Cole Caufield doesn’t need much time to explain what makes Montreal different. For him, it starts with the Bell Centre and the people in it, and the way that atmosphere turns every night into something bigger than a normal NHL game.
In a recent interview shared by NHL Media, the Canadiens forward talked about life in Montreal, the team’s long-term outlook, and what last season’s playoff run taught the group. The biggest takeaway from his remarks was simple: the connection between the Canadiens and their fans is real, and Caufield feels it every time he steps on the ice.
He made that clear when asked about the fanbase and the experience of playing in front of it.
"It's really a feeling like no other. I tell everybody to try and experience it once if they could and to be a part of that city during that time."
Cole Caufield
Caufield also said the atmosphere gives the team something to chase.
"There's no better feeling than seeing the fans so passionate, and they deserve to see a winning team."
That kind of energy, he said, is part of what makes Montreal stand out. The fans aren’t just watching from the stands. Their intensity becomes part of the building, part of the game, and part of what players carry with them.
Caufield also pointed to the Canadiens’ playoff run last season as a valuable lesson. The Eastern Conference Final experience, in his view, showed how unforgiving postseason hockey can be.
"I think the playoff run was huge. Just getting in the playoffs doesn't matter who you play; you gotta beat the team at some point, and obviously only one team wins, so you're back to the drawing board, back to work," he said.
For Montreal, that run was more than just a successful spring. Caufield sees it as something the team can build on, even if it also exposed how much work still remains. Getting into the playoffs matters, but he made it plain that the next step is turning that experience into something lasting.
He was just as upbeat about the group around him and the direction the Canadiens are headed. Caufield described the present moment in Montreal as special because of the players the team has committed to for the next few years.
"It's pretty special times in Montreal right now. With the guys that we have locked up for the next couple of years, it's pretty special, and you can just tell that those guys wanna be there and really push each other every day to be better," he said. "It's just a really contagious feeling in Montreal right now."
That blend of talent, commitment, and daily competition is what Caufield believes can give the Canadiens a strong foundation moving forward. And for a fanbase that lives and breathes hockey, his words land the way they should: as a reminder that the players know exactly what the city expects.
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Canadiens Ride The Hot Hand As One Lineup Call Turns Heads
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The other notable call comes on the blue line, where Adam Engstrom is set to draw in for Arber Xhekaj. It is Xhekajs first healthy scratch of the season, a reminder that even with the Canadiens building momentum, there are still lineup decisions being made with an eye on both performance and fit. [Read more 🡒]