2005–06 Montreal Canadiens season

The 2005–06 Montreal Canadiens season was the team's 97th season, 89th in the National Hockey League (NHL). The Canadiens would qualify for the 2006 playoffs, eventually being eliminated in the conference quarterfinals by the Carolina Hurricanes in six games.

2005–06 Montreal Canadiens
Division	3rd Northeast
Conference	7th Eastern
2005–06 record	42–31–9
Home record	24–13–4
Road record	18–18–5
Goals for	243
Goals against	247
Team information
General manager	Bob Gainey
Coach	Claude Julien (Oct.–Jan.) Bob Gainey (Jan.–May)
Captain	Saku Koivu
Alternate captains	Alexei Kovalev Craig Rivet Sheldon Souray (Oct.–Jan.) Richard Zednik (Oct.–Jan.)
Arena	Bell Centre
Average attendance	21,273 (100%)
Minor league affiliate(s)	Hamilton Bulldogs Long Beach Ice Dogs
Team leaders
Goals	Michael Ryder (30)
Assists	Saku Koivu (45)
Points	Alexei Kovalev (65)
Penalty minutes	Mike Komisarek Sheldon Souray (116)
Plus/minus	Andrei Markov (+13)
Wins	Cristobal Huet (18)
Goals against average	Cristobal Huet (2.20)
← 2004–05 2006–07 →

Offseason

Regular season

Claude Julien started the season as coach but was fired and replaced on an interim basis by general manager Bob Gainey on January 14.^[1][2] 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.

Final standings

Northeast Division

No.	CR		GP	W	L	OTL	GF	GA	Pts
1	1	Ottawa Senators	82	52	21	9	314	211	113
2	4	Buffalo Sabres	82	52	24	6	281	239	110
3	7	Montreal Canadiens	82	42	31	9	243	247	93
4	9	Toronto Maple Leafs	82	41	33	8	257	270	90
5	13	Boston Bruins	82	29	37	16	230	266	74

^[3] Note: CR = Conference rank; GP = Games played; W = Wins; L = Losses; OTL = Overtime/Shootout loss; GF = Goals for; GA = Goals against; Pts = Points
         Bolded teams qualified for the playoffs.

Eastern Conference^[4]

R		Div	GP	W	L	OTL	GF	GA	Pts
1	Z- Ottawa Senators	NE	82	52	21	9	314	211	113
2	Y- Carolina Hurricanes	SE	82	52	22	8	294	260	112
3	Y- New Jersey Devils	AT	82	46	27	9	242	229	101
4	X- Buffalo Sabres	NE	82	52	24	6	242	239	110
5	X- Philadelphia Flyers	AT	82	45	26	11	267	259	101
6	X- New York Rangers	AT	82	44	26	12	257	215	100
7	X- Montreal Canadiens	NE	82	42	31	9	243	247	93
8	X- Tampa Bay Lightning	SE	82	43	33	6	252	260	92
8.5
9	Toronto Maple Leafs	NE	82	41	33	8	257	270	90
10	Atlanta Thrashers	SE	82	41	33	8	281	275	90
11	Florida Panthers	SE	82	37	34	11	240	257	85
12	New York Islanders	AT	82	36	40	6	230	278	78
13	Boston Bruins	NE	82	29	37	16	230	266	74
14	Washington Capitals	SE	82	29	41	12	237	306	70
15	Pittsburgh Penguins	AT	82	22	46	14	244	316	58

