Canadiens president Jeff Gorton: Chris Kreider called us, not the other way around
According to Montreal Canadiens’ president Jeff Gorton, Chris Kreider called them, not the other way around.
Gorton spoke with reporters Monday during the team’s annual golf tournament, and explained the process around how the team was able to sign Kreider to a one-year contract over the weekend.
“Obviously, I wasn’t expecting for him to be available,” he said. “If you go back a couple weeks, when he became available, we were looking at our roster and (thought) he would be a good fit for a couple reasons. Size, speed, experience. His playoff record is really good.”
Gorton added that it didn’t seem like there were really any negatives when the Canadiens were thinking about signing Kreider.
“Once he called us and said he wanted to come to Montreal, that he liked our group, we were really excited,” he added.
Kreider and the Habs agreed to a one-year, $2.15-million deal on Saturday, just days after the Anaheim Ducks placed Kreider on waivers for the purpose of terminating his contract.
According to TSN hockey insider Pierre LeBrun, Kreider had three teams to choose from, but he decided to sign with the Canadiens because he has a “comfort level” with Montreal head coach Martin St. Louis, as well as a history with Gorton.
In 2025-26, Kreider had 22 goals and 28 assists for 50 points in 75 games with the Ducks. He finished second on the team with eight power-play goals, and reached the 20-goal mark for an eighth straight season.
The deal raised some eyebrows on social media as Kreider has been one of the most booed athletes in modern Montreal sports history after he injured former Canadiens’ goaltender Carey Price during the Stanley Cup Playoffs in 2014.
Through 14 NHL seasons, Kreider, a native of Boxford, Mass., has 348 goals and 284 assists for 632 points in 958 career regular-season games with the Ducks and New York Rangers.
He was selected by the Rangers with the No. 19 pick in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft. He was acquired by the Ducks after the 2024-25 season, with New York getting forward prospect Carey Terrance in return.
