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The Montreal Canadiens Have Two Untradeable Assets

The Montreal Canadiens have two assets they can’t and wouldn’t want to trade. What are they? How do they work for the team?

by
KBM
January 17, 2026

When comparing the various assets of NHL teams, there is a tendency to focus solely on the players. In the case of Montreal, this would be a mistake. Of course, there is no argument that the players are important. However, the present-day Montreal Canadiens have two additional assets that are contributing enormously to their current resurgence. I am referring to the team’s culture and their fan base/venue.

Geoff Molson Began the Canadiens First Rebuild

Not so long ago, many talking heads around the hockey world were bemoaning the fact that Montreal could not attract elite talent. Taxes, market pressure, and a team not viewed as on an upward trajectory were all seen as obstacles to attracting talent. Today, the situation is markedly different.

In 2021, Geoff Molson, owner, president, and CEO of the team, decided that, for the first time in the franchise’s history, a rebuild was needed. He cleared house and started installing a new management team. One of the first things the group of Jeff Gorton, Kent Hughes, and Martin St. Louis did was to establish a plan. Its objective was to bring Montreal back to the forefront of hockey. They laid the foundation for a new culture within the team, which was integral to the plan. One that embodied everyone working for the greater good.

Martin St. Louis Canadiens roster — Martin St. Louis has led the Canadiens to a high spot in the Atlantic Division.

The Canadiens’ First Untradeable Asset? Team Culture

The Hab’s players have embraced the concept of playing as a team for team success. One cannot emphasize the TEAM aspect enough; Nick Suzuki‘s request to management not to break up the team at the trading deadline last season is a prime example.

Watch the Montreal bench during a game. This is not a situation in which the head coach is operating in a silo. There is constant communication between him, the other coaches, and the players. It is evident from the body language that an exchange of ideas is taking place. The excitement and appreciation the coaches, players, and staff display after each goal, save, hit, or fight is there for all to see.

With the new culture firmly established, players are now actively looking to become Montreal Canadiens team members.

There Are No Prima Donnas on the Montreal Team

Another element of the plan was to establish a roadmap which would move Montreal from last place (2021/2022) to a recurring contender for the Stanley Cup. A salary structure was established. Prospects and draft picks were accumulated. The result to date is the youngest team in the entire NHL.

Once again, the culture of working as a team comes into play. Players have been willing to forgo the extra million or so dollars a year they could hold out for to be part of a team which appears to have an exciting future. By doing so, they have given management the financial room to add talent as it becomes available.

Management has said from the beginning that this would be a multi-year project. That fact is often forgotten by prognosticators who write that Montreal should spend millions to acquire this ageing star or that one to become an instant contender. The players, on the other hand, have signed long-term deals, underscoring their embrace of the plan.

The Canadiens’ Second Untradeable Asset? Montreal Fans

Let us not forget the second untradeable asset. The fans and venue. Many people agree that Montreal is the spiritual home of hockey. The Bell Centre is the largest arena in the NHL and holds the NHL sellout record spanning 583 consecutive games across 14 years!

When the Canadiens play away games, there are always large contingents of Canadiens fans in the arena. However, when Montreal plays at home, there are only scattered partisans for the opposing team.

The fan involvement this season, in particular, has been impressive. In a recent game, there was a seven-minute ovation! The media scrutiny of the Canadiens is intense. All this leads some hockey players to feel the pressure of playing in Montreal is too great for them. The current team embraces this pressure and uses it as an additional motivator.