season shoulder surgery. That same day, the team announced that forward Ryan White had surgery for a sports hernia and would be sidelined indefinitely. On October 23, the team traded long-time prospect

Brock Trotter Brock Alexander Trotter (born January 16, 1987) is a Canadian professional ice hockey Centre who was most recently under contract to Starbulls Rosenheim of the German Oberliga. He played two games in the National Hockey League with the Montreal ...

and their seventh round pick in the

2012 NHL Entry Draft The 2012 NHL Entry Draft was the 50th NHL Entry Draft. The draft was held June 22–23, 2012, at Consol Energy Center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It was the first time that Pittsburgh hosted the draft since the 1997 NHL Entry Draft. The top thr ...

to the Phoenix Coyotes for forward

Petteri Nokelainen Petteri Antti Nokelainen (born January 16, 1986) is a Finnish former professional ice hockey forward who played over 200 games in the National Hockey League (NHL). He concluded his professional career in returning to his original club, SaiPa of ...

and defenceman

Garrett Stafford Garrett Stafford (born January 28, 1980) is an American former professional ice hockey defenseman. He played in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Detroit Red Wings, Dallas Stars and Phoenix Coyotes. Playing career As a youth, Stafford ...

. The team would go on to a six-game losing streak and five-game losing streak at home until defeating the

Philadelphia Flyers The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia. The Flyers compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference. The team plays its home games in Well ...

5–1 on October 26, 2011, at the Bell Centre. Prior to the game, the Canadiens relieved Assistant Coach

Perry Pearn Perry Pearn (born June 6, 1951) is a Canadian professional ice hockey coach. He is a former assistant coach in the National Hockey League, most recently with the Vancouver Canucks. In 2022, he became the head coach of the Japanese national ice ho ...

of his duties, offering him another position in the organization, which he declined. Pearn was replaced behind the bench by Randy Ladouceur, who until then was situated in the press box during game time. November On November 10, the Canadiens beat the Phoenix Coyotes 3–2 in overtime to continue their winning streak in Phoenix. The Coyotes have not beaten the Canadiens at home ice since December 9, 1998, when they won 4–2. Carey Price recorded back-to-back shutouts for the first time of his career in duplicate 4–0 wins against the

on November 16 and the

New York Rangers The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the New York City borough of Manhattan. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference. The team plays its home ...

on November 19.

was suspended by NHL disciplinarian

Brendan Shanahan Brendan Frederick Shanahan (born January 23, 1969) is a Canadian professional ice hockey executive and former player who currently serves as the president and alternate governor for the Toronto Maple Leafs, having previously served as the direct ...

for three games following a questionable hit on

Pittsburgh Penguins The Pittsburgh Penguins (colloquially known as the Pens) are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division of the Eastern Conference, and have playe ...

defenceman Kris Letang on November 26 at the Bell Centre. Letang suffered a broken nose but still managed to finish the game. No penalty had been called on the hit. The month also saw the NHL debuts of defenceman Frederic St. Denis on November 16 in a 4–0 win against the Carolina Hurricanes and

Louis Leblanc Louis Jean Joseph Leblanc (born January 26, 1991) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey centre. Leblanc played minor hockey in the Montreal region before he moved to the United States in 2008, playing one season with the Omaha Lancers of ...

on November 30 in a 4–1 loss to the Anaheim Ducks. December In an effort to bolster their power play, which was ranked 29th out of 30 teams in the league, GM Pierre Gauthier acquired defenceman Tomas Kaberle from the Carolina Hurricanes on December 9 in exchange for defenceman Jaroslav Spacek. In his first game with the Canadiens, Kaberle registered two assists, including one on the power play, in a 2–1 road win against the New Jersey Devils. Chris Campoli returned to action on December 13 against the New York Islanders. He was sidelined with a lower body injury suffered during the team's season opener against the Toronto Maple Leafs back on October 6. Feeling that the team was under performing with its 13–12–7 losing record, Pierre Gauthier fired Head Coach Jacques Martin on December 17. Assistant Coach

was named interim head coach. Cunneyworth became the first unilingual, English-speaking active head coach of the Canadiens since Bob Berry, who was head coach from 1981 to 1984. Assistant general manager Larry Carriere was named assistant coach in a questionable move, as Carriere has never coached hockey at any level whatsoever. Cunneyworth's first game as the interim head coach resulted in a 5–3 loss against the New Jersey Devils at the Bell Centre on December 17. Under interim coach Cunneyworth, the team embarked on a five-game losing skid until finally winning their first game under their new coach in a convincing 6–2 win against the Senators in Ottawa on December 27. Despite this win, the team dropped their next two games and closed off the month losing 7 of their last 8 games. January Lars Eller started off the new year in style on January 4 by scoring four goals (three in the third period alone) to help his team pounce the Winnipeg Jets 7–3 at the Bell Centre. Eller becomes the first Canadiens player to score four goals in one game since

