The 1995–96 Montreal Canadiens season was the club's 87th season. This season was notable for the trade of star goaltender Patrick Roy, as well as being their final season in the Montreal Forum before moving to the new Molson Centre. The club qualified for the playoffs, but lost in the first round to the New York Rangers.
1995–96 Montreal Canadiens | |
---|---|
Division | 3rd Northeast |
Conference | 6th Eastern |
1995–96 record | 40–32–10 |
Home record | 23–12–6 |
Road record | 17–20–4 |
Goals for | 265 |
Goals against | 248 |
Team information | |
General manager | Serge Savard (Oct.) Rejean Houle (Oct.–Apr.) |
Coach | Jacques Demers (Oct.) Mario Tremblay (Oct.–Apr.) |
Captain | Mike Keane (Oct.–Dec.) Pierre Turgeon (Dec.–Apr.) |
Alternate captains | Vincent Damphousse Lyle Odelein |
Arena | Montreal Forum and Molson Centre |
Average attendance | 18,233 |
Minor league affiliate(s) | Fredericton Canadiens Wheeling Thunderbirds |
Team leaders | |
Goals | Pierre Turgeon and Vincent Damphousse (38) |
Assists | Pierre Turgeon (58) |
Points | Pierre Turgeon (96) |
Penalty minutes | Lyle Odelein (230) |
Plus/minus | Peter Popovic (+21) |
Wins | Jocelyn Thibault (23) |
Goals against average | Jocelyn Thibault (2.83) |
Offseason
editThis section is empty. You can help by adding to it. (July 2010) |
Regular season
editAt the beginning of the season, captain Mike Keane was subject to media scrutiny after speaking with Mathias Brunet of La Presse (a French language newspaper). Keane said he didn't know how to speak French; but the journalist misunderstood him, and reported him as refusing to learn how to speak French.[1]
On October 17, 1995: Canadiens president Ronald Corey fired general manager Serge Savard and his assistants Andre Boudrias and Carol Vadnais.[2] Head coach Jacques Demers was also relieved of his duties, while assistant coach Charles Thiffault was reassigned. This came after the Habs surrendered 20 goals in the first 4 games of the season.
October 21, 1995, Corey hired Rejean Houle as the Canadiens' new general manager. Mario Tremblay was hired as the new head coach, and Yvan Cournoyer was hired as an assistant coach.[3] Tremblay had been goaltender Patrick Roy's roommate during his rookie season.[4] On that same day, they beat their chief rival the Toronto Maple Leafs 4–3 in their last appearance at the Forum.
In his first 15 starts with Tremblay as head coach, Roy had 12 wins, 2 losses and 1 tie. The one tie came against the Colorado Avalanche.[5] Despite this hot start, Roy and Tremblay clashed multiple times. While in Edmonton, Tremblay spotted Roy in the hotel bar and told him that he wanted him to leave.[6] A conflict ensued in Montreal when Tremblay told Roy that he was not allowed to visit the trainer's room and speak to teammates unless he was injured.[5]
On November 28, 1995, the day before a game against the Detroit Red Wings, Mario Tremblay spoke to Mario Leclerc of Le Journal de Montreal. Tremblay mentioned that he was resentful of current Red Wings head coach Scotty Bowman. The first five years of Tremblay's career were played under Bowman, and Tremblay told Leclerc that Bowman always threatened to send him to the minors.[7] When Leclerc approached Cournoyer, he stated that he did not want to speak about Bowman.[8] The Canadiens lost the game by a score of 3–2. The next day, the Journal de Montreal had a headline that stated "Bowman has the last word".[8]
On February 5, 1996, Patrick Roy played the Canadiens for the first time since he was traded to the Colorado Avalanche.[9] Roy stopped 37 of 39 shots in a 4–2 win. After the game, Roy took the game puck and flipped it to Mario Tremblay.[10]
Patrick Roy's final game
editOn December 2, 1995, head coach Mario Tremblay kept goaltender Patrick Roy in goal as he conceded 9 goals on 26 shots during an 11–1 loss to Scotty Bowman's Detroit Red Wings.[11] This was the last straw for Roy in what was already a contentious relationship with the rookie head coach. Friction between the two dated back to Roy's rookie year, when Tremblay used to needle the young Quebecer on his broken English and was critical of Roy through much of his career. The two had almost come to blows in a Long Island coffee shop before Tremblay was announced as head coach, and Tremblay's first appearance in the dressing room was greeted with snickers from Roy. They almost fought a second time after Tremblay fired a shot at Roy's throat during practice.