Divisions: AT – Atlantic, NE – Northeast, SE – Southeast

Z – Clinched Conference; Y – Clinched Division; X – Clinched Playoff spot

Schedule and results

Regular season

2005–06 regular season[5]
October: 8–3–1 (home: 3–3–0; road: 5–0–1) Game Result Date Score Opponent Record Recap 1 W October 5, 2005 2–1 @ Boston Bruins (2005–06) 1–0–0 Recap 2 W October 6, 2005 4–3 OT @ New York Rangers (2005–06) 2–0–0 Recap 3 W October 8, 2005 5–4 @ Toronto Maple Leafs (2005–06) 3–0–0 Recap 4 L October 11, 2005 2–4 Ottawa Senators (2005–06) 3–1–0 Recap 5 W October 12, 2005 2–0 @ Atlanta Thrashers (2005–06) 4–1–0 Recap 6 L October 15, 2005 2–3 Toronto Maple Leafs (2005–06) 4–2–0 Recap 7 W October 18, 2005 4–3 Boston Bruins (2005–06) 5–2–0 Recap 8 W October 22, 2005 4–3 New York Islanders (2005–06) 6–2–0 Recap 9 W October 25, 2005 3–2 OT Philadelphia Flyers (2005–06) 7–2–0 Recap 10 L October 27, 2005 3–4 OT @ Ottawa Senators (2005–06) 7–2–1 Recap 11 L October 29, 2005 2–5 New York Rangers (2005–06) 7–3–1 Recap 12 W October 31, 2005 4–1 @ New York Rangers (2005–06) 8–3–1 Recap
November: 6–4–3 (home: 5–1–1; road: 1–3–2) Game Result Date Score Opponent Record Recap 13 W November 1, 2005 5–4 OT Florida Panthers (2005–06) 9–3–1 Recap 14 W November 4, 2005 3–2 @ Buffalo Sabres (2005–06) 10–3–1 Recap 15 W November 5, 2005 3–2 Buffalo Sabres (2005–06) 11–3–1 Recap 16 W November 8, 2005 3–2 Tampa Bay Lightning (2005–06) 12–3–1 Recap 17 L November 10, 2005 2–3 SO @ Pittsburgh Penguins (2005–06) 12–3–2 Recap 18 L November 12, 2005 4–5 OT Toronto Maple Leafs (2005–06) 12–3–3 Recap 19 W November 15, 2005 4–3 OT Florida Panthers (2005–06) 13–3–3 Recap 20 L November 18, 2005 3–5 @ New Jersey Devils (2005–06) 13–4–3 Recap 21 L November 19, 2005 1–5 Washington Capitals (2005–06) 13–5–3 Recap 22 W November 22, 2005 3–2 SO Atlanta Thrashers (2005–06) 14–5–3 Recap 23 L November 25, 2005 1–3 @ Buffalo Sabres (2005–06) 14–6–3 Recap 24 L November 26, 2005 3–4 OT @ Toronto Maple Leafs (2005–06) 14–6–4 Recap 25 L November 29, 2005 0–4 @ Ottawa Senators (2005–06) 14–7–4 Recap
December: 4–6–2 (home: 3–1–1; road: 1–5–1) Game Result Date Score Opponent Record Recap 26 L December 1, 2005 2–3 OT Buffalo Sabres (2005–06) 14–7–5 Recap 27 W December 3, 2005 3–2 Los Angeles Kings (2005–06) 15–7–5 Recap 28 L December 10, 2005 3–5 Mighty Ducks of Anaheim (2005–06) 15–8–5 Recap 29 W December 13, 2005 5–2 Phoenix Coyotes (2005–06) 16–8–5 Recap 30 L December 15, 2005 3–5 @ Edmonton Oilers (2005–06) 16–9–5 Recap 31 L December 17, 2005 3–4 OT @ Minnesota Wild (2005–06) 16–9–6 Recap 32 W December 20, 2005 4–3 SO Ottawa Senators (2005–06) 17–9–6 Recap 33 L December 23, 2005 2–4 @ Washington Capitals (2005–06) 17–10–6 Recap 34 L December 26, 2005 0–4 @ Atlanta Thrashers (2005–06) 17–11–6 Recap 35 W December 28, 2005 4–3 @ Tampa Bay Lightning (2005–06) 18–11–6 Recap 36 L December 30, 2005 1–2 @ Florida Panthers (2005–06) 18–12–6 Recap 37 L December 31, 2005 3–5 @ Carolina Hurricanes (2005–06) 18–13–6 Recap