Jan Bulis Jan Bulis () (born March 18, 1978) is a former Czech professional hockey winger who last played as the Captain of Traktor Chelyabinsk of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL). He spent nine seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL), playing with ...

did so against the

back on January 26, 2006. On January 12, goaltender Carey Price was invited to the 2012 NHL All-Star Game, which was played on January 29 in Ottawa. He was accompanied by teammate

Raphael Diaz Raphael Salvador Diaz (born January 9, 1986) is a Swiss professional ice hockey defenceman who currently plays with HC Fribourg-Gottéron in the National League (NL). Diaz previously played with the Rangers during the 2014 season after the trade ...

, who participated in the rookie skills competition held on January 28. One day after Michael Cammalleri made disparaging remarks about the current status of the Montreal Canadiens, the Habs decided to part ways with the veteran forward. On January 12, Cammalleri was pulled out of a game against the

Boston Bruins The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston. The Bruins compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference. The team has been in existence since 1924, making t ...

to find out that he had been traded to the Calgary Flames, along with goaltender Karri Ramo and a fifth round pick in 2012. In exchange, Montreal received forwards Rene Bourque, Patrick Holland and a second-round pick in

2013 File:2013 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: Edward Snowden becomes internationally famous for leaking classified NSA wiretapping information; Typhoon Haiyan kills over 6,000 in the Philippines and Southeast Asia; The Dhaka garment fa ...

. Bourque carried a salary cap hit of $3.3 million until the 2015–16 season. This is Cammalleri's second tenure with the Flames, where he scored 39 goals during the 2008–09 season. February Max Pacioretty scored the first

hat-trick A hat-trick or hat trick is the achievement of a generally positive feat three times in a match, or another achievement based on the number three. Origin The term first appeared in 1858 in cricket, to describe H. H. Stephenson taking three wic ...

of his career in a 4–2 win against the New York Islanders on February 9. After being sidelined since the beginning of the season with a sports hernia, Ryan White finally made his season debut on February 15 against the Boston Bruins at the Bell Centre. With their playoff hopes dying with each passing day, Pierre Gauthier became a seller. On February 17, Montreal sent defenceman

and a conditional 2013 fifth-round draft pick to the

for a 2012 second-round pick, prospect Robert Slaney and

Blake Geoffrion Blake Daniel Geoffrion (born February 3, 1988) is an American former professional ice hockey player. He last played with the Montreal Canadiens of the National Hockey League. He was a second round selection of the Nashville Predators, 56th overal ...

, the grandson of former Habs great Bernard Geoffrion and great-grandson of Canadiens legend

Howie Morenz Howard William Morenz (September 21, 1902 – March 8, 1937) was a Canadian professional ice hockey player. Beginning in 1923, he played centre for three National Hockey League (NHL) teams: the Montreal Canadiens (in two stints), the Chicago Blac ...

. During the trade deadline on February 27, the Canadiens reacquired their fifth-round conditional pick in the Hall Gill trade, as well as the Predators' second-round pick in 2013 for forward Andrei Kostitsyn. They also claimed via re-entry waivers enforcer Brad Staubitz from the

Minnesota Wild The Minnesota Wild are a professional ice hockey team based in Saint Paul, Minnesota. The Wild competes in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division in the Western Conference and play their home games at the Xcel Ener ...

. Despite rumors to the contrary,

Travis Moen Travis Shawn Moen (born April 6, 1982) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player who most recently played under contract for the Dallas Stars of the National Hockey League (NHL). Although he was born in Swift Current, Saskatchewan, he gr ...

and Chris Campoli, who were set to both become unrestricted free agents at the end of season, were not moved. The Canadiens finished the month losing seven of their last eight games, including a five-game losing streak. March and April Max Pacioretty became the first American-born player in Canadiens history to reach the 30 goal mark during a 5–4 victory on March 8 against the

Edmonton Oilers The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton. The Oilers compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference. They play their home games at Rogers Place, which ...

