Kirk Muller found his first new opportunity after departing the Washington Capitals last month.
The now-former Caps assistant coach was tasked by the Montreal Canadiens, with whom he won the 1993 Stanley Cup as an alternate captain, to bring the pregame torch into Bell Centre ahead of the Habs’ first home second-round playoff game against the Buffalo Sabres.
Muller slowly walked through an entrance aisle with fans lined up on both sides before entering the arena and lifting the torch to much fanfare from the roaring, sold-out crowd.
Muller played for the Canadiens for four seasons from 1991 to 1995, eventually becoming the franchise’s 20th captain during the 1994-95 campaign. He had his career-best season with the Habs in 1992-93, recording 94 points (37g, 57a) in 80 games.
After his 1,349-game career, Muller then returned to Montreal to serve as an assistant coach under Guy Carbonneau, Bob Gainey, and Jacques Martin for five seasons from 2006 to 2011. He then left for five years, which included a stint as Carolina Hurricanes head coach, before being hired by the Canadiens again and serving as an assistant coach under Michel Therrien and Claude Julien for parts of five seasons (2016-2021).
The Capitals brought Muller in when Spencer Carbery was chosen to replace Peter Laviolette as the team’s head coach in 2023. The Ontario native was in charge of the club’s power play, which has been incredibly inconsistent under his watch, finishing 25th-best in the NHL this past year.
