By: Camryn Meece | Follow me on Twitter / X @MeeceCamryn
The Boston Bruins faced off against the Montreal Canadiens, the National Hockey League’s (NHL) oldest franchise, on December 8, 1924. It was just the Bruins’ third game as an NHL franchise and their first meeting with Montreal. More than 100 years later, that matchup has become one of hockey’s most familiar, and the two teams have developed one of the league’s longest and most storied rivalries.
Boston had opened its NHL history with a 2-1 win over the Montreal Maroons before falling to the Toronto St. Patricks two nights later. The Bruins’ third game brought the Canadiens to Boston Arena.
Montreal struck first when Howie Morenz scored midway through the opening period. Boston responded with two goals from Carson Cooper, with Bobby Rowe adding another in the second period to give the Bruins a 3-2 lead. The advantage did not last. Aurèle Joliat scored twice in the third period, including the game-winning goal, to complete Montreal’s comeback and give the Canadiens a 4-3 victory.
It was a close game, but there was little indication that the matchup would eventually become one of the defining rivalries in the NHL. At the time, Boston was simply a new franchise trying to establish itself in a league dominated by Canadian teams. Montreal, meanwhile, was already an established NHL club with a history dating back to 1909.
The two teams would meet four more times during Boston’s inaugural season. Montreal won three of those games, but the Bruins managed a 3-2 victory in their first road meeting on January 10, 1925. The Bruins and Canadiens continued to meet throughout the late 1920s, but the rivalry took on a new meaning when the teams met in the 1929 Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Bruins quickly took control of the best-of-five series, winning the first two games 1-0 behind rookie goaltender Tiny Thompson. Boston then defeated Montreal 3-2 in Game 3 to complete the sweep and advance to the Stanley Cup Final.
The Bruins went on to sweep the New York Rangers in the Final, winning their first Stanley Cup in franchise history. For now, the Bruins had the upper hand, but it wouldn’t last long.
Boston entered the 1930 season as the defending Stanley Cup champions and dominated the regular season, finishing 38-5-1. But when the Bruins met Montreal in the Stanley Cup Final, the Canadiens swept the series in two games to claim the championship.
Montreal went on to win the Stanley Cup again in 1931. The Canadiens had quickly answered Boston’s championship with two of their own, and the balance between the two franchises was beginning to shift.
The Canadiens’ success continued into the 1940s, and their dominance over Boston became even more apparent. Montreal became one of the NHL’s dominant franchises, while the Bruins struggled to keep pace. That gap became especially clear in the playoffs. Beginning in 1943, the Canadiens won 18 consecutive playoff series against Boston, a streak that lasted until 1987. Montreal repeatedly eliminated the Bruins from the postseason during that stretch.
The Bruins won the Stanley Cup in 1970 and again in 1972, marking a new chapter for the franchise. Boston had established itself as one of the league’s top teams, with some of hockey’s best players on its roster, but Montreal remained a difficult opponent. The Canadiens won four consecutive Stanley Cups from 1976 to 1979, while the Bruins continued to struggle against them in the playoffs.
Boston finally broke through once again in 1988. The Bruins defeated Montreal in the Adams Division Final, winning their first playoff series against the Canadiens since 1943. It ended an 18-series losing streak against Montreal that had stretched across 45 years.
The victory sent the Bruins to the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since 1978. Although Boston ultimately lost to the Edmonton Oilers, beating Montreal was an important moment for the Bruins and a turning point in the rivalry.
One of hockey’s oldest rivalries continued into the next millennium, although the two teams did not meet as frequently in the playoffs. Their most memorable postseason meeting of the modern era came in 2011, when Boston and Montreal met in the first round. The Bruins won the series in seven games before going on to win the Stanley Cup.
More than 100 years after that first meeting at Boston Arena, the Bruins and Canadiens remain the most-played matchup in NHL history. The two teams have faced each other 768 times in the regular season and 34 times in the playoffs, more than any other pair of NHL franchises. What started as a loss for Boston in 1924 has become one of hockey’s most anticipated matchups.
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