Chris Kreider’s return to Madison Square Garden may have to wait.
The former Rangers winger left Montreal’s 5-2 win over the Bruins on Thursday night with a lower-body injury after taking an awkward knee-on-knee hit at center ice from Boston forward Michael Eyssimont about 6:30 into the third period. Kreider stayed down briefly, then got back to his feet before Montreal’s trainer could reach him. He skated off favoring his left leg and then hopped down the hallway to the visitors’ room before not returning.
There was no postgame update on his status, and the Canadiens do not play again until Monday.
That puts his availability for Montreal’s visit to MSG in doubt, where the Canadiens are scheduled to face the Rangers. It would have been Kreider’s second game back at the building since leaving New York, and the first since joining Montreal this season.
Kreider signed a one-year, $2.15 million deal with the Canadiens after his contract was bought out by the Anaheim Ducks. The 35-year-old is in his first season with Montreal, which is 12-3-4 and tied for first in the Atlantic Division. The club has earned points in 12 straight games, going 9-0-3 during that stretch.
His numbers in Montreal have been modest so far: three goals and nine points in 19 games, with 13:21 of ice time per night, his lowest average since his rookie season with the Rangers in 2012-13. At five-on-five, Montreal has outscored opponents 16-10 with Kreider on the ice, though his expected goal share sits at 38.62 percent, according to Natural Stat Trick.
Even with the injury scare, Kreider’s name will still draw a reaction from the Garden crowd if he’s able to suit up. Drafted by the Rangers in the first round in 2009, he ranks third in franchise history with 326 goals and is one of four players to score 50 or more in a season for the team, doing it with 52 goals in 2021-22.
The Rangers traded Kreider to the Ducks on June 12, 2025. He was honored by New York in his first return to MSG last December, when Anaheim won 4-1.
Monday would be his second trip back to the building, if the injury allows it. Montreal’s only scheduled visit to New York this season is that game, unless the two teams meet again in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
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