. March 10 saw the return of defenceman Andrei Markov to the line-up. He registered an assist in the Canadiens 4–1 win against the

Vancouver Canucks The Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division (NHL), Pacific Division of the Western Conference (NHL), Western Conference, and ...

. Markov, who had been sidelined with a torn ACL, played his first game since November 13, 2010, missing almost 16 months of action.

scored a natural hat-trick just 5:41 after the opening faceoff on March 24 when the Habs defeated the Ottawa Senators 5–1. In turn, Cole became the second American-born player in Canadiens history to reach the 30-goal plateau. His effort also set a team record for the fastest natural hat-trick to start a game by any Canadiens player. Cole finished the season with a record-high 35 goals for an American-born player. The Canadiens were officially eliminated from playoff contention in their 76th game of the season following a 4–1 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers on March 24. On March 29, team owner

Geoff Molson Geoffrey Eric Molson (born July 23, 1971), is a Canadian businessman and current president and chief executive officer and co-owner of the National Hockey League's Montreal Canadiens, Evenko, Bell Centre and L'Équipe Spectra alongside his bro ...

officially relieved Pierre Gauthier of his duties as general manager.

Bob Gainey Robert Michael Gainey (born December 13, 1953) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player who played for the Montreal Canadiens from 1973 until 1989. After retiring from active play, he became a hockey coach and later an executive wit ...

was also let go of his duties as special advisor to the GM. Molson further announced that former Habs GM

Serge Savard Serge Aubrey Savard, OC, CQ (born January 22, 1946) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman, most famously with the Montreal Canadiens of the National Hockey League (NHL). He is the Senior Vice President, Hockey Operations with t ...

would be acting as special advisor to find the next general manager. April 1 saw the NHL debut of Gabriel Dumont in a winning cause against the

Tampa Bay Lightning The Tampa Bay Lightning (colloquially known as the Bolts) are a professional ice hockey team based in Tampa, Florida. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference. They play th ...

Playoffs

The Canadiens missed the Stanley Cup playoffs for the first time since 2007.

Standings

Schedule and results

Pre-season

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Dallas Stars The Dallas Stars are a professional ice hockey team based in Dallas. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division in the Western Conference, and were founded during the 1967 NHL expansion as the Minne ...

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Montreal Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the second-most populous city in Canada and most populous city in the Canadian province of Quebec. Founded in 1642 as '' Ville-Marie'', or "City of Mary", it is named after Mount Royal, the triple ...

, , 21,273 , , 0–1–0 , , , - style="background:#fbb;" , 2 , , September 21 , ,

Buffalo Sabres The Buffalo Sabres are a professional ice hockey team based in Buffalo, New York. The Sabres compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference. The team was established in 1970, along w ...

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Ottawa Senators The Ottawa Senators (french: Sénateurs d'Ottawa), officially the Ottawa Senators Hockey Club and colloquially known as the Sens, are a professional ice hockey team based in Ottawa. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a membe ...

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Quebec City Quebec City ( or ; french: Ville de Québec), officially Québec (), is the capital city of the Canadian province of Quebec. As of July 2021, the city had a population of 549,459, and the metropolitan area had a population of 839,311. It is t ...

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Regular season

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Bell Centre Bell Centre (), formerly known as Molson Centre (), is a multi-purpose arena located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Opened on March 16, 1996, it is the home arena of the Montreal Canadiens of the National Hockey League (NHL), replacing the Montr ...

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Consol Energy Center PPG Paints Arena is a multi-purpose indoor arena in Pittsburgh, that serves as the home of the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League (NHL). It previously was the home of the Pittsburgh Power of the Arena Football League (AFL) from 2 ...

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TD Garden TD Garden is a multi-purpose arena in Boston, Massachusetts. It is named after its sponsor, TD Bank, a subsidiary of the Toronto-Dominion Bank of Toronto, Ontario. It opened in 1995 as a replacement for the original Boston Garden and has been k ...

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Scotiabank Place Canadian Tire Centre (french: links=no, Centre Canadian Tire) is a multi-purpose indoor arena in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, located in the western suburb of Stittsville. It opened in January 1996 as the Palladium and was also known as Corel Cent ...