January: 5–8–0 (home: 3–2–0; road: 2–6–0) Game Result Date Score Opponent Record Recap 38 L January 3, 2006 4–6 Pittsburgh Penguins (2005–06) 18–14–6 Recap 39 L January 5, 2006 4–5 @ New Jersey Devils (2005–06) 18–15–6 Recap 40 W January 7, 2006 4–1 Ottawa Senators (2005–06) 19–15–6 Recap 41 L January 11, 2006 1–2 @ Colorado Avalanche (2005–06) 19–16–6 Recap 42 W January 14, 2006 6–2 San Jose Sharks (2005–06) 20–16–6 Recap 43 W January 16, 2006 4–2 Dallas Stars (2005–06) 21–16–6 Recap 44 L January 19, 2006 2–3 @ Calgary Flames (2005–06) 21–17–6 Recap 45 L January 21, 2006 2–6 @ Vancouver Canucks (2005–06) 21–18–6 Recap 46 L January 23, 2006 3–7 @ Carolina Hurricanes (2005–06) 21–19–6 Recap 47 W January 25, 2006 5–3 @ Philadelphia Flyers (2005–06) 22–19–6 Recap 48 L January 26, 2006 0–3 @ Ottawa Senators (2005–06) 22–20–6 Recap 49 W January 28, 2006 4–3 OT @ Toronto Maple Leafs (2005–06) 23–20–6 Recap 50 L January 31, 2006 2–8 Carolina Hurricanes (2005–06) 23–21–6 Recap
February: 4–1–2 (home: 2–0–2; road: 2–1–0) Game Result Date Score Opponent Record Recap 51 L February 2, 2006 1–3 @ Boston Bruins (2005–06) 23–22–6 Recap 52 W February 4, 2006 2–0 Boston Bruins (2005–06) 24–22–6 Recap 53 W February 5, 2006 5–0 Philadelphia Flyers (2005–06) 25–22–6 Recap 54 L February 7, 2006 2–3 OT Buffalo Sabres (2005–06) 25–22–7 Recap 55 W February 9, 2006 3–2 OT @ Buffalo Sabres (2005–06) 26–22–7 Recap 56 L February 11, 2006 1–2 SO Atlanta Thrashers (2005–06) 26–22–8 Recap 57 W February 28, 2006 5–3 @ New York Islanders (2005–06) 27–22–8 Recap
March: 10–5–1 (home: 5–3–0; road: 5–2–1) Game Result Date Score Opponent Record Recap 58 W March 2, 2006 1–0 @ Florida Panthers (2005–06) 28–22–8 Recap 59 W March 4, 2006 6–2 @ Tampa Bay Lightning (2005–06) 29–22–8 Recap 60 L March 6, 2006 4–5 SO @ Philadelphia Flyers (2005–06) 29–22–9 Recap 61 L March 7, 2006 3–5 @ Toronto Maple Leafs (2005–06) 29–23–9 Recap 62 W March 9, 2006 3–0 @ Boston Bruins (2005–06) 30–23–9 Recap 63 W March 11, 2006 1–0 New York Rangers (2005–06) 31–23–9 Recap 64 L March 13, 2006 1–2 Tampa Bay Lightning (2005–06) 31–24–9 Recap 65 L March 16, 2006 1–5 Carolina Hurricanes (2005–06) 31–25–9 Recap 66 L March 18, 2006 4–5 Pittsburgh Penguins (2005–06) 31–26–9 Recap 67 W March 20, 2006 4–2 @ Washington Capitals (2005–06) 32–26–9 Recap 68 L March 21, 2006 1–3 @ New York Islanders (2005–06) 32–27–9 Recap 69 W March 23, 2006 5–1 Toronto Maple Leafs (2005–06) 33–27–9 Recap 70 W March 25, 2006 6–2 Toronto Maple Leafs (2005–06) 34–27–9 Recap 71 W March 26, 2006 6–5 @ Pittsburgh Penguins (2005–06) 35–27–9 Recap 72 W March 28, 2006 2–0 New York Islanders (2005–06) 36–27–9 Recap 73 W March 30, 2006 3–2 OT Washington Capitals (2005–06) 37–27–9 Recap
April: 5–4–0 (home: 3–3–0; road: 2–1–0) Game Result Date Score Opponent Record Recap 74 W April 1, 2006 2–0 Boston Bruins (2005–06) 38–27–9 Recap 75 W April 4, 2006 5–3 Boston Bruins (2005–06) 39–27–9 Recap 76 W April 6, 2006 5–3 @ Ottawa Senators (2005–06) 40–27–9 Recap 77 L April 8, 2006 2–3 New Jersey Devils (2005–06) 40–28–9 Recap 78 W April 10, 2006 3–2 Ottawa Senators (2005–06) 41–28–9 Recap 79 L April 12, 2006 1–3 @ Buffalo Sabres (2005–06) 41–29–9 Recap 80 W April 13, 2006 4–3 @ Boston Bruins (2005–06) 42–29–9 Recap 81 L April 15, 2006 2–4 Buffalo Sabres (2005–06) 42–30–9 Recap 82 L April 18, 2006 3–4 New Jersey Devils (2005–06) 42–31–9 Recap
Legend:   Win (2 points)   Loss (0 points)   Overtime/shootout loss (1 point)