After Roy was replaced midway through the second period, he went over to Canadiens president Ronald Corey[12] and stated that he had played his final game with the Canadiens. He later elaborated by saying that he would not play for Montreal as long as Tremblay was coach.
Le Trade
editOn December 6, four days after the incident, Roy was traded to Colorado (along with team captain Mike Keane) in exchange for Jocelyn Thibault, Martin Rucinsky and Andrei Kovalenko, a deal known in Montreal as "Le Trade".[13] Roy's relationship with the Canadiens remained strained until 2008, when it was announced that his #33 jersey would be retired. The trade benefited Colorado, as Roy helped the Avalanche win the 1996 Stanley Cup.
Final game at the Forum
editOn March 11, 1996, the Canadiens played their last game at the Montreal Forum, defeating the Dallas Stars 4–1 on a Monday night. The game was televised on TSN and TQS in Canada, and on ESPN in the United States. After the game, many previous hockey greats were presented to the crowd. The largest ovation of the night was left at the end for legendary Canadiens star Maurice "Rocket" Richard, at over 16 minutes in length.
Season standings
editNo. | GP | W | L | T | GF | GA | PTS | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Pittsburgh Penguins | 82 | 49 | 29 | 4 | 362 | 284 | 102 |
2 | Boston Bruins | 82 | 40 | 31 | 11 | 282 | 269 | 91 |
3 | Montreal Canadiens | 82 | 40 | 32 | 10 | 265 | 248 | 90 |
4 | Hartford Whalers | 82 | 34 | 39 | 9 | 237 | 259 | 77 |
5 | Buffalo Sabres | 82 | 33 | 42 | 7 | 247 | 262 | 72 |
6 | Ottawa Senators | 82 | 18 | 59 | 5 | 191 | 291 | 41 |
R | Div | GP | W | L | T | GF | GA | Pts | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Philadelphia Flyers | ATL | 82 | 45 | 24 | 13 | 282 | 208 | 103 |
2 | Pittsburgh Penguins | NE | 82 | 49 | 29 | 4 | 362 | 284 | 102 |
3 | New York Rangers | ATL | 82 | 41 | 27 | 14 | 272 | 237 | 96 |
4 | Florida Panthers | ATL | 82 | 41 | 31 | 10 | 254 | 234 | 92 |
5 | Boston Bruins | NE | 82 | 40 | 31 | 11 | 282 | 269 | 91 |
6 | Montreal Canadiens | NE | 82 | 40 | 32 | 10 | 265 | 248 | 90 |
7 | Washington Capitals | ATL | 82 | 39 | 32 | 11 | 234 | 204 | 89 |
8 | Tampa Bay Lightning | ATL | 82 | 38 | 32 | 12 | 238 | 248 | 88 |
9 | New Jersey Devils | ATL | 82 | 37 | 33 | 12 | 215 | 202 | 86 |
10 | Hartford Whalers | NE | 82 | 34 | 39 | 9 | 237 | 259 | 77 |
11 | Buffalo Sabres | NE | 82 | 33 | 42 | 7 | 247 | 262 | 73 |
12 | New York Islanders | ATL | 82 | 22 | 50 | 10 | 229 | 315 | 54 |
13 | Ottawa Senators | NE | 82 | 18 | 59 | 5 | 191 | 291 | 41 |
Divisions: ATL – Atlantic, NE – Northeast
bold – Qualified for playoffs
Schedule and results
editRegular season
edit1995–96 regular season[15] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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October: 6–5–0 (home: 4–2–0; road: 2–3–0)
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November: 6–5–1 (home: 3–1–1; road: 3–4–0)
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December: 7–6–1 (home: 3–2–1; road: 4–4–0)
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January: 6–3–4 (home: 3–2–3; road: 3–1–1)
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February: 5–7–1 (home: 3–1–0; road: 2–6–1)
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March: 9–3–1 (home: 6–2–0; road: 3–1–1)
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April: 1–3–2 (home: 1–2–1; road: 0–1–1)
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Legend:
Win (2 points) Loss (0 points) Tie (1 point) |
Playoffs
edit1996 Stanley Cup playoffs[15] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Eastern Conference Quarterfinals vs. (3) New York Rangers – Rangers win 4–2
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Legend:
Win Loss |
Player statistics
editScoring
edit- Position abbreviations: C = Centre; D = Defence; G = Goaltender; LW = Left Wing; RW = Right Wing
- † = Joined team via a transaction (e.g., trade, waivers, signing) during the season. Stats reflect time with the Canadiens only.
- ‡ = Left team via a transaction (e.g., trade, waivers, release) during the season. Stats reflect time with the Canadiens only.
No. | Player | Pos | Regular season | Playoffs | ||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
GP | G | A | Pts | +/- | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | +/- | PIM | |||
