In the emptying corridors behind the Bell Centre ice, vincent damphousse’s 40-goal season from 1993-1994 is a quiet landmark — the last time a Montreal player reached that mark. Now, after his 39th goal against the Ducks, Cole Caufield may end a 32-year team drought that has stood while 263 other players around the league have reached 40.
What does Vincent Damphousse say about the drought?
Vincent Damphousse, retired Canadiens player, spoke at a charity golf event and framed the drought without rancor. He said he did not expect the city to wait so long for another 40-goal scorer and added that he follows the team closely in Montreal. “If I had to bet, I would say that Caufield can do it next year, ” he said. Damphousse also acknowledged that when he hit 40 goals, he had hoped to do it again — a reminder that the milestone once felt attainable within the organisation.
Can Cole Caufield break the 32-year drought this week?
Cole Caufield sits at 39 goals after scoring against the Ducks, placing him within single-goal reach of joining Damphousse as the last Canadiens player to reach 40. The schedule this week gives several clear opportunities: a home game at the Centre Bell against the Bruins, a visit to Detroit, and a later game against the Islanders at home. The context notes Caufield’s particular success against Boston — 10 goals in 13 career meetings — which makes the upcoming matchup at the Bell Centre a realistic moment for the milestone to arrive.
The week also contains matchups that historically have been less fruitful for him: three goals in 13 games against the Red Wings. Still, if Caufield maintains the season pace referenced in recent coverage, projections place him well beyond 40; the same coverage calculated that the current pace would have him finish the season near 48 goals.
What would 40 goals mean for the team and the city?
Statistically, the Canadiens are unique among franchises: since vincent damphousse’s 40-goal output in 1993-1994, no Montreal player has hit the mark, while 263 players across the league have done so. That 32-year span is identified as the longest active drought without a 40-goal scorer among all teams.
Voices inside the organisation have emphasized the week’s importance. The team’s post-game and pre-game notes list several internal perspectives: players addressing defensive play, veterans speaking about the need to raise levels now, and staff framing the sequence of games as critical. Those internal assessments underline that, beyond the milestone for one player, the stretch of games carries implications for how the group closes the season.
Who else figures into the story this week?
The scoring race around the league provides additional context: Cole Caufield is now five goals behind the league leader named in recent match notes, Nathan MacKinnon. Inside games, other match-level details matter: the Ducks game in which Caufield reached 39 featured notable contributions across rosters, while match summaries show goaltenders and defenders blocking and stopping chances that shaped the result.
Historical comparators also populate the narrative. Before Damphousse’s 40-goal season, Brian Bellows had hit the mark the season prior, and Stéphane Richer once reached as high as 50 goals in a campaign. Those past tallies are cited as evidence that the milestone was not always so rare in Montreal.
Back at the Bell Centre, the places where players pace their laps and coaches pace the bench feel charged in a new way. vincent damphousse’s words — that he follows the team and hopes another player will reach the mark — still hang in the air. Whether it happens Tuesday at home against Boston, on the road in Detroit, or later in the week versus the Islanders, the moment will be measured in goals on the scoresheet and in the long, quiet memory of a city waiting 32 years for one more player to join a particular club.