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.

Eastern Conference Quarter-finals: vs. (2) Carolina Hurricanes

Main article: 2006 Stanley Cup playoffs

2006 Stanley Cup playoffs[5]
Eastern Conference Quarterfinals vs. (2) Carolina Hurricanes – Hurricanes win 4–2 Game Result Date Score Opponent Series Recap 1 W April 22, 2006 6–1 @ Carolina Hurricanes Canadiens lead 1–0 Recap 2 W April 24, 2006 6–5 OT @ Carolina Hurricanes Canadiens lead 2–0 Recap 3 L April 26, 2006 1–2 OT Carolina Hurricanes Canadiens lead 2–1 Recap 4 L April 28, 2006 2–3 Carolina Hurricanes Series tied 2–2 Recap 5 L April 30, 2006 1–2 @ Carolina Hurricanes Hurricanes lead 3–2 Recap 6 L May 2, 2006 1–2 OT Carolina Hurricanes Hurricanes win 4–2 Recap

Player statistics

Scoring

• 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
27	Alexei Kovalev	RW	69	23	42	65	−1	76	6	4	3	7	3	4
11	Saku Koivu	C	72	17	45	62	1	70	3	0	2	2	1	2
73	Michael Ryder	RW	81	30	25	55	−5	40	6	2	3	5	−4	0
71	Mike Ribeiro	LW	79	16	35	51	−6	36	6	0	2	2	1	0
79	Andrei Markov	D	67	10	36	46	13	74	6	0	1	1	2	4
38	Jan Bulis	LW	73	20	20	40	2	50	6	1	1	2	1	2
44	Sheldon Souray	D	75	12	27	39	−11	116	6	3	2	5	−1	8
21	Chris Higgins	C	80	23	15	38	−1	26	6	1	3	4	−3	0
52	Craig Rivet	D	82	7	27	34	−5	109	6	0	2	2	0	2
20	Richard Zednik	RW	67	16	14	30	−2	48	6	2	0	2	0	4
35	Tomas Plekanec	LW	67	9	20	29	4	32	6	0	4	4	2	6
22	Steve Begin	C	76	11	12	23	9	113	2	0	0	0	−1	2
51	Francis Bouillon	D	67	3	19	22	−6	34	6	1	2	3	0	10
14	Radek Bonk	C	61	6	15	21	−3	52	6	2	0	2	−1	2
25	Mathieu Dandenault	D	82	5	15	20	8	83	6	0	3	3	1	4
42	Alexander Perezhogin	RW	67	9	10	19	5	38	6	1	1	2	2	4
37	Niklas Sundstrom	RW	55	6	9	15	−6	30	5	0	3	3	3	4
26	Pierre Dagenais	RW	32	5	7	12	−5	16	—	—	—	—	—	—
32	Mark Streit	D	48	2	9	11	−6	28	1	0	0	0	0	0
57	Garth Murray	C	36	5	1	6	−2	44	6	0	0	0	2	0
8	Mike Komisarek	D	71	2	4	6	−1	116	6	0	0	0	2	10
47	Aaron Downey†	RW	25	1	4	5	2	50	1	0	0	0	0	0
46	Andrei Kostitsyn	RW	12	2	1	3	1	2	—	—	—	—	—	—
86	Jonathan Ferland	RW	7	1	0	1	−2	2	—	—	—	—	—	—
60	Jose Theodore‡	G	38	0	1	1		2	—	—	—	—	—	—
30	David Aebischer†	G	7	0	0	0		0	—	—	—	—	—	—
64	Jean-Philippe Cote	D	8	0	0	0	2	4	—	—	—	—	—	—
75	Yann Danis	G	6	0	0	0		0	—	—	—	—	—	—
39	Cristobal Huet	G	36	0	0	0		0	6	0	0	0		0
3	Raitis Ivanans	D	4	0	0	0	−1	9	—	—	—	—	—	—
40	Maxim Lapierre	C	1	0	0	0	−1	0	—	—	—	—	—	—
24	Todd Simpson†	D	6	0	0	0	0	14	—	—	—	—	—	—