, , 20,329 , , 5–5–2 , , 12 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#fcc;" , 13 , , November 5 , , @

, , 3–5 , , Price , , Madison Square Garden , , 18,200 , , 5–6–2 , , 12 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#fcc;" , 14 , , November 8 , ,

, , 1–3 , , Price , , Bell Centre , , 21,273 , , 5–7–2 , , 12 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#cfc;" , 15 , , November 10 , , @ Phoenix Coyotes , , 3–2 OT , , Price , , Jobing.com Arena , , 14,138 , , 6–7–2 , , 14 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#cfc;" , 16 , , November 12 , , @

, , 2–1 OT , , Budaj , ,

Bridgestone Arena Bridgestone Arena (originally Nashville Arena, and formerly Gaylord Entertainment Center and Sommet Center) is a multi-purpose venue in downtown Nashville, Tennessee, United States. Completed in 1996, it is the home of the Nashville Predators o ...

, , 17,113 , , 7–7–2 , , 16 , , , - style="background: #e1e1e1;" , 17 , , November 14 , , Buffalo Sabres , , 2–3 SO , , Price , , Bell Centre , , 21,273 , , 7–7–3 , , 17 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#cfc;" , 18 , , November 16 , ,

, , 4–0 , , Price , , Bell Centre , , 21,273 , , 8–7–3 , , 19 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#fcc;" , 19 , , November 17 , , @ New York Islanders , , 3–4 , , Budaj , , Nassau Coliseum , , 9928 , , 8–8–3 , , 19 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#cfc;" , 20 , , November 19 , ,

, , 4–0 , , Price , , Bell Centre , , 21,273 , , 9–8–3 , , 21 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#fcc;" , 21 , , November 21 , , Boston Bruins , , 0–1 , , Price , , Bell Centre , , 21,273 , , 9–9–3 , , 21 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#cfc;" , 22 , , November 23 , , @ Carolina Hurricanes , , 4–3 SO , , Price , ,

RBC Center RBC may refer to: Media and arts * ''RBK Daily'', a general business newspaper published in Moscow, Russia. * RBK Group, a large Russian media group * RBC Ministries, now Our Daily Bread Ministries, a Christian media outlet in Grand Rapdis, Mic ...

, , 14,862 , , 10–9–3 , , 23 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#fcc;" , 23 , , November 25 , , @ Philadelphia Flyers , , 1–3 , , Price , ,

Wells Fargo Center Wells Fargo Center may refer to: *Wells Fargo Center (Los Angeles), California *Wells Fargo Center (Sacramento), California * Wells Fargo Center (San Francisco), California * Wells Fargo Center for the Arts, Santa Rosa, California * Wells Fargo Cen ...

, , 19,991 , , 10–10–3 , , 23 , , , - style="background: #e1e1e1;" , 24 , , November 26 , , Pittsburgh Penguins , , 3–4 OT , , Price , , Bell Centre , , 21,273 , , 10–10–4 , , 24 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#fcc;" , 25 , , November 30 , , @ Anaheim Ducks , , 1–4 , , Budaj , ,

Honda Center The Honda Center (formerly known as the Arrowhead Pond of Anaheim) is an indoor arena located in Anaheim, California. The arena is home to the Anaheim Ducks of the National Hockey League. Originally named the Anaheim Arena during construction ...

, , 13,237 , , 10–11–4 , , 24 , , , - , - style="background: #e1e1e1;" , 26 , , December 1 , , @

San Jose Sharks The San Jose Sharks are a professional ice hockey team based in San Jose, California. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division in the Western Conference, and are owned by San Jose Sports & Entertainm ...

, , 3–4 SO , , Price , ,

HP Pavilion HP Pavilion is a line of consumer-oriented laptop and desktop computers produced by HP Inc. It was introduced in 1995 by Hewlett-Packard. The name is applied to both desktops and laptops for the Home and Home Office product range. The Pavilion ...

, , 17,562 , , 10–11–5 , , 25 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#cfc;" , 27 , , December 3 , , @

Los Angeles Kings The Los Angeles Kings are a professional ice hockey team based in Los Angeles. The team competes in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division in the Western Conference and was founded on June 5, 1967, after Jack Kent ...

