Leo’s Hockey Report: Chris Kreider playing out his redemption story in Montreal
The National Hockey League (NHL) is finally back in business. It's a feeling that makes hockey fans grin from ear to ear with excitement. Even for supporters of the bottom-dwelling teams, myself included, a new season comes with a renewed sense of hope.
This hope will inevitably evaporate by the end of the first month.
Regardless, fans were treated to a fast and furious offseason. Players received fresh starts with a new team. Young stars got paid and general managers left a trail of drama and suspense.
One move that came out of left field was seeing Chris Kreider signing with the Montreal Canadiens.
Kreider inked a one-year contract with the team on Sept. 12. The Massachusetts native played for the Anaheim Ducks during the 2025-26 NHL campaign.
The day before singing in Quebec, Kreider's contract was terminated. He was placed on unconditional waivers and became free to play with any of the other 31 NHL teams.
The signing was another work of art from Canadiens' general manager Kent Hughes. Still, the idea of Kreider playing for Montreal was shocking and left many fans scratching their heads.
Kreider has a checkered history with the Canadiens. His villain story began on May 17, 2014. That night, Montreal played New York in game one of the Eastern Conference Finals. Kreider took the puck in the neutral zone before tripping and falling into franchise icon Carey Price.
Price fell awkwardly to the ice. He was sidelined for the remainder of the playoffs with a serious knee injury. New York went on to win the series and earned a berth into the Stanley Cup Finals.
The incident caused Kreider to become public enemy number one in Montreal. Every time he touched the ice over the next 12 years, a chorus of boos was soon to follow.
Heading into the new season, Kreider wants to put the situation in the rearview mirror.
"I'm here to work and try to help this team win hockey games. What happened in the past happened. There's no intention in any way. I was a young kid and a bad skater at the time who was trying to score a goal," Kreider told reporters. "It's hockey, it's fast. We move on and I'm happy to be here."
Backlash aside, Montreal is getting a solid player in Kreider. He brings veteran leadership to the youngest lineup in the NHL. Most of the Canadiens are 23 years old or younger.
Montreal lacked veteran presence on their roster following the departure of Brendan Gallagher. The team moved on from the 34-year-old during the offseason in a trade with the Vancouver Canucks.
Gallagher played his entire career in Montreal. He was someone whose impact and influence would not necessarily be felt on the score sheet. Instead, Gallagher cemented himself as Montreal's emotional lynchpin and heartbeat of the franchise.
Kreider boasts a similar game to Gallagher. He is a gritty athlete, someone who can be counted on in the big minutes. This hard-nosed style will help him fit seamlessly in the middle or bottom-six part of the Canadiens' depth chart.
Kreider can also put the puck in the net. Sure, he’s 35 years old. His wonder years could be behind him. However, Kreider is more than capable of being a difference maker on both sides of the puck. He is also someone who is pesky in and around the opposition net. This trait has allowed Kreider to collect many of his goals off deflections and rebounds.
He collected 582 points in 883 games with New York. Those numbers are good enough to be ranked in the top ten on the team's all-time scoring list. Kreider was New York's longest-tenured player before being dealt to Anaheim last season.
Kreider's new teammates have welcomed him with open arms.
"It's a fun and energetic group," Kreider told reporters. “I've tried to keep the same approach throughout my career. I'm just grateful to play at this level. I don't take anything for granted.”
“I remember being one of the young players on a team full of guys in their thirties and now I'm one of the only thirty-somethings in a group full of young guys.”
The impact of Kreider in Montreal still brings about many questions. It is unclear if he will be able to have the same impact as his days with Anaheim or New York.
However, all we can do now is sit back and wait to see how fans will react to seeing Kreider putting on the red, white and blue Montreal jersey.
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