Goaltending

• † = 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	OT	SA	GA	GAA	SV%	SO	TOI	GP	W	L	SA	GA	GAA	SV%	SO	TOI
39	Cristobal Huet	36	18	11	4	1008	77	2.20	.929	7	2103	6	2	4	212	15	2.33	.929	0	386
60	Jose Theodore‡	38	17	15	5	1025	122	3.46	.881	0	2114	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
30	David Aebischer†	7	4	3	0	240	26	3.73	.892	0	418	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
75	Yann Danis	6	3	2	0	152	14	2.69	.908	1	312	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—

Awards and records

Awards

Type	Award/honour	Recipient	Ref
League (annual)	Roger Crozier Saving Grace Award	Cristobal Huet	[6]
League (in-season)	NHL Defensive Player of the Week	Cristobal Huet (March 6)	[7]
		Cristobal Huet (April 3)	[8]
Team	Jacques Beauchamp Molson Trophy	Steve Begin	[9]
	Molson Cup	Saku Koivu	[10]

Milestones

Milestone	Player	Date	Ref
First game	Alexander Perezhogin	October 6, 2005	[11]
	Raitis Ivanans	October 8, 2005
	Mark Streit
	Yann Danis	October 12, 2005
	Maxim Lapierre	November 15, 2005
	Jean-Philippe Cote	November 29, 2005
	Andrei Kostitsyn	December 1, 2005
	Jonathan Ferland	January 3, 2006

Transactions

The Canadiens were involved in the following transactions from February 17, 2005, the day after the 2004–05 NHL season was officially cancelled, through June 19, 2006, the day of the deciding game of the 2006 Stanley Cup Finals.^[12]

Trades

Date	Details		Ref
July 30, 2005 (2005-07-30)	To New York Rangers 2nd-round pick in 2005 3rd-round pick in 2005	To Montreal Canadiens 2nd-round pick in 2005	[13]
September 30, 2005 (2005-09-30)	To New York Rangers Marcel Hossa	To Montreal Canadiens Garth Murray	[14]
March 8, 2006 (2006-03-08)	To Colorado Avalanche Jose Theodore	To Montreal Canadiens David Aebischer	[15]
March 9, 2006 (2006-03-09)	To Chicago Blackhawks 6th-round pick in 2006	To Montreal Canadiens Todd Simpson	[16]

Players acquired

Date	Player	Former team	Term	Via	Ref
August 2, 2005 (2005-08-02)	Pete Vandermeer	Detroit Red Wings	1-year	Free agency	[17]
August 3, 2005 (2005-08-03)	Mathieu Dandenault	Detroit Red Wings	4-year	Free agency	[18]
August 16, 2005 (2005-08-16)	Johnathan Aitken	Vancouver Canucks	1-year	Free agency	[19]
September 7, 2005 (2005-09-07)	Jeff Paul	Washington Capitals	1-year	Free agency	[20]
December 8, 2005 (2005-12-08)	Francis Lemieux	Hamilton Bulldogs (AHL)	3-year	Free agency	[21]
January 9, 2006 (2006-01-09)	Andre Benoit	Hamilton Bulldogs (AHL)	3-year	Free agency	[22]
January 23, 2006 (2006-01-23)	Aaron Downey	St. Louis Blues		Waivers	[23]
March 2, 2006 (2006-03-02)	James Sanford	Hamilton Bulldogs (AHL)	2-year	Free agency	[24]