, , 2–1 , , Price , , Staples Center , , 18,118 , , 11–11–5 , , 27 , , , - style="background: #e1e1e1;" , 28 , , December 6 , ,

, , 2–3 SO , , Price , , Bell Centre , , 21,273 , , 11–11–6 , , 28 , , , - style="background: #e1e1e1;" , 29 , , December 8 , ,

, , 3–4 SO , , Price , , Bell Centre , , 21,273 , , 11–11–7 , , 29 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#cfc;" , 30 , , December 10 , , @ New Jersey Devils , , 2–1 , , Price , ,

Prudential Center Prudential Center is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the central business district of Newark, New Jersey. Opened in 2007, it is the home of the New Jersey Devils of the National Hockey League (NHL) and the men's basketball program of Seton Hal ...

, , 14,210 , , 12–11–7 , , 31 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#cfc;" , 31 , , December 13 , , New York Islanders , , 5–3 , , Price , , Bell Centre , , 21,273 , , 13–11–7 , , 33 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#fcc;" , 32 , , December 15 , , Philadelphia Flyers , , 3–4 , , Price , , Bell Centre , , 21,273 , , 13–12–7 , , 33 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#fcc;" , 33 , , December 17 , , New Jersey Devils , , 3–5 , , Price , , Bell Centre , , 21,273 , , 13–13–7 , , 33 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#fcc;" , 34 , , December 19 , , @ Boston Bruins , , 2–3 , , Price , , TD Garden , , 17,565 , , 13–14–7 , , 33 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#fcc;" , 35 , , December 21 , , @

Chicago Blackhawks The Chicago Blackhawks (spelled Black Hawks until 1986, and known colloquially as the Hawks) are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago. The Blackhawks compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division i ...

, , 1–5 , , Budaj , ,

United Center United Center is an indoor arena on the Near West Side of Chicago, Illinois, United States. It is home to the Chicago Bulls of the National Basketball Association (NBA) and the Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey League (NHL). It is named ...

, , 22,081 , , 13–15–7 , , 33 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#fcc;" , 36 , , December 22 , , @ Winnipeg Jets , , 0–4 , , Price , , MTS Centre , , 15,004 , , 13–16–7 , , 33 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#cfc;" , 37 , , December 27 , , @ Ottawa Senators , , 6–2 , , Price , , Scotiabank Place , , 20,500 , , 14–16–7 , , 35 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#fcc;" , 38 , , December 29 , , @

, , 3–4 , , Price , , St. Pete Times Forum , , 19,204 , , 14–17–7 , , 35 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#fcc;" , 39 , , December 31 , , @ Florida Panthers , , 2–3 , , Price , ,

BankAtlantic Center FLA Live Arena (previously known as the National Car Rental Center, Office Depot Center, BankAtlantic Center, and BB&T Center) is an indoor arena located next to Sawgrass Mills in Sunrise, Florida. It is the home venue for the Florida Panthers ...

, , 20,098 , , 14–18–7 , , 35 , , , - , - style="text-align:center; background:#cfc;" , 40 , , January 4 , , Winnipeg Jets , , 7–3 , , Price , , Bell Centre , , 21,273 , , 15–18–7 , , 37 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#cfc;" , 41 , , January 7 , , Tampa Bay Lightning , , 3–1 , , Price , , Bell Centre , , 21,273 , , 16–18–7 , , 39 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#fcc;" , 42 , , January 10 , ,

St. Louis Blues The St. Louis Blues are a professional ice hockey team based in St. Louis. The Blues compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division in the Western Conference. The franchise was founded in 1967 as one of the ...

, , 0–3 , , Price , , Bell Centre , , 21,273 , , 16–19–7 , , 39 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#fcc;" , 43 , , January 12 , , @ Boston Bruins , , 1–2 , , Price , , TD Garden , , 17,565 , , 16–20–7 , , 39 , , , - style="background: #e1e1e1;" , 44 , , January 14 , , Ottawa Senators , , 2–3 SO , , Price , , Bell Centre , , 21,273 , , 16–20–8 , , 40 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#cfc;" , 45 , , January 15 , , New York Rangers , , 4–1 , , Budaj , , Bell Centre , , 21,273 , , 17–20–8 , , 42 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#fcc;" , 46 , , January 18 , ,