77 | Pierre Turgeon | C | 80 | 38 | 58 | 96 | 19 | 44 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 1 | 2 |
25 | Vincent Damphousse | C | 80 | 38 | 56 | 94 | 5 | 158 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 8 | 2 | 0 |
8 | Mark Recchi | RW | 82 | 28 | 50 | 78 | 20 | 69 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 1 | 0 |
26 | Martin Rucinsky† | LW | 56 | 25 | 35 | 60 | 8 | 54 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
11 | Saku Koivu | C | 82 | 20 | 25 | 45 | −7 | 40 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 8 |
18 | Valeri Bure | RW | 77 | 22 | 20 | 42 | 10 | 28 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 1 | −1 | 6 |
43 | Patrice Brisebois | D | 69 | 9 | 27 | 36 | 10 | 65 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 6 |
51 | Andrei Kovalenko† | RW | 51 | 17 | 17 | 34 | 9 | 33 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | −2 | 6 |
49 | Brian Savage | LW | 75 | 25 | 8 | 33 | −8 | 28 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
38 | Vladimir Malakhov | D | 61 | 5 | 23 | 28 | 7 | 79 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
30 | Turner Stevenson | RW | 80 | 9 | 16 | 25 | −2 | 167 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 1 | −1 | 2 |
24 | Lyle Odelein | D | 79 | 3 | 14 | 17 | 8 | 230 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 6 |
5 | Stephane Quintal | D | 68 | 2 | 14 | 16 | −4 | 117 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6 |
22 | Benoit Brunet | LW | 26 | 7 | 8 | 15 | −4 | 17 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
34 | Peter Popovic | D | 76 | 2 | 12 | 14 | 21 | 69 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
6 | Oleg Petrov | RW | 36 | 4 | 7 | 11 | −9 | 23 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | −1 | 0 |
28 | Marc Bureau | C | 65 | 3 | 7 | 10 | −3 | 46 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 4 |
57 | Chris Murray | RW | 48 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 5 | 163 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
12 | Mike Keane‡ | RW | 18 | 0 | 7 | 7 | −6 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
27 | David Wilkie | D | 24 | 1 | 5 | 6 | −10 | 10 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 12 |
52 | Craig Rivet | D | 19 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 54 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
35 | Donald Brashear | LW | 67 | 0 | 4 | 4 | −10 | 223 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | −1 | 2 |
23 | Marko Kiprusoff | D | 24 | 0 | 4 | 4 | −3 | 8 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
29 | Yves Racine‡ | D | 25 | 0 | 3 | 3 | −7 | 26 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
56 | Scott Fraser | C | 15 | 2 | 0 | 2 | −1 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
53 | Rory Fitzpatrick | D | 42 | 0 | 2 | 2 | −7 | 18 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 2 | −1 | 0 |
46 | Craig Ferguson‡ | C | 10 | 1 | 0 | 1 | −5 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
48 | J. J. Daigneault‡ | D | 7 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
48 | Francois Groleau | D | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
39 | Pat Jablonski† | G | 23 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
71 | Sebastien Bordeleau | C | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | −1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
20 | Craig Conroy | C | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | −4 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
3 | Robert Dirk† | D | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
31 | Patrick Labrecque | G | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
17 | Mark Lamb | C | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
33 | Patrick Roy‡ | G | 22 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
26 | Yves Sarault‡ | LW | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | −7 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
37 | Jose Theodore | G | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
41 | Jocelyn Thibault† | G | 40 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
42 | Darcy Tucker | RW | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | −1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Goaltending
edit- † = Joined team via a transaction (e.g., trade, waivers, signing) during the season. Stats reflect time with the Canadiens only.