Players lost

Date	Player	New team	Via[a]	Ref
June 20, 2005 (2005-06-20)	Marc-Andre Thinel	Dragons de Rouen (Ligue Magnus)	Free agency (II)[b]	[27]
August 3, 2005 (2005-08-03)	Patrice Brisebois	Colorado Avalanche	Free agency (III)	[28]
August 4, 2005 (2005-08-04)	Jason Ward	New York Rangers	Free agency (UFA)	[29]
August 25, 2005 (2005-08-25)	Karl Dykhuis	Adler Mannheim (DEL)	Free agency (III)	[30]
August 29, 2005 (2005-08-29)	Gavin Morgan	EHC Basel (NLA)	Free agency (VI)	[31]
	Matt Shasby	Alaska Aces (ECHL)	Free agency (UFA)	[32]
August 30, 2005 (2005-08-30)	Christian Larrivee	Long Beach Ice Dogs (ECHL)	Free agency (UFA)	[33]
November 29, 2005 (2005-11-29)	Ron Hainsey	Columbus Blue Jackets	Waivers	[34]
June 7, 2006 (2006-06-07)	Niklas Sundstrom	Modo Hockey (SHL)	Free agency	[35]

Signings

Date	Player	Term	Contract type	Ref
July 28, 2005 (2005-07-28)	Jimmy Bonneau	3-year	Entry-level	[36]
	Maxim Lapierre	3-year	Entry-level	[36]
August 2, 2005 (2005-08-02)	Francis Bouillon	1-year	Re-signing	[17]
August 3, 2005 (2005-08-03)	Alexei Kovalev	4-year	Re-signing	[18]
August 8, 2005 (2005-08-08)	Pierre Dagenais	1-year	Re-signing	[37]
August 11, 2005 (2005-08-11)	Jaroslav Halak	3-year	Entry-level	[38]
	Mike Komisarek	1-year	Re-signing	[38]
	Mike Ribeiro	1-year	Re-signing	[38]
August 12, 2005 (2005-08-12)	Jan Bulis	1-year	Re-signing	[39]
August 15, 2005 (2005-08-15)	Marcel Hossa	1-year	Re-signing	[40]
	Saku Koivu	1-year	Re-signing	[41]
August 16, 2005 (2005-08-16)	Tomas Plekanec	2-year	Re-signing	[19]
August 24, 2005 (2005-08-24)	Mark Streit	1-year	Entry-level	[42]
August 25, 2005 (2005-08-25)	Andrei Markov	2-year	Re-signing	[43]
September 2, 2005 (2005-09-02)	Jose Theodore	3-year	Re-signing	[44]
September 12, 2005 (2005-09-12)	Michael Ryder	1-year	Re-signing	[45]
February 11, 2006 (2006-02-11)	Saku Koivu	3-year	Extension	[46]
March 25, 2006 (2006-03-25)	Kyle Chipchura	3-year	Entry-level	[47]
May 30, 2006 (2006-05-30)	Loic Lacasse	3-year	Entry-level	[48]
	Greg Stewart	3-year	Entry-level	[48]
June 5, 2006 (2006-06-05)	Steve Begin	3-year	Re-signing	[49]
	Aaron Downey	1-year	Re-signing	[49]
	Garth Murray	2-year	Re-signing	[50]
June 7, 2006 (2006-06-07)	Mark Streit	2-year	Re-signing	[51]

Draft picks

Montreal's draft picks at the 2005 NHL entry draft held at the Westin Hotel in Ottawa, Ontario.^[52]

Round	#	Player	Nationality	College/Junior/Club team (League)
1	5	Carey Price	Canada	Tri-City Americans (WHL)
2	45	Guillaume Latendresse	Canada	Drummondville Voltigeurs (QMJHL)
4	121	Juraj Mikus	Slovakia	HK 36 Skalica Jr. (Slovakia)
5	130	Mathieu Aubin	Canada	Lewiston Maineiacs (QMJHL)
6	190	Matt D'Agostini	Canada	Guelph Storm (OHL)
7	200	Sergei Kostitsyn	Belarus	HK Gomel (Belarusian Extraleague)
7	229	Philippe Paquet	Canada	Salisbury School (USHS-CT)

See also

• 2005–06 NHL season

Notes

1. In parentheses is the player's free agency group on August 1 if applicable.^[25]
2. Montreal retained Thinel’s NHL rights through the 2007–08 season.^[26]

References

• "Montreal Canadiens 2005-06 roster and scoring statistics at hockeydb.com". www.hockeydb.com. Retrieved October 15, 2022.
• "2005-06 Montreal Canadiens Roster and Statistics". Hockey-Reference.com. Retrieved October 15, 2022.