, , 0–3 , , Price , , Bell Centre , , 21,273 , , 17–21–8 , , 42 , , , - style="background: #e1e1e1;" , 47 , , January 20 , , @ Pittsburgh Penguins , , 4–5 SO , , Budaj , , Consol Energy Center , , 18,588 , , 17–21–9 , , 43 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#cfc;" , 48 , , January 21 , , @ Toronto Maple Leafs , , 3–1 , , Price , , Air Canada Centre , , 19,643 , , 18–21–9 , , 45 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#cfc;" , 49 , , January 25 , , Detroit Red Wings , , 7–2 , , Price , , Bell Centre , , 21,273 , , 19–21–9 , , 47 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#fcc;" , 50 , , January 31 , , Buffalo Sabres , , 1–3 , , Price , , Bell Centre , , 21,273 , , 19–22–9 , , 47 , , , - , - style="text-align:center; background:#fcc;" , 51 , , February 2 , , @ New Jersey Devils , , 3–5 , , Price , , Prudential Center , , 13,283 , , 19–23–9 , , 47 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#fcc;" , 52 , , February 4 , , Washington Capitals , , 0–3 , , Budaj , , Bell Centre , , 21,273 , , 19–24–9 , , 47 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#cfc;" , 53 , , February 5 , , Winnipeg Jets , , 3–0 , , Price , , Bell Centre , , 21,273 , , 20–24–9 , , 49 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#cfc;" , 54 , , February 7 , , Pittsburgh Penguins , , 3–2 SO , , Price , , Bell Centre , , 21,273 , , 21–24–9 , , 51 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#cfc;" , 55 , , February 9 , , @ New York Islanders , , 4–2 , , Price , , Nassau Coliseum , , 12,312 , , 22–24–9 , , 53 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#cfc;" , 56 , , February 11 , , @ Toronto Maple Leafs , , 5–0 , , Price , , Air Canada Centre , , 19,685 , , 23–24–9 , , 55 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#fcc;" , 57 , , February 13 , , Carolina Hurricanes , , 3–5 , , Price , , Bell Centre , , 21,273 , , 23–25–9 , , 55 , , , - style="background: #e1e1e1;" , 58 , , February 15 , , Boston Bruins , , 3–4 SO , , Price , , Bell Centre , , 21,273 , , 23–25–10 , , 56 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#cfc;" , 59 , , February 17 , , @ Buffalo Sabres , , 4–3 SO , , Price , ,

First Niagara Center KeyBank Center is a multipurpose indoor arena located in Buffalo, New York. Originally known as Marine Midland Arena, the venue has since been named HSBC Arena and First Niagara Center. Home to the Buffalo Sabres of the National Hockey League ...

, , 18,690 , , 24–25–10 , , 58 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#fcc;" , 60 , , February 19 , , New Jersey Devils , , 1–3 , , Price , , Bell Centre , , 21,273 , , 24–26–10 , , 58 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#fcc;" , 61 , , February 21 , ,

, , 0–3 , , Price , , Bell Centre , , 21,273 , , 24–27–10 , , 58 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#fcc;" , 62 , , February 24 , , @ Washington Capitals , , 1–4 , , Price , , Verizon Center , , 18,506 , , 24–28–10 , , 58 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#fcc;" , 63 , , February 26 , , @ Florida Panthers , , 2–4 , , Budaj , , BankAtlantic Center , , 18,108 , , 24–29–10 , , 58 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#fcc;" , 64 , , February 28 , , @ Tampa Bay Lightning , , 1–2 , , Price , , St. Pete Times Forum , , 18,878 , , 24–30–10 , , 58 , , , - , - style="text-align:center; background:#cfc;" , 65 , , March 1 , ,

, , 5–4 SO , , Price , , Bell Centre , , 21,273 , , 25–30–10 , , 60 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#fcc;" , 66 , , March 3 , , Toronto Maple Leafs , , 1–3 , , Price , , Bell Centre , , 21,273 , , 25–31–10 , , 60 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#fcc;" , 67 , , March 6 , , @ Calgary Flames , , 4–5 , , Price , , Scotiabank Saddledome , , 19,289 , , 25–32–10 , , 60 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#cfc;" , 68 , , March 8 , , @ Edmonton Oilers , , 5–3 , , Budaj , ,

Rexall Place Northlands Coliseum is a now-unused indoor arena located in Edmonton, Alberta, situated on the north side of Northlands. It was used for sports events and concerts, and was home to the Edmonton Oilers of the World Hockey Association (WHA) and N ...

