Photo Via @NHL.com

Jade Gagné

Sports Editor

For the first time in four years, the Montreal Canadiens are returning to the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The last time the team was seen in the playoffs was during the final of the 2021 playoffs against Tampa Bay. This loss was huge and followed the famous team for the next years. At some point, the team was the second-worst team in the NHL. ESPN stated that during the 2021-2022 season, the team had 22 wins and 49 losses, in the 2022-2023 season, it had 31 wins and 45 losses, and they became tied in the 2023-2024 season, with 30 wins and 36 losses. As of today, April 21st, the Montreal Canadiens are at 40 wins and 31 losses, which gives them the rank of 17 out of 32 in the 2025 Playoffs, and the fifth place in the Atlantic division. 

During this four-year absence, we saw the team focus on its rebuilding and the development of its young core. With an average age of 26, the Montreal Canadiens seem to believe that a “young team” is the secret to winning.  Their recent pick is the nineteen-year-old Russian named Ivan Demidov (or Demigod, the nickname the fans gave him). Domidov was in the 2024 draft and was picked by the Montreal Canadiens during the first round. Born in Sergiyev Posad, Russia, Demidov played in Russia’s top junior league, where he made 60 points (23 goals, 37 assists), six-game winning goals, and 144 shots on goal in 30 games during the 2023-2024 season (NHL.COM). He had the chance of having Celine Dion announce him as the team’s selection, all while being the fifth pick in last year’s NHL draft. His first official game with the Montreal Canadiens went so well that he already had the fans chanting for him. On April 14, during the game against the Chicago Blackhawks, Demidov scored two points (one goal and one assist). 

Even though he delivered a great performance, the team lost 4-3. This loss meant that the team was at risk of not having a place in the playoffs, unless they won their next game against the Carolina Hurricanes. That game was happening two days after their loss; the team only needed one more win to be able to reach this year’s playoffs. On April 16, the Montreal Canadiens won with the final score of 4-2. The player 71, Jake Evans, scored the final goal in the other team’s empty net within the last two minutes of the game. This perfectly aligned goal created a score of 4-2, which made it impossible for the California Hurricanes to get back on track. Even though the game had a rocky start with many missed goals and small errors, it had an amazing finish. 

This game was so important that even the politicians decided to do the French Canadian election debate an hour early. The reason was that NPD and the Block QC feared a lack of French-Canadian viewers due to the importance of that hockey game. Both were supposed to start at 7 pm, but the debate ended up starting at 6 pm. Hockey fans could see half of the debate and then go on to support their team. Those fans would also include the 32nd premier of Quebec, who completely ditched the debate to go watch the decisive game instead; a questionable choice considering how most of the debate questions were surrounding Quebecers.

With their youth players like Nick Suzuki, who had a career season with 89 points, or Cole Caufield, who scored 37 goals while playing all of this year’s 82 games, the Montreal Canadiens could raise some concerns around the lack of experience in the playoffs and even the unpredictability of the veterans. Expect that this core of young men can create a totally different dynamic. The goal to prove themselves on a bigger hockey scale might be the reason behind a future win. Martin Saint-Louis, the Montreal Canadiens head coach, was interviewed by Marc Denis and Pierre Houde right after the win and asked him about his first reactions. Saint-Louis said: “[…] Our young team has learned through all this. It’s not something that you can practice […], we put our best foot in front, we weren’t perfect, but we fought hard and accomplished what we told ourselves that we could do […]”.

The Montreal Canadiens start their first-round game on April 21st against the Washington Capitals. Every two days, the teams will play against each other. There’s a total of four games, but the NHL has seven games planned if necessary. After the first round, there is the Second Round, the Conference Finals, and the Stanley Cup Final. Hopefully, we’ll see them with the Stanley Cup again. GO HABS GO!