So, the Price play isn\u2019t the only history Kreider has with Montreal. His relationships with St. Louis and Gorton played a big role in him signing with the Canadiens after he had his contract terminated by the Anaheim Ducks on Thursday.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYeah, Montreal was pretty aggressive right out of the gate. Obviously, there are several connections to my time spent in New York, so there\u2019s a familiarity there. So, I think that certainly helped as well,\u201d Kreider said. \u201cAnd I think just everything that they\u2019re doing here and have been doing for a few years, the culture that they\u2019ve built, the group that they have — obviously, it\u2019s a pretty big hockey city. The passion, I mean, I tried to explain it to some of my friends, that it\u2019s not just a sport here, it\u2019s a religion. So, it\u2019s a pretty amazing place to get the opportunity to play and I\u2019m really excited to play at the Bell Centre.\u201d<\/p>\n
Kreider has experience being coached by St. Louis as well. He reached out to him for individual coaching before St. Louis was hired by Montreal in February 2022.<\/p>\n
\u201cYeah, that\u2019s a massive draw for me, having been lucky enough to play with him towards the end there in New York,\u201d Kreider said. \u201cEven back then he was almost like a player-coach. I mean, the intensity, the tenacity and just the things that he brought to the rink every day. I don\u2019t think that I can say that I\u2019ve learned more from any one individual than the time that I spent playing with him on his line. Super wise, incredibly smart. Even back then you knew he\u2019d be a great coach.\u201d<\/p>\n