The 2014–15 Montreal Canadiens season was the 106th season of play for the franchise that was founded on December 4, 1909, and was also their 98th season in the National Hockey League (NHL).

Off-season Defenceman Douglas Murray, forward George Parros and forward Thomas Vanek became free agents. On July 1, 2014, captain Brian Gionta signed with the Buffalo Sabres, being joined by defenseman Josh Gorges, who was traded to the team the same day for the Minnesota Wild's 2016 second round pick previously acquired in a trade for Matt Moulson. Notable free agent signings included defenseman Tom Gilbert, centre Manny Malhotra and prospect Jiri Sekac, formally of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL). On August 2, 2014, after months of ongoing negotiations, defenceman P. K. Subban signed an eight-year contract extension worth $72 million, avoiding salary arbitration. Subban becomes the highest paid defenseman through the 2014–15 season.

Hockey operations changes included Daniel Lacroix and Rob Ramage being appointed assistant coach and player development coach, respectively. Ramage had previously played for the Canadiens and was part of the 1993 Stanley Cup Championship team, while Lacroix worked as assistant coach with the Hamilton Bulldogs, the Canadiens' main affiliate team in the American Hockey League (AHL) during the 2009–10 season. The Canadiens also announced a reorganization within the hockey department. Rick Dudley was named senior vice president, hockey operations. Scott Mellanby was promoted to assistant general manager, to work along with Larry Carriere. Trevor Timmins was appointed vice president of player personnel, as well as retaining his responsibilities as the club's director of amateur scouting.

On June 18, 2014, it was announced that hall of famer Guy Lapointe would be honored by having his number 5 jersey retired during the 2014–15 season. Lapointe will become the 18th player to be honoured by the organization with jersey retirement and the second with the number 5, joining the late Bernie Geoffrion.

For only the second time in franchise history, the Canadiens did not name a captain, instead opting for four alternate captains for the season. On September 15, team management named Andrei Markov, Max Pacioretty, Tomas Plekanec and P. K. Subban alternative captains.

The 2014–15 season also marked changes to television broadcast rights to the Canadiens; Réseau des sports renewed its French-language television rights to the team, agreeing to a 12-year extension. Due to Quebecor Media's exclusive national French-language broadcast rights to the NHL, RDS will now only be able to broadcast games in the team's blackout region of Quebec and eastern Canada. Regional television rights in English were acquired by Sportsnet East in a three-year deal announced by Rogers on September 2, 2014. Three regional games will also be broadcast by City Montreal.

Standings

Schedule and results

Pre-season 2014 preseason game log: 4–2–1 (Home: 2–2–0; Road: 2–0–1) # Date Visitor Score Home OT Decision Attendance Record Recap 1 September 23 Boston 2–3 Montreal MacDonald 21,287 1–0–0 Recap 2 September 25 Colorado 2–3 Montreal OT Budaj 21,287 2–0–0 Recap 3 September 26 Montreal 3–2 Colorado Tokarski 15,074 3–0–0 Recap 4 September 28 Washington 2–0 Montreal Price 21,287 3–1–0 Recap 5 October 1 Montreal 3–1 Chicago Price 20,413 4–1–0 Recap 6 October 3 Montreal 3–4 Ottawa OT Budaj 19,034 4–1–1 Recap 7 October 4 Ottawa 4–2 Montreal Price 21,287 4–2–1 RecapNotes: Game was played at Pepsi Coliseum in Quebec City.

