The Montreal Canadiens signed Chris Kreider to a one-year deal on Saturday, bringing in the player responsible for one of the most bitter grudges in the fan base’s recent history. Instead of outrage, Habs fans have mostly responded by making fun of themselves.
The history is well known in Montreal. In Game 1 of the 2014 Eastern Conference Final, Kreider was sprung on a breakaway, got tripped by Alexei Emelin, and slid into Carey Price, injuring the goaltender’s knee and ending his playoffs.
Chris Kreider to Habs
The Canadiens lost the series to the New York Rangers in six games, and a large portion of the fan base has spent the last 12 years convinced Montreal would have gone much further with a healthy Price. That knee also bothered Price for the rest of his career, eventually contributing to him stepping away from the game before his contract even expired.
So when Kreider actually signed, a chunk of the fan base responded by holding a funeral for the grudge itself. One widely shared post on social media featured a SpongeBob screenshot of Squidward laying flowers at a gravestone reading “F*ck Chris Kreider, 2014-2026,” captioned simply: “Putting this one to rest.”
Fans’ reaction
The comments followed the same tone.
“I’ve hated individual Habs before and I can do it again. In my heart I am a true hater,” one fan wrote.
“The last 24 hours has been one of the longest years of my life,” another added.
“It’s been a great day for those of us living for the memes,” a third said.
“He owes us a cup! That’s the expectations for him!” someone else declared.
As for the man at the center of it, Price settled the question of forgiveness a while ago.
“I don’t harbor any animosity towards him. It was just a play and it was the playoffs and it was kind of a quick play,” Price told the Montreal Gazette’s Stu Cowan. “I definitely don’t harbor any ill will towards him.”
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The hockey case for the signing is also straightforward. Kent Hughes landed Kreider for nothing but cash – no picks or prospects – on a deal worth $2.15 million guaranteed with up to roughly $3 million more in bonuses. Kreider became available in the first place after the Anaheim Ducks terminated the final year of his contract while squeezed for cap space following Leo Carlsson‘s extension.
The 35-year-old put up 22 goals and 50 points in 75 games with Anaheim last season, stretching his run of 20-goal campaigns to eight straight, and he finished second on the team with eight power-play goals. According to Pierre LeBrun, Kreider’s decision came down to three teams, with his comfort level with head coach Martin St. Louis – a former Rangers teammate – and his history with Montreal president of hockey operations Jeff Gorton tipping it toward the Canadiens. Gorton was the Rangers GM who negotiated the very contract Anaheim just terminated. Training camp opens in a matter of days.
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