1981–82 Montreal Canadiens season
The 1981–82 Montreal Canadiens season was the team's 73rd season. The club finished with over 100 points in the regular season, and were third overall in the NHL standings. The season involved being eliminated in the Adams Division semi-final versus the Quebec Nordiques 3 games to 2.
Offseason
Montreal along with Hartford were moved to the Adams Division which was a more geographical grouping of teams, including Boston, Buffalo and Quebec. Before the 1981 NHL Entry Draft, general manager Irving Grundman announced that Bob Berry would be the new head coach of the Canadiens.Bob Gainey is named captain, following Serge Savard's signing with the Winnipeg Jets.
Regular season
Final standings
Schedule and results
Playoffs
The Canadiens were seeded 3rd overall in the playoffs, while their opponents, the Quebec Nordiques were seeded 10th overall. The clubs were 27 points apart in the league standings. The fifth and final game of the series went into overtime. Twenty-two seconds into overtime, Nordiques' Dale Hunter scored against Canadiens goalie Rick Wamsley to clinch the series.Player statistics
Regular season
;Scoring| Player | Pos | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | +/- | PPG | SHG | GWG |
| C | 78 | 36 | 52 | 88 | 88 | 48 | 10 | 0 | 5 | |
| RW | 66 | 27 | 57 | 84 | 24 | 33 | 9 | 0 | 3 | |
| RW | 80 | 40 | 41 | 81 | 14 | 49 | 9 | 0 | 5 | |
| RW | 80 | 33 | 40 | 73 | 66 | 24 | 7 | 0 | 4 | |
| C | 73 | 35 | 33 | 68 | 57 | 18 | 8 | 2 | 4 | |
| D | 71 | 12 | 47 | 59 | 41 | 57 | 5 | 1 | 0 | |
| LW | 57 | 31 | 24 | 55 | 40 | 24 | 5 | 0 | 3 | |
| C | 80 | 20 | 28 | 48 | 20 | 34 | 1 | 0 | 4 | |
| LW | 79 | 21 | 24 | 45 | 24 | 37 | 1 | 3 | 1 | |
| W | 51 | 11 | 32 | 43 | 34 | 18 | 2 | 1 | 1 | |
| D | 66 | 5 | 34 | 39 | 116 | 66 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
| C | 56 | 12 | 23 | 35 | 43 | 18 | 1 | 0 | 3 | |
| C | 59 | 15 | 18 | 33 | 116 | 23 | 2 | 2 | 2 | |
| D | 76 | 4 | 29 | 33 | 76 | 78 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| RW | 71 | 18 | 11 | 29 | 143 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 5 | |
| D | 62 | 2 | 26 | 28 | 106 | 17 | 2 | 0 | 0 | |
| D | 34 | 6 | 18 | 24 | 28 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 3 | |
| RW | 36 | 12 | 11 | 23 | 33 | 10 | 2 | 0 | 1 | |
| C | 22 | 9 | 12 | 21 | 0 | -3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | |
| D | 47 | 1 | 19 | 20 | 72 | -3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| RW | 49 | 7 | 4 | 11 | 204 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| D | 60 | 3 | 8 | 11 | 55 | 19 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| G | 38 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| LW | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 32 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| G | 27 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| G | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| D | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| LW | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| G | 19 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
;Goaltending
| Player | MIN | GP | W | L | T | GA | GAA | SO |
| 2206 | 38 | 23 | 7 | 7 | 101 | 2.75 | 2 | |
| 1547 | 27 | 12 | 6 | 8 | 68 | 2.64 | 3 | |
| 1027 | 19 | 11 | 4 | 2 | 53 | 3.10 | 0 | |
| 20 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | |
| Team: | 4800 | 80 | 46 | 17 | 17 | 222 | 2.78 | 5 |
Playoffs
;Scoring| Player | Pos | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | PPG | SHG | GWG |
| C | 5 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 0 | |
| RW | 5 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 24 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| RW | 5 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | |
| C | 5 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| W | 5 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| RW | 5 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | |
| C | 5 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| D | 5 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 18 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| RW | 5 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 22 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| D | 5 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| D | 5 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| C | 5 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| LW | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| D | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| D | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| RW | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| D | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| LW | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 27 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| RW | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| G | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
;Goaltending
| Player | MIN | GP | W | L | GA | GAA | SO |
| 300 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 11 | 2.20 | 0 | |
| Team: | 300 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 11 | 2.20 | 0 |
Awards and records
Transactions
Draft picks
| Round | # | Player | Nationality | College/junior/club team |
| 1 | 7 | Mark Hunter | Brantford Alexanders | |
| 1 | 18 | Gilbert Delorme | Chicoutimi Sagueneens | |
| 1 | 19 | Jan Ingman | Farjestad BK | |
| 2 | 32 | Lars Eriksson | Brynas IF | |
| 2 | 40 | Chris Chelios | Moose Jaw Canucks | |
| 3 | 46 | Dieter Hegen | EVS Kaufbeuren | |
| 4 | 82 | Kjell Dahlin | Timra IK | |
| 5 | 88 | Steve Rooney | Canton High School | |
| 6 | 124 | Tom Anastos | Paddock Pool Saints | |
| 7 | 145 | Tom Kurvers | University of Minnesota Duluth | |
| 8 | 166 | Paul Gess | Bloomington Jefferson High School | |
| 9 | 187 | Scott Ferguson | Edina West High School | |
| 10 | 208 | Dan Burrows | Belleville Bulls |