1. "Canadiens replace Julien with Gainey - UPI.com". UPI. January 14, 2006. Retrieved December 2, 2023.
2. "Canadiens fire coach Claude Julien". CBC Sports. January 14, 2006. Retrieved March 21, 2024.
3. Dinger, Ralph, ed. (2009). The National Hockey League Official Guide & Record Book/2010. Dan Diamond & Associates. p. 162.
4. "2005–2006 Standings by Conference". National Hockey League. Retrieved March 26, 2012.
5. "2005-06 Montreal Canadiens Schedule and Results". Hockey-Reference.com. Retrieved October 15, 2022.
6. "Habs hold on to Huet". Canadiens de Montreal. June 25, 2006. Archived from the original on June 29, 2006. Retrieved December 2, 2023. Huet won the 2005-06 Roger Crozier Saving Grace Award for the NHL's best save percentage (.929).
7. "Huet named NHL Defensive Player of the Week". Canadiens de Montreal. March 6, 2006. Archived from the original on March 19, 2006. Retrieved December 2, 2023.
8. "Huet NHL's Defensive Player of the Week". Canadiens de Montreal. April 3, 2006. Archived from the original on April 6, 2006. Retrieved December 2, 2023.
9. "Begin Jacques Beauchamp-Molson Trophy recipient for 2005-06". NHL.com. April 14, 2006. Archived from the original on October 28, 2022. Retrieved December 2, 2023.
10. "Koivu takes Molson Cup for 2005-06". Canadiens de Montreal. April 20, 2006. Archived from the original on August 29, 2006. Retrieved December 2, 2023.
11. "2005-06 NHL Debuts". Hockey-Reference.com. Retrieved October 14, 2024.
12. "Hockey Transactions Search Results". Pro Sports Transactions. Retrieved July 6, 2022.
13. "Rangers Make Nine Selections in 2005 NHL Entry Draft". New York Rangers. July 30, 2005. Archived from the original on October 20, 2005. Retrieved November 28, 2023. After trading the 45th pick to the Montreal Canadiens for the 56th and 66th selections
14. "Canadiens acquire Garth Murray in swap with Rangers". Canadiens de Montreal. September 30, 2005. Archived from the original on November 25, 2005. Retrieved December 2, 2023.
15. "Habs acquire Aebischer from Avalanche". Canadiens de Montreal. March 8, 2006. Archived from the original on March 19, 2006. Retrieved December 2, 2023.
16. "Canadiens pick up Simpson from Chicago". Canadiens de Montreal. March 9, 2006. Archived from the original on March 19, 2006. Retrieved December 2, 2023.
17. "Habs re-sign Bouillon, add Vandermeer". NHL.com. August 2, 2005. Archived from the original on July 7, 2022. Retrieved December 2, 2023.
18. "Kovalev and Dandenault ink 4-year deals". Canadiens de Montreal. August 3, 2005. Archived from the original on November 30, 2005. Retrieved December 2, 2023.
19. "Plekanec, free agent Aitken reach deals with Canadiens". Canadiens de Montreal. August 16, 2005. Archived from the original on November 23, 2005. Retrieved December 2, 2023.
20. "Canadiens sign heavyweight Jeff Paul". Canadiens de Montreal. September 7, 2005. Archived from the original on November 23, 2005. Retrieved December 2, 2023.
21. "Habs sign Francis Lemieux to three-year deal". NHL.com. December 8, 2005. Archived from the original on July 7, 2022. Retrieved December 2, 2023.
22. "Canadiens sign defenseman Benoit to three-year contract". NHL.com. January 9, 2006. Archived from the original on March 28, 2018. Retrieved December 2, 2023.
23. "Canadiens claim Downey off waivers from Blues". NHL.com. January 23, 2006. Archived from the original on July 7, 2022. Retrieved December 2, 2023.
24. "Canadiens sign defenseman Sanford". NHL.com. March 2, 2006. Archived from the original on July 7, 2022. Retrieved December 2, 2023.
25. "Free Agents List". ESPN.com. August 1, 2005. Retrieved June 19, 2022.
