When Do the Boston Bruins® and the Montreal Canadiens® Play Next?
Boston Bruins® tickets and Montreal Canadiens® tickets can be found on their respective team pages. Upcoming game information can be found below.
Are the Boston Bruins® and the Montreal Canadiens® Rivals?
Yes, the Boston Bruins® and the Montreal Canadiens® are rivals. They have one of the oldest rivalries in all of sports and the biggest rivalry in the NHL®. Both teams are part of the original six NHL® teams and have competed in nearly 1,000 games against each other. They are both currently in the NHL®’s Eastern Conference Atlantic Division.
Who Are the Biggest Rivals of the Boston Bruins®?
Along with the Montreal Canadiens®, the Boston Bruins® have a strong rivalry with the Buffalo Sabres®, Toronto Maple Leafs®, Philadelphia Flyers® and the Tampa Bay Lighting®. All of these teams are in the Eastern Conference and all but the Flyers are in the Atlantic Division.
Who are the Biggest Rivals of the Montreal Canadiens®?
Not counting the Boston Bruins®, the biggest rivalries of the Montreal Canadiens® are the Toronto Maple Leafs®, Buffalo Sabres® and the Ottawa Senators®. All of these teams are in the Eastern Conference Atlantic Division, leading to constant regular season and playoff matchups.
Boston Bruins® vs. Montreal Canadiens® Series History
Arguably the oldest/best/most intense rivalry in all of sports, the Boston Bruins® and the Montreal Canadiens® have easily the biggest rivalry in the NHL®. These two teams have played each other more often in the regular season and in the Stanley Cup® Playoffs than any other teams in the NHL®. Entering the 2022-2023 season, the Bruins and Canadiens have played 754 regular season games and have met in the playoffs 34 times in their history. The Canadiens (nickname Habs) currently have the winning record in the regular season over the Bruins (363-277-103-11) and the winning record in the playoffs with 25-9 series wins.
Some of the biggest moments between the Bruins vs. Canadiens were their constant Stanley Cup® Playoffs meetings. In the 1950s the two teams met in six of seven seasons, facing each other in the Stanley Cup® Finals in both ’57 and ’58, with the Canadiens winning every series. In fact, the Canadiens defeated the Boston Bruins® in 18 straight playoff appearances between 1946 and 1987. Between 1984 and 1992, Montreal and Boston met every single year in the playoffs. History hasn’t always favored the Canadiens. Between 1988 and 1994 the Bruins beat the Canadiens in five out of six playoff series.
The rivalry between these two teams goes beyond the playoffs, actually beyond hockey as a sport and into the real world. On March 13, 1955, the NHL®’s top player, Maurice “Rocket” Richard of the Montreal Canadiens®, received a high-stick to the head from Boston Bruins® player Hal Laycoe, leaving Richard with a large, bloody cut. A huge fight ensued and during the brawl Richard broke his stick over Laycoe and hit a referee on the ice. A subsequent decision was made by the NHL® to suspend Richard for the rest of the regular season as well as the entire playoffs. Canadiens fans were furious. On March 17, 1955, a riot took place during and after a Montreal Canadiens® game. Fruit, eggs and a homemade tear gas canister were thrown in the stadium, while cars were smashed, stores were looted, guns were fired, and 137 arrests were made. These real-world events caused by the rivalry occurred again in 2011 after Bruins player, Zdeno Chára, hit Canadiens player, Max Pacioretty, into the glass between the benches, resulting in a concussion and fractured vertebrae for Pacioretty. Canadiens fans demanded Chara be charged with assault. After the hit, the Montreal Police investigated the situation for potential criminal charges towards Chara, although no charges were brought.
Hockey is an intense but amazing sport. The exhilaration and turmoil it brings the fans goes beyond sport and into the zeitgeist of history. The rivalry between the Boston Bruins® and the Montreal Canadiens® is truly a spectacle that needs to be admired, learned from and understood.
Where Do the Boston Bruins® and the Montreal Canadiens® Play?
The Boston Bruins have played at the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts, since its opening in 1995. The TD garden was the replacement for the Boston Garden, which was the Bruins’ home ice from 1928–1995.
The Montreal Canadiens® have played at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Québec, Canada since 1996. Their previous home was the Montreal Forum, which hosted the team from 1926 to 1996.