1969–70 Montreal Canadiens season
The 1969–70 Montreal Canadiens season was the club's 61st season of play. The defending Stanley Cup champions finished sixteen games above .500, but it was not enough to return to the playoffs in the powerful East Division. Montreal finished fifth after losing tiebreaker to the New York Rangers on goal differential, and missed the playoffs for the first time since the 1947–48 season, ending their 21-season playoff streak.
| 1969–70 Montreal Canadiens | |
|---|---|
| Division | 5th East |
| 1969–70 record | 38–22–16 |
| Goals for | 244 |
| Goals against | 201 |
| Team information | |
| General manager | Sam Pollock |
| Coach | Claude Ruel |
| Captain | Jean Beliveau |
| Alternate captains | Henri Richard Unknown |
| Arena | Montreal Forum |
| Team leaders | |
| Goals | Jacques Lemaire (32) |
| Assists | Yvan Cournoyer (36) |
| Points | Yvan Cournoyer (63) |
| Penalty minutes | John Ferguson (139) |
| Wins | Rogie Vachon (31) |
| Goals against average | Phil Myre (2.27) |
This team was the only Canadiens team between the 1948–49 season and the 1993–94 season that missed the playoffs, a span of 46 years. Montreal would go on to win another Cup the following season, becoming the first (and, as of 2024, only) team to win the Stanley Cup, miss the playoffs and win the Cup again in successive campaigns.