26. "2008 NHL Free Agent List". NHL.com. July 1, 2008. Retrieved July 7, 2022.
27. "MARC-ANDRE THINEL". TSN.ca. Archived from the original on September 5, 2005. Retrieved July 7, 2022. 20-Jun-05: Signed by the Rouen HE (French League).
28. "Avs pick up Turgeon, Brisebois after stars bolt". ESPN.com. August 3, 2005. Retrieved December 31, 2023.
29. "Rangers sign former AHL MVP Ward". theahl.com. August 4, 2005. Retrieved December 31, 2023.
30. Karl Dykhuis at Hockey-Reference.com, retrieved July 7, 2022
31. Gavin Morgan at Hockey-Reference.com, retrieved July 7, 2022
32. "Aces welcome ex-UAA star back to Anchorage". OurSports Central. August 29, 2005. Retrieved July 7, 2022.
33. "Ice Dogs bring back Larrivee". OurSports Central. August 30, 2005. Retrieved July 7, 2022.
34. "With Foote injured, Jackets look to D Hainsey". ESPN.com. November 29, 2005. Retrieved December 2, 2023.
35. "Niklas Sundström vänder åter till MODO Hockey". MODO Hockey (in Swedish). June 7, 2006. Archived from the original on August 23, 2010. Retrieved July 7, 2022.
36. "TRANSACTIONS". The New York Times. July 29, 2005. Retrieved July 7, 2022. MONTREAL CANADIENS--Signed F Jimmy Bonneau and F Maxin Lapierre to three-year contracts.
37. "Dagenais signs one-year deal". NHL.com. August 8, 2005. Archived from the original on July 7, 2022. Retrieved December 2, 2023.
38. "Habs ink Ribeiro, Komisarek and Halak to new deals". NHL.com. August 11, 2005. Archived from the original on July 7, 2022. Retrieved December 2, 2023.
39. "FaBulis: Jan signs on for 05-06". NHL.com. August 12, 2005. Archived from the original on July 7, 2022. Retrieved December 2, 2023.
40. "Habs re-sign Hossa". Canadiens de Montreal. August 15, 2005. Archived from the original on November 23, 2005. Retrieved December 2, 2023.
41. "Sak is back: Koivu signs one-year deal". Canadiens de Montreal. August 15, 2005. Archived from the original on November 23, 2005. Retrieved December 2, 2023.
42. "Switzerland's Streit is alright for Habs". Canadiens de Montreal. August 24, 2005. Archived from the original on April 27, 2006. Retrieved December 2, 2023.
43. "Markov re-signs for two years". Canadiens de Montreal. August 25, 2005. Archived from the original on November 23, 2005. Retrieved December 2, 2023.
44. "Yes way, Jose: Theo signs for 3 years". Canadiens de Montreal. September 2, 2005. Archived from the original on November 23, 2005. Retrieved December 2, 2023.
45. "Ryder signs in time for training camp". Canadiens de Montreal. September 12, 2005. Archived from the original on November 23, 2005. Retrieved December 2, 2023.
46. "No place like home for Koivu". Canadiens de Montreal. February 11, 2006. Archived from the original on March 19, 2006. Retrieved December 2, 2023.
47. "Canadiens sign Chipchura to three-year deal". NHL.com. March 25, 2006. Archived from the original on July 7, 2022. Retrieved December 2, 2023.
48. "Canadiens sign Lacasse and Stewart". Canadiens de Montreal. May 30, 2006. Archived from the original on August 29, 2006. Retrieved December 2, 2023.
49. "Habs ink Begin, Downey". Canadiens de Montreal. June 5, 2006. Archived from the original on June 17, 2006. Retrieved December 2, 2023.
50. "Two more years for Murray". Canadiens de Montreal. June 5, 2006. Archived from the original on June 17, 2006. Retrieved December 2, 2023.
51. "Canadiens sign Streit to two-year pact". Canadiens de Montreal. June 7, 2006. Archived from the original on June 18, 2006. Retrieved December 2, 2023.
52. "2005 NHL Entry Draft Picks at hockeydb.com". www.hockeydb.com. Retrieved October 10, 2024.