Regular season 2014–15 Game Log October: 8–2–1 (Home: 4–0–0; Road: 4–2–1) # Date Visitor Score Home OT Decision Attendance Record Pts Recap 1 October 8 Montreal 4–3 Toronto Price 19,745 1–0–0 2 Recap 2 October 9 Montreal 2–1 Washington SO Tokarski 18,506 2–0–0 4 Recap 3 October 11 Montreal 4–3 Philadelphia SO Price 19,745 3–0–0 6 Recap 4 October 13 Montreal 1–7 Tampa Bay Price 17,622 3–1–0 6 Recap 5 October 16 Boston 4–6 Montreal Price 21,287 4–1–0 8 Recap 6 October 18 Colorado 2–3 Montreal Price 21,287 5–1–0 10 Recap 7 October 21 Detroit 1–2 Montreal OT Price 21,287 6–1–0 12 Recap 8 October 25 NY Rangers 1–3 Montreal Price 21,287 7–1–0 14 Recap 9 October 27 Montreal 0–3 Edmonton Tokarski 16,839 7–2–0 14 Recap 10 October 28 Montreal 2–1 Calgary SO Price 19,289 8–2–0 16 Recap 11 October 30 Montreal 2–3 Vancouver OT Price 18,870 8–2–1 17 Recap November: 8–5–1 (Home: 5–3–1; Road: 3–2–0) # Date Visitor Score Home OT Decision Attendance Record Pts Recap 12 November 2 Calgary 6–2 Montreal Price 21,287 8–3–1 17 Recap 13 November 4 Chicago 5–0 Montreal Price 21,287 8–4–1 17 Recap 14 November 5 Montreal 2–1 Buffalo SO Tokarski 17,837 9–4–1 19 Recap 15 November 8 Minnesota 1–4 Montreal Price 21,287 10–4–1 21 Recap 16 November 11 Winnipeg 0–3 Montreal Price 21,287 11–4–1 23 Recap 17 November 13 Boston 1–5 Montreal Price 21,287 12–4–1 25 Recap 18 November 15 Philadelphia 3–6 Montreal Price 21,287 13–4–1 27 Recap 19 November 16 Montreal 4–1 Detroit Tokarski 20,027 14–4–1 29 Recap 20 November 18 Pittsburgh 4–0 Montreal Price 21,287 14–5–1 29 Recap 21 November 20 St. Louis 1–4 Montreal Price 21,287 15–5–1 31 Recap 22 November 22 Montreal 2–0 Boston Price 17,565 16–5–1 33 Recap 23 November 23 Montreal 0–5 NY Rangers Tokarski 18,006 16–6–1 33 Recap 24 November 28 Montreal 1–2 Buffalo Price 19,070 16–7–1 33 Recap 25 November 29 Buffalo 4–3 Montreal SO Tokarski 21,287 16–7–2 34 Recap December: 8–4–0 (Home: 4–1–0; Road: 4–3–0) # Date Visitor Score Home OT Decision Attendance Record Pts Recap 26 December 1 Montreal 4–3 Colorado Price 14,038 17–7–2 36 Recap 27 December 3 Montreal 1–2 Minnesota Price 19,034 17–8–2 36 Recap 28 December 5 Montreal 3–4 Chicago Price 22,087 17–9–2 36 Recap 29 December 6 Montreal 1–4 Dallas Price 16,098 17–10–2 36 Recap 30 December 9 Vancouver 1–3 Montreal Price 21,286 18–10–2 38 Recap 31 December 12 Los Angeles 2–6 Montreal Price 21,286 19–10–2 40 Recap 32 December 16 Carolina 1–4 Montreal Price 21,286 20–10–2 42 Recap 33 December 18 Anaheim 2–1 Montreal Price 21,286 20–11–2 42 Recap 34 December 20 Ottawa 1–4 Montreal Price 21,286 21–11–2 44 Recap 35 December 23 Montreal 3–1 NY Islanders Price 16,170 22–11–2 46 Recap 36 December 29 Montreal 3–1 Carolina Price 17,123 23–11–2 48 Recap 37 December 30 Montreal 2–1 Florida SO Tokarski 19,164 24–11–2 50 Recap January: 8–2–1 (Home: 4–1–1; Road: 4–1–0) # Date Visitor Score Home OT Decision Attendance Record Pts Recap 38 January 2 Montreal 4–2 New Jersey Price 16,174 25–11–2 52 Recap 39 January 3 Montreal 4–1 Pittsburgh Price 18,630 26–11–2 54 Recap 40 January 6 Tampa Bay 4–2 Montreal Price 21,286 26–12–2 54 Recap 41 January 10 Pittsburgh 2–1 Montreal OT Price 21,286 26–12–3 55 Recap 42 January 14 Montreal 3–2 Columbus Price 14,964 27–12–3 57 Recap 43 January 15 Montreal 1–4 Ottawa Tokarski 19,893 27–13–3 57 Recap 44 January 17 NY Islanders 4–6 Montreal Tokarski 21,287 28–13–3 59 Recap 45 January 20 Nashville 1–2 Montreal OT Price 21,287 29–13–3 61 Recap 46 January 27 Dallas 2–3 Montreal Price 21,286 30–13–3 63 Recap 47 January 29 Montreal 1–0 NY Rangers Price 18,006 31–13–3 65 Recap 48 January 31 Washington 0–1 Montreal OT Price 21,286 32–13–3 67 Recap February: 9–3–2 (Home: 5–2–2; Road: 4–1–0) # Date Visitor Score Home OT Decision Attendance Record Pts Recap 49 February 1 Arizona 3–2 Montreal