The only thing more shocking than Chris Kreider being placed on waivers earlier this week and eventually becoming a free agent was that he ultimately decided to sign with the Montreal Canadiens. The player has a rocky relationship with the franchise going back over a decade to the hit on Carey Price during the 2014 NHL Playoffs that fans have not forgotten.
However, Kreider signing in Montreal wasn't just because they were the only team interested. In fact, according to Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic, the Canadiens would beat out two other teams that were trying to sign the veteran.
Kreider’s decision came down to three teams. Montreal wins out. Comfort level with Martin St. Louis. And obviously history with Jeff Gorton.
— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) September 12, 2026
As LeBrun notes, Kreider has plenty of connections to the franchise that begin with head coach Martin St. Louis. The two would actually play together for two seasons in 2013-14 and again in 2014-15 with the New York Rangers. At the time, St. Louis was at the end of his career while Kreider was just starting as a rookie.
In addition to St. Louis, Kreider knows Jeff Gorton well, as Gorton was the assistant general manager of the Rangers when Kreider reached the NHL and was the general manager for six of those seasons. In fact, the contract that was just terminated when the Ducks waived Kreider was originally offered by Gorton when they were with the Rangers.
Chris Kreider clearly believes in what the Montreal Canadiens are building
The past relationships between Kreider and people currently with the Montreal Canadiens help, but it probably isn't the main reason. The fact that Kreider had other teams chasing him and he decided to sign with Montreal on a reasonable one-year deal with a base salary of $2.15 million.
While LeBrun doesn't specifically mention who the other two teams were, it is possible to draw some conclusions by connecting the dots to figure out who the teams might be. The first would be the Boston Bruins, as Kreider grew up in Massachusetts, and they have a need in their Top 6. While they were a playoff team last year, they are likely not closer to a Stanley Cup this season than Montreal.
The other team isn't as clear, but when considering that Kreider wanted to be back on the East Coast, it does narrow the teams down. One of the first that come to mind after the Bruins is the Carolina Hurricanes, as they can never be counted out, but it would be hard to imagine Kreider would pick Montreal over them so they might not have been an option.
He could have been considering a return to the New York City area and maybe the New York Rangers to finish his career with the team that drafted by or even the New York Islanders. However, if either of those teams were the third team, then it makes sense that Montreal would be more appealing.
In the end, while unexpected it makes perfect sense from both sides for Chris Kreider to join Montreal as it fills a major need and gives the player a great chance at a deep playoff run towards the end of his career.
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