- ‡ = Left team via a transaction (e.g., trade, waivers, release) during the season. Stats reflect time with the Canadiens only.
No. | Player | Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
GP | W | L | T | SA | GA | GAA | SV% | SO | TOI | GP | W | L | SA | GA | GAA | SV% | SO | TOI | ||
41 | Jocelyn Thibault† | 40 | 23 | 13 | 3 | 1258 | 110 | 2.83 | .913 | 3 | 2334 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 188 | 18 | 3.47 | .904 | 0 | 311 |
33 | Patrick Roy‡ | 22 | 12 | 9 | 1 | 667 | 62 | 2.95 | .907 | 1 | 1260 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
39 | Pat Jablonski† | 23 | 5 | 9 | 6 | 676 | 62 | 2.94 | .908 | 0 | 1264 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 17 | 1 | 1.24 | .941 | 0 | 49 |
31 | Patrick Labrecque | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 47 | 7 | 4.29 | .851 | 0 | 98 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
37 | Jose Theodore | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 6.69 | .500 | 0 | 9 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Awards and records
editAwards
editType | Award/honour | Recipient | Ref |
---|---|---|---|
League (in-season) |
NHL All-Star Game selection | Pierre Turgeon | [16] |
Team | Jacques Beauchamp Molson Trophy | Peter Popovic | [17] |
Molson Cup | Pierre Turgeon | [18] |
Milestones
editMilestone | Player | Date | Ref |
---|---|---|---|
First game | Marko Kiprusoff | October 7, 1995 | [19] |
Saku Koivu | |||
Patrick Labrecque | |||
Scott Fraser | November 28, 1995 | ||
Rory Fitzpatrick | December 15, 1995 | ||
Darcy Tucker | January 13, 1996 | ||
Sebastien Bordeleau | February 5, 1996 | ||
Jose Theodore | February 21, 1996 | ||
Francois Groleau | April 3, 1996 |
Transactions
editThis section is empty. You can help by adding to it. (July 2010) |
Draft picks
editMontreal's draft picks at the 1995 NHL entry draft held at the Edmonton Coliseum in Edmonton, Alberta.[20]
Round | # | Player | Position | Nationality | College/Junior/Club team |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 8 | Terry Ryan | Left Wing | Canada | Tri-City Americans (WHL) |
3 | 60 | Miloslav Guren | Defence | Czech Republic | HC Zlín (Czech) |
3 | 74 | Martin Hohenberger | Left Wing | Austria | Prince George Cougars (WHL) |
4 | 86 | Jonathan Delisle | Right Wing | Canada | Hull Olympiques (QMJHL) |
5 | 112 | Niklas Anger | Right Wing | Sweden | Djurgårdens IF (Sweden) |
6 | 138 | Boyd Olson | Centre | Canada | Tri-City Americans (WHL) |
7 | 164 | Stephane Robidas | Defence | Canada | Shawinigan Cataractes (QMJHL) |
8 | 190 | Greg Hart | Right Wing | Canada | Kamloops Blazers (WHL) |
9 | 216 | Eric Houde | Centre | Canada | Halifax Mooseheads (QMJHL) |
See also
editReferences
edit- "Montreal Canadiens 1995-96 roster and scoring statistics at hockeydb.com". www.hockeydb.com. Retrieved August 8, 2023.