Tokarski 21,286 32–14–3 67 Recap 50 February 3 Buffalo 3–2 Montreal Price 21,286 32–15–3 67 Recap 51 February 7 New Jersey 2–6 Montreal Price 21,287 33–15–3 69 Recap 52 February 8 Montreal 3–1 Boston Price 17,565 34–15–3 71 Recap 53 February 10 Philadelphia 1–2 Montreal OT Price 21,287 35–15–3 73 Recap 54 February 12 Edmonton 4–3 Montreal OT Tokarski 21,286 35–15–4 74 Recap 55 February 14 Toronto 1–2 Montreal SO Price 21,287 36–15–4 76 Recap 56 February 16 Montreal 2–0 Detroit Price 20,027 37–15–4 78 Recap 57 February 18 Montreal 2–4 Ottawa Tokarski 18,949 37–16–4 78 Recap 58 February 19 Florida 3–2 Montreal SO Price 21,286 37–16–5 79 Recap 59 February 21 Columbus 1–3 Montreal Price 21,286 38–16–5 81 Recap 60 February 24 Montreal 5–2 St. Louis Price 19,383 39–16–5 83 Recap 61 February 26 Montreal 5–2 Columbus Price 12,357 40–16–5 85 Recap 62 February 28 Toronto 0–4 Montreal Price 21,287 41–16–5 87 Recap March: 6–6–3 (Home: 3–2–1; Road: 3–4–2) # Date Visitor Score Home OT Decision Attendance Record Pts Recap 63 March 2 Montreal 0–4 San Jose Price 17,236 41–17–5 87 Recap 64 March 4 Montreal 1–3 Anaheim Price 17,174 41–18–5 87 Recap 65 March 5 Montreal 3–4 Los Angeles SO Tokarski 18,230 41–18–6 88 Recap 66 March 7 Montreal 2–0 Arizona Price 14,094 42–18–6 90 Recap 67 March 10 Tampa Bay 1–0 Montreal OT Price 21,287 42–18–7 91 Recap 68 March 12 Ottawa 5–2 Montreal Price 21,287 42–19–7 91 Recap 69 March 14 Montreal 3–1 NY Islanders Price 16,170 43–19–7 93 Recap 70 March 16 Montreal 2–4 Tampa Bay Price 19,204 43–20–7 93 Recap 71 March 17 Montreal 3–2 Florida Tokarski 18,245 44–20–7 95 Recap 72 March 19 Carolina 0–4 Montreal Price 21,286 45–20–7 97 Recap 73 March 21 San Jose 0–2 Montreal Price 21,286 46–20–7 99 Recap 74 March 24 Montreal 2–3 Nashville OT Price 17,113 46–20–8 100 Recap 75 March 26 Montreal 2–5 Winnipeg Tokarski 15,016 46–21–8 100 Recap 76 March 28 Florida 2–3 Montreal OT Price 21,287 47–21–8 102 Recap 77 March 30 Tampa Bay 5–3 Montreal Price 21,286 47–22–8 102 Recap April: 3–0–2 (Home: 1–0–1; Road: 2–0–1) # Date Visitor Score Home OT Decision Attendance Record Pts Recap 78 April 2 Washington 5–4 Montreal SO Price 21,286 47–22–9 103 Recap 79 April 3 Montreal 2–3 New Jersey SO Tokarski 16,592 47–22–10 104 Recap 80 April 5 Montreal 4–1 Florida Price 14,112 48–22–10 106 Recap 81 April 9 Detroit 3–4 Montreal OT Price 21,287 49–22–10 108 Recap 82 April 11 Montreal 4–3 Toronto SO Price 19,308 50–22–10 110 Recap Legend:

Playoffs

Playoffs

The Montreal Canadiens entered the playoffs as the Atlantic Division regular season champions. The Canadiens won the first three games of the series en route to defeating the Senators in six games. In game one, Brian Flynn scored the game-winning goal at 17:17 of the second period, and recorded two assists as the Canadiens won 4–3. Montreal's P. K. Subban was given a five-minute major and a game misconduct for slashing Ottawa's Mark Stone during the second period, resulting in a microfracture of Stone's right wrist, but did not face any further League discipline. Alex Galchenyuk's goal at 3:40 into overtime gave the Canadiens a 3–2 win in game two. Cameron replaced Andrew Hammond with Craig Anderson as his starting goalie for game three, who despite a strong outing, surrendered the tying goal by but Dale Weise with 5:47 left in the third period, who also scored at 3:40 into overtime to give Montreal a 2–1 win. Anderson rebounded in game four, stopping all 28 Montreal shots while Mike Hoffman scored the Senators' only goal to win 1–0. Ottawa also took game five by a score of 5–1 as Anderson stopped 45 of 46 shots, with Bobby Ryan contributing two goals. The Canadiens then eliminated the Senators in game six by a score of 2–0, with goaltender Carey Price registering the shutout stopping all 43 of Ottawa's shots.