The 2009 NHL Entry Draft took place at the Bell Centre in Montreal, and was just one of the many events hosted by the most successful franchise in National Hockey League history as part of its Centennial Year festivities. The events were meant to celebrate the glorious past of the organization, and applaud the immense restoration job that General Manager Bob Gainey, President Pierre Boivin, and owner George Gillett performed on a franchise on life support by the late 90s.
However the 2008-09 season was tumultuous for the team, leading to the firing of head coach Guy Carbonneau during the season, and the purging of the core of the roster, including the unthinkable departure of long-standing captain Saku Koivu and the loss of the ever-popular Alex Kovalev to free agency.