- "1995-96 Montreal Canadiens Roster, Stats, Injuries, Scores, Results, Shootouts". Hockey-Reference.com. Retrieved August 8, 2023.
- ^ Patrick Roy, winning, nothing else, p.341, by Michel Roy, translated by Charles Phillips, 2008, John Wiley & Sons, Mississauga, ON, ISBN 978-0-470-15616-2
- ^ Patrick Roy, winning, nothing else, p.342, by Michel Roy, translated by Charles Phillips, 2008, John Wiley & Sons, Mississauga, ON, ISBN 978-0-470-15616-2
- ^ Patrick Roy, winning, nothing else, pp.343-4 , by Michel Roy, translated by Charles Phillips, 2008, John Wiley & Sons, Mississauga, ON, ISBN 978-0-470-15616-2
- ^ Patrick Roy, winning, nothing else, p.339 , by Michel Roy, translated by Charles Phillips, 2008, John Wiley & Sons, Mississauga, ON, ISBN 978-0-470-15616-2
- ^ a b Patrick Roy, winning, nothing else, p.347, by Michel Roy, translated by Charles Phillips, 2008, John Wiley & Sons, Mississauga, ON, ISBN 978-0-470-15616-2
- ^ Patrick Roy, winning, nothing else, p.348, by Michel Roy, translated by Charles Phillips, 2008, John Wiley & Sons, Mississauga, ON, ISBN 978-0-470-15616-2
- ^ Patrick Roy, winning, nothing else, p.350 , by Michel Roy, translated by Charles Phillips, 2008, John Wiley & Sons, Mississauga, ON, ISBN 978-0-470-15616-2
- ^ a b Patrick Roy, winning, nothing else, p.351 , by Michel Roy, translated by Charles Phillips, 2008, John Wiley & Sons, Mississauga, ON, ISBN 978-0-470-15616-2
- ^ Patrick Roy, winning, nothing else, p.382 , by Michel Roy, translated by Charles Phillips, 2008, John Wiley & Sons, Mississauga, ON, ISBN 978-0-470-15616-2
- ^ Patrick Roy, winning, nothing else, p.383 , by Michel Roy, translated by Charles Phillips, 2008, John Wiley & Sons, Mississauga, ON, ISBN 978-0-470-15616-2
- ^ "1984 NHL Entry Draft - Patrick Roy". Hockeydraftcentral.com. Retrieved November 19, 2016.
- ^ "Dernier match de Roy avec Montréal". YouTube. February 26, 2007. Archived from the original on December 12, 2021. Retrieved November 19, 2016.
- ^ "'I've never been back there'". Archived from the original on May 30, 2008. Retrieved April 29, 2008.
- ^ "1995–1996 Conference Standings". National Hockey League. Retrieved July 3, 2014.
- ^ a b "1995-96 Montreal Canadiens Schedule". Hockey-Reference.com. Retrieved August 8, 2023.
- ^ "1996 NHL All-Star Game Rosters". Hockey-Reference.com. Retrieved August 29, 2024.
- ^ Montreal Canadiens 2014–2015 Media Guide, p.553
- ^ Montreal Canadiens 2014–2015 Media Guide, p.552
- ^ "1995-96 NHL Debuts". Hockey-Reference.com. Retrieved October 6, 2024.
- ^ "1995 NHL Entry Draft Picks at hockeydb.com". www.hockeydb.com. Retrieved August 28, 2023.