Kreider joins Canadiens, hopes to win over ‘passionate’ fans

LAVAL, Quebec -- Chris Kreider knows all about fans of the Montreal Canadiens. 

“It’s a passionate fan base,” Kreider said on Monday at the Canadiens' preseason golf tournament. 

Ever since he collided with Canadiens goalie Carey Price in Game 1 of the 2014 Eastern Conference Final, the forward has heard boos each time he’s stepped onto Montreal ice. 

Now, he’s playing for the home team.  

“I think they’ve got long memories, so either way I’m going to go out there and work as hard as I can and do whatever it takes to help this team win hockey games,” Kreider said.

Kreider's comments come just two days after he signed a one-year contract with Montreal on Saturday. Financial terms were not disclosed. 

Yet despite the white hat he made the comments in, for years he has worn the black hat in Montreal for the play that took out Price for the rest of the Stanley Cup Playoffs with a lower-body injury. The Rangers would go on to win the series in six games to advance to the Stanley Cup Final. 

“It was not intentional in any way,” Kreider said. “I was just a young kid and a pretty bad skater at the time trying to score a goal and things happen. So, it’s hockey. It’s fast but we move on and I’m happy to be here.”

When asked if he had ever been in contact with Price about the incident, Kreider was led straight into a double entendre.

“No, I’ve never bumped into him,” he said before laughing and saying, “Nice."

One of Kreider’s teammates on the 2014 Rangers was current Canadiens coach Martin St. Louis, who signed a four-year extension on Monday. 

In fact, St. Louis and Kreider were linemates during St. Louis' two seasons with New York.

Canadiens president of hockey operations Jeff Gorton was the Rangers general manager from July 1, 2015, through May 5, 2021. Kreider played for New York during all of Gorton’s six seasons there.

So, the Price play isn’t the only history Kreider has with Montreal. His relationships with St. Louis and Gorton played a big role in him signing with the Canadiens after he had his contract terminated by the Anaheim Ducks on Thursday. 

“Yeah, Montreal was pretty aggressive right out of the gate. Obviously, there are several connections to my time spent in New York, so there’s a familiarity there. So, I think that certainly helped as well,” Kreider said. “And I think just everything that they’re doing here and have been doing for a few years, the culture that they’ve built, the group that they have -- obviously, it’s a pretty big hockey city. The passion, I mean, I tried to explain it to some of my friends, that it’s not just a sport here, it’s a religion. So, it’s a pretty amazing place to get the opportunity to play and I’m really excited to play at the Bell Centre.”

Kreider has experience being coached by St. Louis as well. He reached out to him for individual coaching before St. Louis was hired by Montreal in February 2022.

“Yeah, that’s a massive draw for me, having been lucky enough to play with him towards the end there in New York,” Kreider said. “Even back then he was almost like a player-coach. I mean, the intensity, the tenacity and just the things that he brought to the rink every day. I don’t think that I can say that I’ve learned more from any one individual than the time that I spent playing with him on his line. Super wise, incredibly smart. Even back then you knew he’d be a great coach.”

Kreider, 35, had 50 points (22 goals, 28 assists) in 75 regular-season games and seven points (two goals, five assists) in 12 Stanley Cup Playoff games last season, his first with the Ducks after being traded by the Rangers on June 11, 2025, for forward prospect Carey Terrance and a third-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft.

“I think the most important thing whenever you join a new team is to win the trust of your teammates,” Kreider said. “Do the right things, play the right way, show up and work hard every single day. And having played on teams with passionate fanbases before, you show up and you work, that’s all you can do.”

In 14 NHL seasons with New York and Anaheim, Kreider has 632 points (348 goals, 284 assists) in 958 regular-season games and 83 points (50 goals, 33 assists) in 135 playoff games. Since 2012-13 (his first regular season), he has scored 124 power-play goals, which is 10th in the NHL in that span. 

“I’ll do whatever I can, whatever role they need me to play,” Kreider said. “Power play, penalty kill. Obviously, there’s a terrific power play here, so maybe it means more penalty killing. Regardless, if I’m in the lineup, I’m working hard and doing whatever they ask.” 

St. Louis noted that the addition of Kreider checks a number of boxes on the Canadiens’ wish list, particularly experience, sandpaper and a netfront presence.

“All these boxes wouldn’t matter unless he was a quality human being,” St. Louis said. “And to me it starts with that for Chris, so we’re really looking forward to getting him with our group and get going.”