For some players, putting on a Montreal Canadiens jersey is a dream come true. Others, though, have been so eager to leave that they have requested that the team trade them.
Whether it was due to the pressure, a lack of ice time, or clashes with management, here are six former Canadiens players who demanded a trade away from hockey’s most storied franchise.
Patrick Roy
Perhaps the most infamous trade in Montreal Canadiens history, star goaltender Patrick Roy demanded to be dealt in the middle of a game.
It was December 2, 1995 and the Habs were hosting the red hot Detroit Red Wings at the Montreal Forum. As an array of goals started going past the netminder in what looked like a blowout early on, Roy was the victim of sarcastic cheers from the home crowd.
Hoping for relief, he looked to the bench, but coach Mario Tremblay refused to pull the starter until it was too late. After a ninth goal went in, he was finally pulled.
The Quebec City native then walked over to team president Ronald Corey and announced that he had played his last game for the Habs.
On December 6, the Hall-of-Famer and captain Mike Keane were traded to the Colorado Avalanche in exchange for Jocelyn Thibault, Martin RuÄŤinskĂ˝, and Andrei Kovalenko.
Sergei Kostitsyn
While his brother Andrei was still on the team, Sergei Kostitsyn requested a trade in 2009.
After Montreal sent him down to the Hamilton Bulldogs (their former AHL affiliate), Kostitsyn was suspended by the team for failing to report to the minor league team.
Rather than trying to work his way back up to the NHL, the Belarusian asked to be traded. His request was granted when the Canadiens dealt him to the Nashville Predators for goaltender Dan Ellis and forward Dustin Boyd in 2010.
Max Pacioretty
According to former general manager Marc Bergevin and team owner Geoff Molson, former Canadiens captain Max Pacioretty was the one who initiated his own departure from the team.
“Both parties agreed that the best thing was to move on, and we were able to do that last night,” said Bergevin days before the player was traded. “Last season, he asked for a trade. I will not go into details. But that’s a fact.”
“We’re just going to focus on telling the truth, and that’s that a request was made,” Canadiens owner Geoff Molson added at the team’s annual pre-training camp golf tournament in September 2018. “It’s been going on several months now that we’ve been trying to make this happen.”
A few days later, Pacioretty was traded to the Vegas Golden Knights for Nick Suzuki, Tomas Tatar and a second-round pick.
Pacioretty’s agent publicly denied Bergevin and Molson’s claims.
Victor Mete
Back in 2021, former Habs defenceman Victor Mete was struggling to find consistent ice time with the team.
NHL insider Pierre Lebrun reported that Mete, unhappy with his circumstances, requested he be traded elsewhere.
“There isn’t an opportunity to get in the lineup,” said his agent, Darren Ferris. “It’s best for both the player and the team.”
Mete was placed on waivers soon afterwards and claimed by the Ottawa Senators within 24 hours.
Jeff Petry
Amidst Montreal’s strict COVID-19 regulations, there were multiple reports that Jeff Petry and his family wanted to go elsewhere. As a result, the defenceman reportedly asked to be traded in January 2022.
By the summer, Canadiens general manager Kent Hughes was open about wanting to find a deal for the Michigan native.
“We’re still working, talking with a few teams about Jeff Petry,” said Hughes. “It’s our priority – as long as the trade works for us.”
Shortly after Hughes’ revelation, Petry, along with Ryan Poehling, were moved by the Canadiens to the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for defenceman Mike Matheson and a fourth-round pick in the 2023 draft.
Rem Pitlick
As a waiver pickup, forward Rem Pitlick performed well during his short stint in Montreal.
But, according to a report from TVA Sports insider Renaud Lavoie, Pitlick is the one who requested that general manager Kent Hughes trade him in the first place.
The request was granted when Montreal sent him and Mike Hoffman to Pittsburgh to re-acquire Petry along with forward Nathan Legare, goalie Casey DeSmith, and a 2025 second-round draft pick.
“It’s a really great trade. Hoffman had become a burden for the Canadiens. We managed to trade him without retaining a dollar of his salary,” Lavoie said. “Pitlick had demanded a trade; he was traded as well.”