, , 16,839 , , 26–32–10 , , 62 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#cfc;" , 69 , , March 10 , , @ Vancouver Canucks , , 4–1 , , Price , , Rogers Arena , , 18,890 , , 27–32–10 , , 64 , , , - style="background: #e1e1e1;" , 70 , , March 12 , , @ Buffalo Sabres , , 3–4 OT , , Budaj , , First Niagara Center , , 18,690 , , 27–32–11 , , 65 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#cfc;" , 71 , , March 14 , , Ottawa Senators , , 3–2 SO , , Price , , Bell Centre , , 21,273 , , 28–32–11 , , 67 , , , - style="background: #e1e1e1;" , 72 , , March 16 , , @ Ottawa Senators , , 1–2 OT , , Price , , Scotiabank Place , , 20,500 , , 28–32–12 , , 68 , , , - style="background: #e1e1e1;" , 73 , , March 17 , , New York Islanders , , 2–3 SO , , Budaj , , Bell Centre , , 21,273 , , 28–32–13 , , 69 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#fcc;" , 74 , , March 21 , , @ Buffalo Sabres , , 0–3 , , Price , , First Niagara Center , , 18,690 , , 28–33–13 , , 69 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#cfc;" , 75 , , March 23 , , Ottawa Senators , , 5–1 , , Price , , Bell Centre , , 21,273 , , 29–33–13 , , 71 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#fcc;" , 76 , , March 24 , , @ Philadelphia Flyers , , 1–4 , , Budaj , , Wells Fargo Center , , 19,931 , , 29–34–13 , , 71 , , , - style="background: #e1e1e1;" , 77 , , March 27 , , Florida Panthers , , 2–3 SO , , Price , , Bell Centre , , 21,273 , , 29–34–14 , , 72 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#fcc;" , 78 , , March 30 , , @ New York Rangers , , 1–4 , , Price , , Madison Square Garden , , 18,200 , , 29–35–14 , , 72 , , , - style="background: #e1e1e1;" , 79 , , March 31 , , @ Washington Capitals , , 2–3 SO , , Budaj , , Verizon Center , , 18,506 , , 29–35–15 , , 73 , , , - , - style="text-align:center; background:#cfc;" , 80 , , April 4 , , Tampa Bay Lightning , , 5–2 , , Budaj , , Bell Centre , , 21,273 , , 30–35–15 , , 75 , , , - style="background: #e1e1e1;" , 81 , , April 5 , , @ Carolina Hurricanes , , 1–2 (SO) , , Budaj , , RBC Center , , 17,836 , , 30–35–16 , , 76 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#cfc;" , 82 , , April 7 , , Toronto Maple Leafs , , 4–1 , , Budaj , , Bell Centre , , 21,273 , , 31–35–16 , , 78 , , , - , ''Legend'':

Player statistics

Skaters

Goaltenders

^†Denotes player spent time with another team before joining Canadiens. Stats reflect time with Canadiens only.
^‡Traded mid-season. Stats reflect time with Canadiens only.

Awards and records

Awards

Milestones

Transactions

The Canadiens have been involved in the following transactions during the 2011–12 season:

Trades

Free agents acquired

Free agents lost

Claimed via waivers

+On October 9, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman allowed the Montreal Canadiens to cancel the waiver claim on Betts and return him to the Philadelphia Flyers, as he had failed a physical due to an undisclosed injury which he had prior to being claimed.Injured Betts returned to Flyers
Accessed December 30, 2011

Lost via waivers

Player signings

Draft picks

Montreal's picks at the

2011 NHL Entry Draft The 2011 NHL Entry Draft was the 49th NHL Entry Draft. It was held on June 24–25, 2011, at the Xcel Energy Center in Saint Paul, Minnesota. It was the first time the Draft was held in the state of Minnesota since the Minnesota North Stars host ...

St. Paul Paul; grc, Παῦλος, translit=Paulos; cop, ⲡⲁⲩⲗⲟⲥ; hbo, פאולוס השליח (previously called Saul of Tarsus;; ar, بولس الطرسوسي; grc, Σαῦλος Ταρσεύς, Saũlos Tarseús; tr, Tarsuslu Pavlus; ...

Minnesota Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:2011-12 Montreal Canadiens Season Montreal Canadiens seasons Montreal Canadiens season, 2011-12